Balance Tower with Retro Blocks - Game

Fun stacking game for kids and adults.  Customize gameplay by picking your pieces and accessories, then make your own rules.  

Blocks

Printing blocks is a great way to use up an almost empty spool - a color set only needs 38 grams of filament.  I recommend trying both Arachne and Classic perimeters in PrusaSlicer.  I include the Fusion360 file with some user parameters so that you can customize blocks.  Pro-tip: For perfect layer stacking, change the wall thickness to a value recommended by PrusaSlicer.  

Glue Pieces

After a few layers of blocks, I felt that typical gameplay was too constrained with viable moves dwindling down too quickly.  This was not very fun.  I designed “glue” pieces that fit into the hollow section of blocks and lock them in place.  This opens up many possibilities and makes the game much more exciting.  You can now push the limits of tower stability long before you run out of moves.  Note that my glue pieces will not be compatible with other designs.  

Dice

I designed an 8-sided die that prints in four parts to eliminate the need for in-print color changes.  The shell of the die slopes at a 45 degree angle and should not require support.  However, the shape outlines do require supports.  I recommend using Paint-on supports to highlight areas at 44 degrees, and using Snug supports.  

Test fit the inner pyramid and outer shell.  You may wish to scale the size of the inner pyramid up or down to get a perfect seam in the middle of the die.  Use clamping aids and a rubber band to glue together the inner pyramids and shells.  

Tower Base Options

To keep the download section from exploding, you can find the full assortment of bases grouped together in zip files.  Difficulty is determined by the curvature of the bottom - the shallowest curve is the easiest.  The standard version uses minimal filament.  The waffle pattern bases have more mass (partially determined by infill), and this will give the tower more stability.  Note that models with (2x) have edges that are two blocks long and can use any piece to start a game.

Double-Tilting Base

This variant adds a second, perpendicular row for stacking.  To compensate for the total added spaces I made each individual base narrower.  This variant uses a flat surface in order for the blocks to freely intersect and stack in the added direction.  Use some care to lineup the edges of the blocks as players add pieces.  

Rules

I feel like making the rules is part of the fun, especially for kids, so I will not prescribe any official rules.  Everyone should agree on the rules.  Feel free to enjoy a casual or competitive game.   

Closing note:  I am certainly not the first person to make a design with retro themed blocks that stack on a tilting base.  I am happy to advertise the first one published on Printables: https://www.printables.com/model/147682-tetris-balance.  

Thanks for visiting, and enjoy!