Rules of the game “King of the Hill”, version 1.2.2
- Here, on this page, we present the up-to-date version of the rules, by which Incognito Club is holding the games now.
- Rules may be amended and supplemented.
1. Teams, players and score
1.1 The number of the teams taking part in the game is limited only by common sense and venue space. Our recommendations: 8 – 24 teams.
1.2 Game mechanics provides for game scaling.
1.3 Number of players in each team: 3 – 6.
1.4 Team captain (team leader, speaking on behalf of the team) is elected by the players.
1.5 During the game two types of points are calculated:
- Position (determines the location of the team on the playing area).
- Points (are applied when several teams occupying similar positions are struggling for leadership)
2. Course of the game
2.1 Playing area
2.1.1 Playing area is a circle equally divided into sectors by lines converging from the edge of the circle practically to its center.
2.1.2 In the center of the playing area there is the Peak; reaching this cell and staying on it is the goal of the teams. The playing area represents a conical stepped mountain and it is by these steps that the teams have to climb up to reach the Peak.
2.1.3 At the beginning of the game all the teams occupy their position at start steps. Every team “moves” only along its slope (this is the name of the area’s sector).
2.1.4 The teams cannot cross over the sectors of other teams
2.2 How to move and the types of moves
2.2.1 The teams make their moves simultaneously
2.2.2 In order to make its move the team should give the right answer to the question put by presenter or Judge of the game
2.2.3 If the answer is scored (is right) the team that has given the right answer gets a certain number of points and makes its move climbing up a certain number of steps.
2.2.4 Ordinary move
- It is a move without additional conditions
- Right answer: the team climbs up one step of the playing area (moving from the edge to the center) and gets one point
- Wrong answer: the team does not move along the playing area and does not get any points.
2.2.5 “Jump move”
- Every team has the right to declare a” jump move”, but there are certain limitations:
a) The first move in the game cannot be a “jump move”,
b) A team cannot declare a “jump move” after giving the wrong answer,
c) A “jump move” cannot be declared by the team if there are two steps left to be climbed up to reach the center,
d) A “jump move” cannot be declared by the team if there is one step left to be climbed up to reach the center.
- A “jump move” should be declared before the game presenter pronounces the question of this move; otherwise this move is not scored as a “jump move” and is regarded as an ordinary move.
- Right answer: the team climbs up two steps of the playing area and gets two points.
- Wrong answer: the team moves one step down the playing area and gets no points.
2.2.5 “Spur move”
- “Spur move” is a special bonus move,
- It is only after all the teams have given their answers and both, the table and the playing area have been updated that it becomes clear that it was a “spur move’. Each team has only one chance to get this bonus (when occupying a special cell on the plying area) during the game; however the team may miss this chance,
- The teams have no information about the location of these bonus cells on the plying area before the beginning of the game, but when the game is over they can get acquainted with this information
- Right answer: the team gets one additional point,
- Wrong answer: the team gets no points. And the spur which the team failed to climb at the first try is not scored any more.
2.2.6 “Move from a partner”
- It is a move during which the question from one of the partners of the game is asked,
- Such move can be declared both, before and after announcing the right answer (when the name of the company itself can prompt the right answer),
This move is connected not with specific cells of the playing area, but with the ordinal number of the question and is valid for all the teams simultaneously regardless of their position on the playing area,
- Right answer: the team gets one additional point,
- Wrong answer: the team gets no points.
2.2.7 Combination of the moves
- You should note that the results of the moves can accumulate,
- If the team declares a “jump”, and at the same time gets to the spur, and it coincides with the question from a partner, then:
- Right answer: the team gets 4 (2+1+1) points and climbs up 2 steps of the playing area,
- Wrong answer: the team gets no points and gets down to the previous step of the playing area.
2.3 Parts of the game
2.3.1 The game can consist of two or three parts,
2.3.2 In the first case there are two play parts and one break dividing the game, which allows the players and guests to have some rest,
2.3.3 In the second case there are two breaks and three play parts
- The first round (the first semifinal): the teams of the first group play,
- The second round (the second semifinal): the teams of the second group play,
- The third round (final): the teams which have won the first and second rounds play,
- During the first and second rounds (semifinals) the teams do not struggle for the Peak; they compete for the right to get to the final.
2.3.4 In both cases the game can be supplemented by a lightning round.
- If two or more teams go after a prize and the rules do not allow defining the leader, additional questions can be asked,
Only the teams competing for the same prize place answer these questions,
- The lightning roundis over when one of the competing teams gets an obvious advantage.
2.4 Completion of the game
2.4.1 During the game it is necessary to get as close to the Peak as possible and, ideally, to get to the very Peak,
2.4.2 At a later stage the teams start competing for the top position – the teams try to overthrow “King of the Hill”, occupy the top position and stay there,
2.4.3 To get to the “Peak” it is necessary to reach the respective (central) cell of the playing area,
2.4.4 The team that is the first to reach the Peak gets a good chance to become a winner but to become a winner the team has to stay at the Peak,
2.4.5 When one of the teams occupies the Peak other teams have to declare a so-called Revolution to dispute the pas,
- Only the teams occupying the cells next to the Peak can do this.
- Each team can declare the Revolution only once, all the teams having the right to do so according to the rules can do this during the move,
- If provisional “King” is overthrown, the counter of revolutions is reset to zero, and the teams can declare the Revolution for the second time,
- При этом команда, еще не использовавшая свое право на революцию, НЕ получает права на две такие попытки или более.
2.4.6 Determining the success of the Revolution
- If during the Revolution the team occupying the Peak gives the right answer, it will stay at the Peak in any case,
- If the team occupying the Peak gives the wrong answer and none of the teams having declared the Revolution gives the right answer, the leader will continue to stay at the Peak,
- If the team occupying the Peak gives the wrong answer and none of the teams declares the Revolution, the leader will continue to stay at the Peak,
- If the leader gives the wrong answer and even one of the revolutionaries gives the right one, the leader will leave the Peak and the successful revolutionary will occupy it.
2.4.7 Dispute of the leaders
- If the situation involves that t two or more teams would be at the Peak (for example, during the Revolution or when the Peak is occupied for the first time), the leader should be determined by simply scoring the points of the teams, and the team having more points than other will occupy the peak,
- If it turns out that two (or more) teams occupying the same step and having the same number of points compete for the leadership, the winner will be the team that was the first to send the correct answer. The time of the answer dispatch is saved in records of the game and is accounted for by the automated system during the calculation of the game situation.
2.5 Determining the winner
2.5.1 If the leading team stays at the Peak for three moves it is considered that “King of the Hill” is determined; so the game is stopped and acknowledged as completed,
2.5.2 Aside from that, the game can be completed under one of the following conditions:
- None of the teams can overthrow the “King” as per the rules of the game (none of the teams close to the Peak has the right to declare the Revolution, and other teams will not be able to reach the Peak before the completion of three moves.),
- Both, main and back-up questions have run short – even when neither team was able to become "King of the Hill." The winner in this case is determined by the position on the playing area and score.
2.5.3 In the end “King of the Hill” (the first place) is determined. The second and third places have no special names, but are also considered to be prize places.
