Pangea

About the Game

Pangea is a customizable party game played on a flattened, empty pizza box or beer case box. Players create their own spaces on the board, then flip a coin or bottle cap onto it to determine what happens next.

Landing on someone's name triggers that player's penalty. Landing outside all marked spaces gives the current player an opportunity to expand the board by drawing a new space and inventing a rule.

The game is built around creativity, so the board changes as the game goes on. Keep rules reasonable, unique, and quick enough that the game keeps moving.

What You Need

• A flattened, empty pizza box or beer case box.
• A coin or bottle cap to flip onto the board.
• A Sharpie to draw spaces and write rules.
• At least four players recommended.

Setup

1. Flatten the empty pizza box or beer case box to create the playing surface.
2. Each player writes their name on the board and draws a shape around it.
3. Players can choose the size and shape of their starting areas.
4. Choose who goes first. The youngest player or the person with the closest upcoming birthday are common choices.
5. Agree on reasonable penalties and any optional scoring rules before starting.

How to Play

1. On your turn, flip the coin or bottle cap onto the board.
2. You must make a genuine flip. Simply dropping or barely tossing the object does not count.
3. Stand back from the board while flipping. You cannot position yourself directly over it.
4. If the coin or cap lands in a player's named area, that player receives the penalty agreed upon for that space.
5. If it lands outside every marked area, draw a reasonably sized shape around where it landed and write a new rule or demand inside it.
6. Once your turn is resolved, the next player takes their turn.

Creating New Spaces

When a flip lands outside all existing Sharpie areas, the player gets to claim that spot by drawing a shape around the coin or bottle cap and writing a rule inside it.

Example Rules

• Take three sips.
• Do ten push-ups.
• Drink water and flip again.
• Keep your dominant hand on your head for the rest of the game.
• Complete another reasonable, quick challenge agreed upon by the group.

New spaces should be reasonably sized, and rules should be easy to understand and complete. Avoid repeating rules that already exist on the board.

Missed Flips

Players have three attempts to land the coin or bottle cap on the board during their turn.

• If the first flip misses the board, try again.
• If the second flip misses, one attempt remains.
• If all three flips miss the board, the player receives the agreed-upon missed-flip penalty.

The traditional house-rule penalty is a shot, but this can be replaced with a nonalcoholic alternative or another reasonable consequence.

Overlapping Spaces

If the coin or bottle cap lands across multiple spaces, the chosen space is whichever one contains the greatest portion of the coin or cap.

If the group cannot clearly determine which space contains the most of the object, agree on the result before applying a penalty or creating a new space.

Rules & Fair Play

• No half-hearted flips. The coin or bottle cap must actually flip.
• Players cannot stand directly over the board when flipping.
• New shapes must be a reasonable size.
• Do not create duplicate rules; unique spaces make the board more interesting.
• No triple shots, excessive drinking demands, or challenges that require excessive effort or take too long.
• If a player does not want to complete a penalty, the group should agree on a reasonable alternative.
• Rules should not be used to pressure, humiliate, or endanger another player.

Alternative: Competitive Pangea

If the group wants a competitive version, draw small designated scoring spots on the board. Players earn points when their flips land in those spots.

1. Agree on how many points each scoring spot is worth.
2. Choose a target score before the game begins.
3. Players continue taking turns and track their points.
4. The first player to reach the agreed target wins.

When Does the Game End?

In the standard version, Pangea continues until everyone agrees to stop playing. There is no required winner.

In the competitive version, the game ends when a player reaches the group's predetermined point target.