Icehouse pieces

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Icehouse pieces, or Icehouse Pyramids,<ref name="gdad" /> Treehouse pieces, Treehouse Pyramids<ref name="gdad" /> and officially Looney Pyramids, are nestable and stackable pyramid-shaped gaming pieces and a game system. The game system was invented by Andrew Looney and John Cooper in 1987, originally for use in the game of Icehouse.<ref name=wr>Template:Cite magazine Alt URL</ref>

History

Andrew Looney in 1987 penned a sci-fi short story,<ref name=wt>Template:Cite news</ref> "The Empty City", that included a game called Icehouse, an ancient Martian game.<ref name=gms>Template:Cite journal</ref> Readers requested to learn how to play the game. Thus actual rules were invented for Icehouse by Andrew Looney, Kristin Wunderlich (then future wife of Looney) and John Cooper, then plastic pyramid pieces were made to play the game.<ref name=wt/><ref name=gms/> The first commercially available set were solid non-stackable pyramids released in 1989 with only 100 sets made.<ref name=gms/> The pieces were made from resin in his apartment, which upset the landlord.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After several years, Looney shut down Icehouse Games, Inc. and soon started another gaming company, Looney Laboratories, in 1996.<ref name=wt/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Additional games beyond Icehouse were created including Martian Chess, Zendo, and Homeworlds.<ref name=wr/> Looney then created the IceTowers game which used stacking pyramids leading to a change in the pyramid pieces' specification for stacking. The four games were released as a part of Icehouse: The Martian Chess Set, which was the first Icehouse pyramid system release by Looney Labs.<ref name=gms/> In 2001, Icehouse: The Martian Chess Set won the Origins Award for Best Abstract Board Game of 2000.<ref name=pyd>Template:Cite news</ref> Icehouse was recognized as a game system in the game design textbook Rules of Play by Katue Salen and Eric Zimmerman.<ref name=gms/>

By June 21, 2002, Icehouse pieces were being sold in tubes containing a stash, or 15 pyramids of a single color, with nine colors available. Labs then released the book Playing With Pyramids, which contained a dozen games by the Looneys, Cooper, Kory Heath and Jacob Davenport.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In 2004, the Zendo boxed set won Best Abstract Board Game of 2003,<ref name=icv1>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2005 the set won the Mensa Select Game Award.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> While in 2007, Treehouse won the Origins Award for Best Board Game of 2006.<ref name=icv2>Template:Cite news</ref>

Looney Labs relaunched the Icehouse pieces as "Looney Pyramids" with new packaging with its IceDice set in June 2011<ref name=icv>Template:Cite news</ref> followed by Pink Hijinks in December 2012.<ref name=icv0>Template:Cite news</ref> By 2013, the IcehouseGames.org website listed 400 games playable with icehouse pyramids.<ref name=wr/>

Original prototype under the name of Pyramid Throwdown in 2015, Pyramid Arcade was launched as a Kickstarter campaign on April 5, 2016.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The new boxed pyramid set was funded in under 12 hours. Racking up $150 thousand total, the set shipped to supporters in fall 2016.<ref name="gdad">Template:Cite news</ref> Looney Labs put their Pyramid Quartet, Nomids, Ice Duo, Martian Chess and Homeworlds, together up on Kickstarter in February 2020, which was funded in three hours.<ref name="ttgn">Template:Cite news</ref>

Description

File:Icehouse pieces paper and plastic.jpg

Icehouse pieces in paper and plastic

The pieces are four-sided pyramids that can nest and stack with pipping from 1 to 3 at the base. A group of three pyramids, one of each size, is called a "trio." Each "stash" or set of Icehouse pieces consists of five trios, or fifteen pyramids (variously called pieces, pyramids, or minions) of the same color and five of each three sizes:<ref name=gms/> five large 3-point pyramids (called "queens" in some games), five medium 2-point pyramids (sometimes called "drones"), and five small 1-point pyramids (or "pawns").Template:Citation needed The stacked and nested feature is not used in the original Icehouse game, but is taken advantage of in some of the other Icehouse-based games listed below.<ref name=gms/>

Icehouse pieces were, for many years, sold as tubes containing one stash of durable crystal-look plastic pieces<ref name=wr/> in one of ten available colors (though cyan was only available through their promotional program or as part of the Ice Towers set). There was also a less expensive starter set called Origami Icehouse (later called Paper Icehouse), made of cardstock in four colors, which one punched out and folded into the pyramid shapes. In 2006, Looney Labs began selling Icehouse pieces as Treehouse sets, which are multicolored sets of 15 pyramids: five colors, each color having one each of the three sizes. Looney Labs has also sold boxed sets for Zendo and IceTowers; the latter contained cyan pieces.Template:Citation needed The Icehouse website also has instructions for making your own pieces. Looney Labs has licensed Crystal Caste to make regulation-sized Icehouse pieces out of semiprecious stone.<ref name=wr/> Beginning with its Looney Pyramids relaunch set, IceDice, the sets are packaged in pyramid shaped nylon zipper bag<ref name=icv/> until Pyramid Arcade.

Releases

Set	pieces	games	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
IceHouse Games
Icehouse (The Original Black Box)	standard color stash	Icehouse	Template:Dts
Paper Icehouse ("Origami" Icehouse)			Template:Dts
	Neon stash
Xyloid Icehouse	wood standard color stash		Template:Dts
Looney Labs stack-able
The Martian Chess Set (MCS)	2 standard color stash in plastic box	Martian Chess, IceTowers, IceTraders & Zarcana<ref name=gms/> Origins Award for Best Abstract Board Game of 2000<ref name=pyd/>	Template:Dts
Black Ice expansion	black and clear pyramids and a Martian chessboard bandana in hemp drawstring bag	None, coupon for future rule book (3HOUSE)	Template:Dts
Giant Cardboard Pyramids			Template:Dts
Icehouse Pieces monochrome stash tubes	one color stash	Template:N/a
Playing with Pyramids booklet (PwP)	Template:N/a	IceTowers, Thin Ice, Zendo, Martian Backgammon, Volcano, Martian Chess, RAMbots, Pikemen, Zagami, Homeworlds, Gnostica, and the original Icehouse
Zendo boxed set	2 standard color stashes, 60 glass stones (green, white, black)	Zendo (w/16 starter rule cards) & ICE-7 other games reference cards	Template:Dts
IceTowers boxed set	2 alternate colors stashes & The Empty City book	IceTowers & ICE-7 reference cards
Icehouse Pieces monochrome stash tubes	gray stash	Template:N/a	Template:Dts
Volcano Caps	5 smalls grays	Template:N/a
Treehouse
Treehouse Rainbow	one rainbow stash, a custom die	Treehouse	Template:Dts<ref name=icv0/>
Treehouse Xeno	one xeno stash, a custom die
3HOUSE booklet (3H)	Template:N/a	Black Ice, Martian Chess, Binary Homeworlds<ref name=wl0>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || Template:Dts
Pink Treehouse	1 pink stash	Treehouse	Template:Dts
Looney Pyramids
IceDice	2 rainbow stashes, two custom dice <ref name=wr/>	IceDice, Launchpad 23<ref name=icv/>	Template:Dts<ref name=icv/>
Treehouse (second edition)	one rainbow stash, a six-sided die and a custom die, a little fabric board<ref name=wr/>	Treehouse, Pharaoh<ref name=wr/>	Template:Dts
Rainbow Stash box	one rainbow stash<ref name=wr/>	Template:N/a
Xeno Stash box	one xeno stash<ref name=wr/>	Template:N/a
Pink Hijinks	three pink trios, 3×3 grid and a custom die	Pink Hijinks<ref name=wr/>	Template:Dts<ref name=icv0/>
Pyramid Primer #1 booklet (PP1)	Template:N/a	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Pyramid Arcade (PA)	90 pyramids: 10 colors (rainbow & xeno) 3 trio each; 8 mini gameboards & 3 large boards; cards: Zark City (5 suited square deck), Twin Win cards, Pyramid Arcade cards; 9 six-sided dice: 3 standard, 3 lightning, 3 others; a drawstring bag, a turn token	22 games: Black Ice, Color Wheel, Give or Take, Hijinks, Homeworlds, Ice Dice, Ice Towers, Launchpad 23, Looney Ludo, Lunar Invaders, Martian Chess, Petal Battle, Petri Dish, Pharaoh, Powerhouse, Pyramid-Sham-Bo, Twin Win, Treehouse, Verticality, Volcano, World War 5, Zark City<ref name="gdad"/>	Template:Dts
Nomids (PQ)Template:Efn	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Nomids<ref name="ttgn"/>
Ice Duo (PQ)Template:Efn	2 trios each of red, yellow, cyan, purple, and green, and two custom dice<ref name="pq"/>	Ice Dice, Twin Win<ref name="ttgn"/>
Martian Chess (PQ)Template:Efn	6 trios of chrome silver<ref name="pq"/>	Martian Chess<ref name="ttgn"/>
Homeworlds (PQ)Template:Efn	3 trios each of the standard colors<ref name="pq"/>	Homeworlds<ref name="ttgn"/>

• standard colors: red, blue, green, yellow
• Neon colors: purple, orange, lime green, and hot pink
• alternate colors: cyan, clear, white, purple
• original monochrome stash tubes colors: red, yellow, blue, green, purple, orange, black, white, clear
• rainbow colors: red, dark blue, green, yellow, opaque black<ref name=wr/> (standard plus black)
• xeno colors: orange, purple, cyan, clear, white<ref name=wr/>

Games

File:Zendo game.jpg

Icehouse pieces being used to play Zendo

As a game system, Icehouse pieces can be used to play many different abstract strategy games.<ref name="gms" /> Most games need at least two colors, and some require other readily available equipment such as glass stones or a checkerboard.

Game	Year	Publication	Designer(s)	description/note
Icehouse	Template:Dts	PwP, PP1	Andrew Looney and John Cooper
Martian Chess	Template:Dts	MCS, PwP, 3H, PP1, PA, PQ	Andrew Looney<ref name=pyd/>
Zarcana<ref name=gms/>	1996	MCS	John Cooper	an early form of Gnostica
Pikemen	1997	PwP	Jacob Davenport
Thin Ice
IceTowers	1999	MCS, PwP, PP1, PA	Andrew Looney	a stacking game<ref name=gms/>
IceTraders		MCS	John Cooper	an early version of Homeworlds
Volcano	2000	PwP, PA	Kristin Looney
Zagami		PwP	Kory Heath
Gnostica	2001	PwP<ref name=wl/>	John Cooper, Kory Heath, Kristin Matherly, Jacob Davenport
Homeworlds		PwP, PP1, PA, PQ	John Cooper	a 4X conquest and abstract space battle/exploration game<ref name=wr/>
Martian Backgammon		PwP	Kristin Looney
RAMbots			Kory Heath
Zendo				Origins Award: Best Abstract Board Game of 2003<ref name=icv1/>
Binary Homeworlds	2004	3H	John Cooper<ref name=wl0/>	variant of Homeworlds
Martian Coasters (later Looney Ludo)	2006	PP1, PA	Andrew Looney
Treehouse		Treehouse, PP1, PA		a matching game; Origins Award for Best Board Game of 2006<ref name=icv2/>
Black ICE	2007	3H, PP1, PA<ref name=wl0/>
Twin Win		PA, PQ		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
World War 5	2008	PP1, PA
Zark City				Inspired by Zarcana and Gnostica
Pharaoh<ref name=wr/>	2010	PP1, Treehouse 2nd Edition, PA
Caldera	2011	PP1	Kristin Looney	variant of Volcano
IceDice		PP1, IceDice, PA, PQ	Andrew Looney
Launchpad 23		PP1, IceDice, PA		collecting game<ref name=icv/>
Pink Hijinks (later Hijinks)	Template:Dts	Pink Hijinks, PA		"king of the hill" strategy<ref name=icv0/>
Color Wheel	Template:Dts	PA
Give or Take
Lunar Invaders				variant of Cosmic Coasters
Petal Battle
Petri Dish
Powerhouse
Pyramid-Sham-Bo
Verticality
Nomids	2020	PQ

External links

• Official website
• Fan-run community website and comprehensive game listings
• Board Game Geek pages
  • Icehouse pieces
  • Looney Pyramids - Board game family page
• Rules for 13 games
• Homeworlds playable on Board Game Arena