Go on a Road-Building Adventure with ByPass!
Game Designer: Spieltrieb—Till Meyer Artwork Designer: Alvin Madden
Ready, set, let's go on a road-building adventure with SimplyFun's latest Math & STEM game, ByPass! Your mission? Race to construct a smooth continuous road from opposite ends of the game board. Dodge your opponent’s attempts to throw you off course while using planning skills to brace for twists and turns on the road to victory!
Every bypass you build ramps up the stakes, as players use strategy to place construction cones to create obstacles. The first player to pave a continuous path from their start and end zone wins!
Rev’ up your engines, and let the race begin....
ByPass: Pave the Way to Road Adventure!
The Goal of the Game
Be the first to build a continuous road across the game board from your start to end zone. While this may seem seem like an easy feat, your opponents will attempt to block your moves, so be prepared to plan your path and use strategy to build your road tile by tile.
Speaking of tiles, each of the seven in the game has a distinct road pattern, three of which contain a dead end marked with a barricade. All players may use any road tile placed on the board as part of their path, no matter who placed it. Harness planning, strategy and spatial reasoning skills to capture a bypass and get ahead of your opponents. Play with 2-4 players, ages 8 and up, in 25 minutes.
ByPass Game Set-up
1. Assemble the board: Place the game board in the center of the table for gameplay.
2. Choose your color: Pick a color and sit near your start/end zone of that color.
3. Pick your starting player: The person who last saw a traffic cone goes first!
4. Draw your first tile: The starting player randomly draws a tile and places it face-up on the green play area, but not along the edge where the start/end zones are.
5. Players take turns: Going clockwise, players draw a tile and place it following the same rules in step 4. Make sure to leave at least one grid space between tiles. These tile placement restrictions only apply during game set-up.
6. Select four tiles: Each player picks four tiles from the box and places them face-up next to their side of the board for all players to see.
7. Prepare the draw piles: Stack the remaining tiles into five draw piles, facing up.
8. Grab your cones: Each player gets three traffic cones. Now, it's game time!
Playing the Game
Placing a Tile
On your turn, choose a tile from your pile (you should have 4 tiles). Make sure to select any open green space on the board.
Tile Placement Rules:
Tiles may have dead ends (marked with a barricade). When used wisely, they work wonders at hindering your opponent's efforts to build their road.
Bypass- The Special Move that Changes Course.
Choose any of your four roadways, and place it on top of a surrounded tile to change the flow of traffic.
If a tile is surrounded on all four sides by other tiles, you can place one of your tiles on top to perform a 'ByPass' and change the route! This is done instead of placing a tile normally on an empty green space.
Bypass tiles placing notes:
- A maximum of four tiles are permitted on any given space.
- Tiles on the outer edges of the gameboard can only be surrounded on three sides, which means no bypass can be played on them.
Using Traffic Cones as a Strategy Tool:
The purpose of traffic cones in ByPass is to block other players' attempts at throwing your path off course. Use them as a defensive tactic to keep your road's construction trucking along, but make sure to use them wisely. Players only get three cones each!
Option 2: Skip placing a tile and instead place a cone on any tile already on the board.
Rules About Cones:
Once placed, cones cannot be removed. After placing a tile or cone, draw a new tile if needed to keep 4 tiles in front of you. Play continues clockwise.
Gameplay Tips:
- Be careful and strategic not to complete another player's road by placing a tile that helps them win!
- Make sure to peek at everyone's routes so you can work both the offense and defense in the game.
Winning the Game
The game ends when one player completes a continuous road from one of their start/end zones to the other. If a tile completes roads for multiple players, the player who placed the tile wins, unless it completes another player's road. In that case, the next player with a completed road wins!
Get ready to build, block, and race your way to victory. If your family loves a little healthy competition and adventure, you'll love this road-building race that boosts critical thinking!
The Educational Game Benefits of ByPass
Learning to build essential soft skills like spatial reasoning, and planning are a few of the many educational benefits offered in ByPass. Let's explore these two STEM-thinking skills, and how they are used in the game!
Spatial Reasoning
ByPass is a Spatial Reasoning game, which means players will have to access the board game for opportunities and obstacles that could hinder their goals. Players use strategy to adapt their plays as the roads change direction and obstacles are created by other players. Using spatial reasoning will help you visualize your outcomes and play strategically to block your opponents.
Planning
Your mission in ByPass is to plan ahead to build your road while remaining flexible to the obstacles that other players create. Can you think on your toes to pave alternative paths when your opponents use cones to throw you off course? Planning skills will also allow you to look for opportunities to protect your ever-evolving road from obstructions and race your way to victory!
Both spatial reasoning and planning are essential life skills that help players develop problem-solving, decision-making, and the foresight necessary to adapt decisions along the road of life! Plus, who doesn't love a think-on-your-toes game on family game night?
ByPass Behind-The-Scenes
We asked SimplyFun's game artist, Alvin Madden, to provide insights on how ByPass evolved from its original concept by game designer Spieltrieb—Till Meyer, to the iterations that led to its 2025 refresh!
Did SimplyFun modify the gameplay from Till Meyer's original concept?
The original game was for two players, one trying to create a path vertically across the board, and the other playing horizontally. We wanted families to be able to enjoy the game, so we split each side of the board up to allow up to four players.
Brian Kolodziejski, who had done the art for many of our games, did the art for the original release of ByPass, which I believe went on sale in 2013. The new version was a complete refresh, which I was the artist for. So we had to decide how much of the original direction to keep, while making improvements and adapting it to where the SimplyFun brand is currently.
What was your inspiration for the artwork?
The base inspiration was the original game, but the original had a construction theme, featuring heavy construction vehicles on the board. I made pitches for some directions that differed heavily from the original, but in the end we decided to keep it more familiar, but try to broaden the appeal, modernize it, and make improvements where we could.
As a game designer & game enthusiast, what do you love most about the game?
I like that this game really keeps you engaged. You need to keep your eyes on multiple routes and be ready to reconsider your plans because a well-placed bypass can really change things up!
Ready to Rev' Up Your Engine and Play?
If you are looking for the perfect family game night activity, ByPass is your game! However, this fun road-warrior race does more than just entertain players ages 8 and up. In ByPass, everyone challenges their abilities to adapt, strategize, and plan their way to victory. We can think of a million ways these soft skills benefit all players involved.
Whether you are a school-aged student learning STEM and developing executive function skills like planning, focusing, and multitasking or an adult looking to improve your decision-making skills for work or personal life, ByPass is designed to help you strengthen key soft skills while having a blast in the process!
Ready to build, block, and race your way to victory? The open road awaits! Play with 2-4 players, ages 8 and up, in 25 minutes.
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