Gamehelpsensei

GOAL OF THE GAME

To be the first player to bring their character to the opposite side of the board.

PREPARATION

At the beginning of the game, players choose a version to play (« Arashi » or « Sizukana »), as explained below. The stones are placed in a line on two opposite sides of the board, along each player's home row. Each player's character is placed on their middle stone.

HOW TO PLAY Each player may do each of the following three actions on their turn. You must perform at least one of the three actions. You may do these actions in any order:

• move a stone of your color

• move a second stone of your color, or the same stone again.

• move your character from one of your stones to another of your stones (see how below.)

MOVE STONES - The stones move horizontally or vertically without changing direction (it is forbidden to move a stone diagonally.) So, to move a stone horizontally and vertically, you need to use two actions. Only one stone may occupy each square. A stone with a character on it cannot move. Movement is blocked by an opponent's stone.

MOVE your CHARACTER - A character can move between two stones of their color and the length of the movement is not limited, provided that 1) the two stones are aligned along the same line horizontally, vertically or diagonally; and 2) there are no opponent's stones in between your two stones that you are using to move your character.

VERSION ARASHI or VERSION SHIZUKANA

  The version is chosen at the beginning of each game.
  VERSION ARASHI - You can move your stones as many squares as you wish as long as the spaces are open (not blocked by your stones or your opponent's), but always in only one direction.
  VERSION SHIZUKANA You can move your stones only one square. NOTE: in this variant, each player begins with two stones on the opponent's home row.

UNFAIR GAME (ENDS THE GAME EARLY) - If a player blocks the game by creating an impassable line that may not be crossed by the opponent's stones, that player will lose the game automatically if their opponent has at least three stones that are adjacent to the impassable line stones.

'NORMAL END OF THE GAME - The first player to move their character onto one of their own color stones located on the opponent's home row wins the game.

--- VARIANT: ARASHI EXPERT Introduces pits. Stones cannot move through (or fall into) the pits. However, a player's character can move over the pits while moving between stones. In checking for UNFAIR GAME, the pits are treated the same as uncrossable stones.