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Made in Studio by @dwood

Lantern Run

Bid your oil, glide the river, and reach the lighthouse first.

2–8 players · 12 min

Lantern Run is a secret-bidding race up a winding river. Every boat starts at the dock with 20 oil. Each round all players secretly bid some of their oil. The highest unique bid moves 3 spaces, the second highest unique bid moves 2, and everyone else moves 1 — but any players who bid the same number as someone else cancel out and don't move at all. Oil you bid is gone forever, and bidding 0 is always legal (you still drift 1 space with the crowd), so nobody is ever stuck. The river has twists: land on a wind gate and you're pushed one extra space forward; start a round in a reed bed and it costs 1 oil to pull free. Everyone's oil and position are public at all times — only the bids in the current round are secret. First boat to reach the lighthouse at space 20 wins. If the round limit runs out first, the boat furthest up the river wins, and boats tied for the lead share the victory. Every round is a read on the table: spend big to break away, or shadow the crowd and hope the leaders collide.

How to play

Be the first lantern boat to reach the lighthouse at space 20. If the rounds run out first, the boat furthest up the river wins, and boats tied for the lead share it.

How a game goes

  1. Bid your oil in secret

    Every round you secretly bid any amount of oil from 0 up to what you have, then press LOCK IN. Oil you bid is spent forever, and bidding 0 is always allowed.

  2. Highest unique bid glides

    The highest bid that only one player made moves 3 spaces. The next unique bid moves 2. Everyone else moves 1.

  3. Matching bids cancel

    If two or more players bid the same number, all of them are CANCELLED: they spend the oil and do not move at all.

  4. Watch the river

    Land on a wind gate and a gust pushes you one extra space. Start a round in a reed bed and it costs you 1 oil to pull free.

  5. Reach the lighthouse

    The race ends the moment a boat reaches space 20, or when the round limit runs out. The host sets starting oil, the round limit and the river twists in the lobby.

Tips

  • Bidding what the leader bids cancels you both. Sometimes that is the point.
  • A quiet 0 still drifts you one space with the crowd.
  • Late in the race, count your oil: you cannot bid what you have spent.

A player designed this game and Claude built it, so it may have rough edges. Something wrong with it? Report this game.