Brain Chain

Infobox_Game
subject_name=Brain Chain
image_link= questions to form a "Brain Chain"
publisher=Brain Chain Games, Inc.
players=2–3 players or teams
ages=8 +
setup_time= 3 minutes
playing_time= 30–90 minutes
complexity=Low
strategy=High
genre(s)=strategy, trivia, educational
random_chance=Low
skills=Abstract Strategy, Teamwork, General knowledge, Social Skills

"Brain Chain" is a strategy-driven trivia board game played by 2 or 3 players or teams. The object is to be the first player or team to connect an unbroken row of six "links" horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. The game is played on a 10x10 category grid surrounded by an exterior track. "Brain Chain" has been described as "Trivial Pursuit" with a Go-Moku win mechanic plus a dash of "Pueblo" added in [cite web|url=http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/16233|title=BoardGameGeek, Review of "Brain Chain", October 2, 2006] .

"Brain Chain" was designed by Alicia Vaz and Scot Blackburn, who are Los Angeles attorneys, ["The Winter Olympics are over but the Competition Continues with Brain Chain, the Awesome Strategy-Meets-Trivia Board Game", March 2006, located at http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/pdf/2006/03/07/press_release_11758.pdf] and Kris Harter, [Pacific Union College, Website article, November 2006, "Award-Winning Gamemakers Credit Success to PUC Education", located at http://www.puc.edu/PUC/newsevents/news/2006/20060110_brain.shtml] who is a math and history teacher at Loma Linda Academy. [Loma Linda Academy Mirror, Volume 72 Number 4, January/February 2005, "Briefs: Brain Chain", located at http://www.lla.org/pdf/mirror/jan_feb_05.pdf] Roy Ice designed all of the graphics on the gameboard and box. ["Ibid".] Brigit Warner edited all of the trivia questions. ["The Southwesterner Online", December 2006, "SWAU Alumna Edits Top 100 Board Game", located at http://southwesterner.swau.edu/index/news-app/story.54/title.swau-alumna-edits-top-100-board-game] "Brain Chain" is currently owned and distributed by Brain Chain Games, Inc. [The Luding Database, Game Database Entry, "Brain Chain", November 2006, located at http://sunsite.informatik.rwth-aachen.de/cgi-bin/luding/GameName.py?lang=e&gamename=Brain+Chain]

Games Magazine has named "Brain Chain" a Top 100 Game. [GAMES Magazine, December 2006 Issue, The 2007's Buyer's Guide to Games/Top 100 Traditional Games List, at page 46]

Gameplay

Before play begins, the players agree on the number of links necessary to win the game. A game of "Brain Chain" takes approximately 30 minutes if the goal is four links in a row, an hour if the goal is five links, or 90 minutes if the winning condition is a six-link chain. [Curio City Online, January 2007, "Brain Chain Trivia Strategy Game", located at http://www.curiocityonline.com/index.php/action/item/id/443/prevaction/category/previd/4/prevstart/0/]

Each turn begins with the playing of one "movement card" and as many "Brain Pills" as the player wishes and moving the playing pawn, clockwise, the corresponding number of spaces. All players move the same yellow playing pawn. [ Funagain Games, Review by Larry Allen, posted on October 18, 2006, located online at http://www.funagain.com/control/product/~product_id=016565 ] If the pawn does not land on one of the four corner squares, the player then picks a trivia category from the same horizontal row or vertical column as the pawn that is not already occupied by a link. The opposing team will then read a trivia question from the selected category. The player may consult his or her team, but only the player whose turn it is may announce the "final answer." If answered correctly, that player places a link on the chosen square in the category grid and takes a Brain Pill. ["Brain Chain" Official Rules]

If the pawn is moved to one of the four strategic corner squares, instead of picking a category on the row or column the pawn indicates, the player simply follows the instructions on that corner space: Pick any square on the board to answer a question, add a link, remove a link, or move a link. [ "Ibid". ]

To create a Brain Chain and win the game a player or team must form an unbroken line of six links in a row vertically, horizontally or diagonally on the Category Grid. The yellow playing pawn is considered a link during a player's turn -- allowing a team to win by connecting five links on the border of the grid and moving the pawn to connect with those links.

Trivia Questions and Answers

Each "Brain Chain" trivia set consists of approximately 3,200 trivia questions and answers which are divided among eight categories: Business, Entertainment, Geography, History, Science, Sports, Potluck and Oddball.

::

References

External links

* [http://www.brainchaingames.com/ "Brain Chain" official website]
*