A Quarto set is 16 pieces and a 4×4 grid. The pieces need four differences that each come in two versions, and you need one piece for every combination. Anything that meets that rule works: squares of paper, building blocks or bottle caps. The quickest version is drawn on paper and takes about ten minutes.
About us: we make Quads, an independent game built on the same hand-your-opponent-the-piece mechanic as Quarto. It isn't affiliated with Gigamic or the makers of Quarto.
What a set needs
- A 4×4 grid. Sixteen squares, drawn on paper or marked with tape. Each square must be big enough for your largest piece.
- Four traits, two versions each. The classic set uses tall or short, dark or light, round or square, and solid or hollow. You can swap in any difference that is easy to see at a glance.
- One piece per combination. 2×2×2×2 = 16, so there are 16 pieces and no duplicates. Each version of each trait ends up on exactly eight pieces.
The most common mistake is making two of the same piece and missing another. Use the checklist further down as you go.
Method 1: paper
You need one sheet of light paper or card, one sheet of a darker colour, scissors and a pen.
- Cut eight pieces from each sheet. That gives you dark and light.
- From each colour, cut four circles and four squares. That gives you round and square.
- In each group of four matching pieces, make two large and two small. Size stands in for height, the same way the Quads app draws it.
- In each pair that still matches, draw a small ring or square in the middle of one piece. That one is hollow and the plain one is solid.
- Draw a 4×4 grid on another sheet with squares slightly bigger than the large pieces.
Each step halves the groups, so if you follow the order you finish with 16 different pieces.
Method 2: building blocks
Interlocking bricks work well because height is real. Choose two colours. For each colour, build pieces that are one brick or two bricks tall, on two different footprints such as a square brick and a longer one, and leave half of them plain and mark the other half with a sticker or a different top piece. Any four differences will do as long as each comes in two clear versions.
Method 3: bottle caps or coins
Collect 16 caps in two colours, eight of each. Use two sizes of cap for big and small, or stack two caps for tall. Put a dot of marker on half of them for hollow, and stick half onto small paper squares to make them square. Check each one off against the list below, because caps are the easiest method to get wrong.
Checklist: all 16 pieces
| Piece | Height, colour, shape, top |
|---|---|
| short, light, round, hollow | |
| tall, light, round, hollow | |
| short, dark, round, hollow | |
| tall, dark, round, hollow | |
| short, light, square, hollow | |
| tall, light, square, hollow | |
| short, dark, square, hollow | |
| tall, dark, square, hollow | |
| short, light, round, solid | |
| tall, light, round, solid | |
| short, dark, round, solid | |
| tall, dark, round, solid | |
| short, light, square, solid | |
| tall, light, square, solid | |
| short, dark, square, solid | |
| tall, dark, square, solid |
There is more about how the pieces relate to each other in the 16 Quarto pieces explained.
How to play with your set
- Put all 16 pieces beside the empty grid. They belong to both players.
- The first player chooses a piece and hands it to the second player.
- The second player places it on any empty square, then chooses a piece for the first player.
- Carry on. A player wins by placing the fourth piece in a row, column or diagonal where all four share at least one trait, such as four dark pieces or four round ones.
- If all 16 pieces are placed and nobody has won, the game is a draw.
For a harder game, also count a 2×2 square of four pieces that share a trait. Quads plays that way as standard. The full rules have diagrams of every winning shape.
Making a set with a class
Building the set is a sorting exercise in its own right. Ask each group to prove that their set is complete without using the checklist: every trait should split the pieces eight and eight, and no two pieces should match on all four. The classroom guide has four activities that follow on from this.
Frequently asked questions
What do you need to make a Quarto game?
A 4x4 grid and 16 pieces. The pieces need four traits with two versions each, such as tall or short, dark or light, round or square, and solid or hollow, with exactly one piece for every combination.
Can you play Quarto with paper?
Yes. Cut eight shapes from dark paper and eight from light. For each colour make four circles and four squares, make half of each large and half small, and draw a ring in the middle of half of them. Draw a 4x4 grid to play on.
How big should a homemade Quarto board be?
Any size, as long as each of the 16 squares is a little bigger than your largest piece. For paper pieces about 4 cm across, a grid of 5 cm squares works.
Do the pieces have to use the classic traits?
No. Any four differences work if each has two clear versions and you make one piece for every combination. Colour, size, shape and a mark on top are the easiest to read.