Dracula Attackula
How it works
Dracula Attackula is a 2-player game. Here's how it works:
- Dracula starts out at the top of the board, and the townspeople are at the bottom of the board.
The townspeople and Dracula take turns making moves:
The townspeople place a piece of garlic in one of the board's spaces. The townspeople can place garlic anywhere except the space Dracula is currently occupying (including a space containing one of the townspeople).
Dracula moves to a space next to the one he's currently occupying. Dracula can only move down and to the left or down and to the right, not sideways.
- Dracula can't move to a space where there's a piece of garlic.
- Dracula wins if he reaches one of the townspeople. The townspeople win if they can block Dracula before he reaches any of them.
Can the townspeople defeat Dracula?
In this activity, students start by playing the game described above. They also explore more challenging variations of the game where Dracula can move twice (or even three times) per turn.
Why we like this activity
- It’s fun! Students enjoy playing the game and trying to figure out the strategy.
- It helps students develop algorithmic and game-theoretic reasoning.
It requires students to engage in mathematical habits of mind:
Finding and using strategies to win different versions of the game.
Comparing and contrasting strategies for different versions of the game.
- It has a low floor and a high ceiling: It's easy for students to start playing the game by trial and error, but finding winning strategies for different versions of the game is challenging.
This activity was developed in collaboration with the Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival.