Games To Make

How to Play Picaria

Picaria is a two-player game. Each player needs three game pieces in a color that contrasts with the other player's game pieces. Use pennies and dimes, two types of cereal, or pieces from another game. The goal is to be the first player to make three in a row.

1. Draw lots to see who goes first.
2. In the first stage of the game, players take turns placing their pieces on any line intersection except the center point.
3. If all six pieces have been placed and neither player has three in a row, the game moves to the second stage. Players now take turns moving one of their pieces along a line to an empty intersection. Jumping is not allowed.
4. The first player to make three in a row wins. The row may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal, with no spaces between the pieces. Sometimes the game is played using just nine spaces, instead of all 13. To try this, exclude the four inner spaces that form a square.

Strategy Tip: Unlike tic-tac-toe, the game continues after all pieces have been placed. Watch for opportunities to create two possible winning rows at once while blocking your opponent's plans.

Variation: Some players use only nine intersections instead of all 13. To play this version, exclude the four intersections that form the inner square. This leaves three rows of three intersections while still using Picaria's two-stage gameplay.