Overview
This game, re-enacting the epic battle between the mighty superheroes Catman and Daredoggie, was designed by my son when he was in second grade. He likes quick and action-oriented games, and "Catman vs. Daredoggie" delivers on both counts.
Difficulty: 1st - 3rd grade.
Number of players: 2 (for a 1-player variant, see "Other Adjustments" below).
Duration: 15-25 minutes for two players.
Game Materials
6 dice
One piece of poster-board, construction paper, or normal paper (optional)
Making the Game
This game doesn't really use a board, but it's nice to have a visual illustration of the competing superheroes. My son also drew different costume styles, so that the hero could choose his outfit going into the battle.
Scenario
Megalopolis is home to the caped crime-fighters Catman and Daredoggie. But both have agreed that this here town is too small for two superheroes, so they've decided to duke it out. The winner gets to stay, while the loser has to look for a kennel elsewhere ...
Rules
Players take turns rolling dice for attack and defense. Before the first game starts, players also rolls to see who goes first; for subsequent games, the loser of the last round goes first.
Players begin their turn by rolling three dice, the sum representing their attack roll. For example, let's say that Catman goes first and rolls a 3, 5, and 2; this totals 10. Now the second player rolls the same amount of dice in defense. If the attack roll is higher than the defense, the attacker wins; if not, player 2 becomes the attacker. For instance, if Daredoggie rolls a 3, 4, and 3, then he successfully defends himself against Catman's attack (the two scores are equal, and the attacking roll has to be higher to win). The round is over once one of the superheroes has been defeated.
Each subsequent round follows the same script, but with one more die. In the second round, each player uses four dice, in the third round five, and in the fourth round six. The player who carries more individual rounds wins the game. In case of a tie, the superheroes decide to fight crime as a team in the future.
Adjusting the difficulty
You can make the game more or less difficult by changing the number of dice used.
Other Adjustments
To turn this into a solitaire game, have the child roll for both characters. In that case, you can also substitute a villain for one of the heroes (for instance, the sinister Doggie Doom takes the place of the valiant Daredoggie).
To make the game cooperative, you can also have Catman and Daredoggie fight against various super-villains, and each player rolls for his hero and his villain.