Evaluate, connect, and build higher!

In Kurz vor Knapp, you create the playing area by placing a rope in a circle, placing ten cylinders inside that circle, and then randomly placing wooden beams in a spiral around the circle. Each player starts the game with a number of cylinders according to the number of players.

During a turn, you look at the wooden beam at the end of the spiral — without touching or measuring it — and then determine which two cylinders you want to place this beam on. You want to place the beam so that its ends are included (and not hanging) over the faces of these cylinders, and each cylinder can have at most two beams resting on it. After determining these cylinders, each other player has the opportunity to steal your turn by identifying cylinders at a higher level where this beam can be placed.

If you — or the player stealing the turn — have correctly estimated the length of the beam and can make the connection, then you place one or more of your cylinders from your supply onto the playing area, with one cylinder on the new beam and additional cylinders on beams at lower levels. The taller the beam, the more cylinders you can place! If you cannot place the beam, you return it at the end of your turn, and if you have tried to steal someone else's turn, they give up the number of cylinders they would have placed.

Whoever places all of their cylinders first wins.