CardRobots is a card game which allows you to program a robot in less than 5 minutes on your kitchen table. Just
take a picture of your cards and your robot gets alive in your smartphone.
To start playing CardRobots you need to print and cut the playing cards which you can
download here. The playing board (optional) can be used to test the robots movements on your table before
uploading it to the simulator.
As soon as you have your own playing cards try to program a simple bot (following the rules), take a picture of it and load it in the simulator.
Using a laptop / computer
Alternatively you can also use this Google Drawings Document to test the game without printing anything. You can then take a
screenshot and load the image in the simulator.
Rules
The goal of the game is to program a robot which is able to survive in a simulated arena. The robot has
certain sensors which he uses to decide what action to perform each turn.
Basic rules
The playing board consists of 5x5 squares. At the beginning of the game the participating robots are
positioned and orientated randomly.
Each robot has 5 life points at the beginning. As soon a he reaches 0 life points he is removed from the
game.
Using his programmed logic each turn the robot decides what action he wants to perform.
How to place the cards onto the game area
It's probably best to have a look at the examples, but the main rule is that for each condition card you add two more
cards below it which will tell the robot what to do when the condition is YES or NO. If this card is another
condition card you need to add two more below and so on.
How the robots decide what action to perform
Each robot starts with his topmost card and checks the condition on the card. Depending on the outcome it will
continue with the card below on left or right.
It does so repeatedly until it reaches an action card which determines which action to take.
Depending where the robots are standing on the board each turn different decisions are taken.
Example
Lets assume the blue robot has the programmed logic on the right. It first checks if it can directly see
another robot in front of him. The answer is NO, so it continues to the next card on the right. This card checks
if it is at distance 1 of the edge of the board and here the answer is YES. So it continues with the next card
on the left which is an action card TURN LEFT and that is the action he is going to perform.
Types of cards
Condition cards
Condition cards are the basic building blocks for your robot. Each of them checks a sensor of the robot and can
return yes or no depending on your robots situation in the game. Some condition cards have an
empty space on them. It is used to add a number card to define how the condition works.
Is there another robot in front and at which distance? If it is equal to one of the
numbers displayed on
the number card - continue left otherwise continue right.
How many life points does the robot have left? If it is equal to one of the numbers
displayed on the
number card - continue left otherwise continue right.
The distance to the edge of the board is measured. If it is equal to one of the numbers
displayed on the
number card - continue left otherwise continue right.
Checks if the robot could be attacked by another robot (is in shooting distance).
Checks if another robot is in front of this robot and looking directly towards it.
When the random card is used each time a coin is flipped and depending on the outcome it
continues left otherwise right.
If a SET card was activated in the current or the previous turn with any of the numbers
on the number card it continues left otherwise right.
Special cards
These cards have a different behaviour than other cards and are for advanced players only.
This card is used together with the IF card to create robots which can remember things.
This card can be used to store values which are on the number card. Below this card you can add only
one card as it is not a condition card.
Number cards
Number cards are used on top of some cards to define how the condition is evaluated. There are many
different combinations of numbers available.
Action cards
Action cards are used below condition cards to decide what action the robot will execute.
Move one step ahead.
Move one step left.
Move one step right.
Move one step backwards.
Turn left staying in the same position.
Turn right staying in the same position.
Attack robot in front (does 3 damage if there is a another robot 1 position away, 2
damage if 2 positions
away, 1 damage if 3 positions away).
Do nothing (this recovers 1 life point).
Special cases
Attack actions are always executed AFTER movements, so it is possible to escape an attack.
If a robot decides to walk onto an occupied space or outside the game board - he looses 1 life point
If two (or more) robots decide to walk onto the same space - each of them looses 1 life point
Examples
Basic bot
If the robot is standing on the edge of the board (distance 1 to the edge) turn right otherwise go ahead.
Simple bot
If another robot is visible at distance 1, 2 or 3 then attack, otherwise if player is under attack move to the right
or
left (with a probability of 50%), if player is standing on the edge of the board turn left otherwise go
ahead.
Advanced bot
Bot using even more advanced strategy.
(Almost) complete bot
Bot using a more complete strategy using almost all available cards
Simulator
Here you can upload your robot program and test it against other robots. If there is a problem with your
program (if your program doesn't follow the rules or if the picture can not be read it will tell you what the
problems could be). Usually try to take a better lit image with all cards well aligned and visible.
Player 1
or
Player 2
or
Statistics
After running 1000 simulated games the following statistics were calculated
