Equate

***Equate*** is a strategy math game featuring a 19 × 19 square board, up to 4 players, and 190 number, operation, and equals symbol tiles. The objective of the game is to have the most points by the end of the game.

## Official Rules Booklet

**Inventor and Rules Booklet Author** Mary Kay Beavers, *Founder, Conceptual Math Media, Inc.* & Mathematics Department, City College of San Francisco **Rules Booklet Editors** Jim Cagnacci, *English Department, City College of San Francisco* Gary Ling *Mathematics Department, City College of San Francisco* **Graphic Design for Board and Packaging** Spotted Dog Graphic Design, *San Francisco, CA* **Printing and Packaging** Annboli Pacific Ltd., *Hong Kong*

**Acknowledgements**

I would like to thank the many adults, teenagers, and children who played *Equate* while it was being developed. Their reactions, comments, and suggestions were very beneficial in refining the game rules and graphic design. I especially thank those who gave words of encouragement that helped me overcome the many hurtles I faced.
A very special thanks to my brother, Charles Beavers, a parent and architect, who gave me lots of assistance and guidance. The prototypes he made in the early stages of development helped to test the game widely before contracting a graphics designer. Also, his many years of encouraging me to create something to help parents educate their children about mathematics was a major factor in inspiring me to develop *Equate*.

Mary Kay Beavers

© 2009 Conceptual Math Media, Inc.

All rights reserved. No part of this rules booklet or the *Equate* game board may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from Conceptual Math Media, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.
*Equate*, The *Equation Thinking Game*, and *Conceptual Math Media* are all trademarks of Conceptual Math Media, Inc. *Equate* is a registered trademark in the United States, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong.

C O N T E N T

1 Introduction
Materials....................................................................................................................................................................................................1
Objective....................................................................................................................................................................................................1
Defining Terminology.........................................................................................................................................................................................2

2 How to Play and Score

Getting Started..............................................................................................................................................................................................3
Using All Nine Tiles in One Turn.............................................................................................................................................................................7
 Alternatives to Making an Equation...........................................................................................................................................................................7
Ending the Game..............................................................................................................................................................................................8

**Back Cover** - *Other Products*

1 INTRODUCTION

Materials

A single game consists of a rules booklet, a game board, 4 racks, and the Original Tile Set of 190 tiles that includes 40 equal symbols, 103 number symbols, 44 operation symbols, and 3 blanks. The symbol distribution chart on the game board indicates the frequency of the various types of number and operation tiles in the Original Tile Set. Class Sets are packaged differently and their contents are listed on the package.

Objective

The game *Equate* is a fun and engaging math game for 2 to 4 players or teams that requires computing and thinking strategically, critically, and creatively. A player performs true equality statements, called equations, horizontally across from left to right or vertically from up to down by placing tiles on the board. After beginning at the center of the board, each successive play connects with a previous play. Players strive for a high score by trying to take advantage of both the individual symbol scores as well as the premium board positions. The individual symbol score is located in the lower right-hand corner of the tile, and the legend along the left side of the board indicates how the premium board positions affect either the individual symbol score or the entire equation score.

Defining Terminology

Before reading further in the rules booklet, players should become familiar with the following language. A **symbol** is a number symbol, an operation symbol, or an equal symbol. The **operations** are addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. The **score** assigned to a symbol is located in the lower right-hand corner of the tile A **blank tile** may be used as any one of the symbols in the game. The score for this tile is 0. A **numerical expression** or **expression** is a combination of numbers and/or operations that makes sense mathematically and has a numerical value. An **equation** states that two numerical expressions are equal.

2 HOW TO PLAY AND SCORE

Getting Started

Separate the equal symbols from the other tiles. Keep the number and operation tiles in an opaque bag and shuffle. Draw to determine who plays first. The player drawing the largest number plays first. Any number tile drawn wins over drawing an operation tile. Since a blank may be used to represent any symbol in the game, it can be used as the number 9 in the draw that determines who goes first. If all players drawn an operation tile, the one with the highest score wins. If two or more players tie in the draw for who goes first they draw again until the tie is broken. Put the exposed tiles back into the draw pile, and re-shuffle. Each player then draws nine tiles that are a combination of numbers and operations and places all nine tiles on the player's rack to hide them from the opponents. An equal symbol is always available when needed. Decide on one player to be the score keeper.

Using All Nine Tiles in One Turn If a player uses all nine
 of the tiles in his or her hand, then the player receives an additional
 40 points for that play. All the tiles played must be within one
horizontal equation or one vertical equation, and the equation is
allowed only one equal symbol

Alternatives to Making an Equation A player has three alternatives to making an equation.

* One option is to use a turn to trade in as many of their nine tiles

as they wish for new ones. After the player draws the new tiles, put the
 returned tiles in the draw pile and re-shuffle. No score is earned for
this turn.

* A second option is to use a turn to form s number or numerical

expression horizontally or vertically on the board. This play will not
earn the player any points but it might be used to set up a possible
future play, to get rid of tiles without putting them back into the
draw, or to help the player go out at the end of the game when the draw
pile has no more tiles. Strings of adjacent tiles on the board may not
form incomplete numerical expressions, such as 6 +, or incomplete
equations, such as 8 - 2 =.

* A third option is to simply pass. This play may be necessary at the

end of the game if the player can neither make an equation nor a
numerical expression and the draw pile is out of tiles.
Ending the Game

The game ends when there are no more tiles in the draw pile of numbers and operations and one player uses the last of their tiles. The player that goes out adds to their score the total of all the individual scores that the other players are left holding.
After there are no more tiles in the draw pile, it can be impossible for any player to go out. In this case the game ends when each player passes once, successively. Each player subtracts from their score the total of the individual scores they are left holding.

## Strategy

Overall strategy in *Equate* involves:

* Placing one's tiles as to score maximum points.
* Placing one's tiles as to make better moves available later.
* Placing one's tiles as to block one's opponents.
* Predicting when opponents might try to block you.