Quicksand (1981 board game)
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Quicksand is a board game (currently out of print) produced in 1981 by the Whitman Publishing Company. The game is played on an hourglass-shaped board made of plastic with numerous round indentations designed to hold the game's playing pieces, which are small egg timer-like minute glasses (referred to as "sand timers") inside of plastic sleeves closed at either end by red or yellow caps. Each set of sand timers are labeled with decals marked A through D. The object of the game is for a player to get his/her sand timers from the back row of the board closest to him to his opponent's back row, without letting any of his sand timers run out.
Gameplay
Movement is dictated by rolling a special six-sided die marked with one side marked "1," two sides marked "2," one side marked "3" and two sides marked "S."
If a player rolls an S, she may either turn one of her sand timers over and advance it one space or turn one of her opponent's sand timers over. Sand timers must be flowing at all times to be advanced and must be returned to the back row if their sand runs out. If a player rolls a 1, 2 or 3, she may advance or retreat a single sand timer that number of spaces, or split the roll between two or three sand timers.
Variations
The game's rulebook offers several variations aside from the basic variant. In the first variation (adaptable to all other variations), sand timers must be kept flowing even upon reaching the opponent's back row, or else be returned to their starting row. Another variation requires that all four timers be advanced to the opponent's back row and then back to their starting row. In a third variation, the four sand timers must be advanced to the opponent's back row in alphabetical order according to their decals. Finally, there is the four-player option, with players forming partnerships with one player for a side controlling timers A and B and the other controlling timers C and D.
