Volcano Island

Played with both Icehouse pyramids and a Piecepack set, players develop settlements on a 5x5 board according to a luck-free set of rules for building. (Neighboring settlements support or limit what can be built.) Dice are rolled to determine in what round lava will begin to flow from a volcano in the center of the board. In each round after the eruption, one player extends the path of the lava in an orthogonal direction of his/her choosing -- destroying any settlement in that space. The game ends when a player is unable to move or when all lava tiles are placed. Players score remaining settlements by size.