Gamehelpyavalath

Summary

Yavalath is an acclaimed abstract connection game invented in 2007 by computer scientist Cameron Browne using his evolutionary game-generation program LUDI, and published by nestorgames. It holds historical distinction as the first commercially published board game designed by artificial intelligence.

The game is famous for its deceptively simple yet diabolical rule: Connect 4 to WIN, but connect 3 and you LOSE!

Overview & Components

Component	Visual	Description
Ivory Stone		Player 1 playing piece in 2-player and 3-player games.
Ebony Stone		Player 2 playing piece in 2-player and 3-player games.
Lacquered Red Stone		Player 3 playing piece in 3-player games.
Hex Recess		Board cell on a hexagonal maple grid (Standard: 5 cells per side, 61 cells).
Winning Line (4+)		Highlighted in green: 4 or more pieces in an unbroken straight line.
Losing Line (3)		Highlighted in red: exactly 3 pieces in an unbroken straight line.

Rules of Play

Players start with an empty board and take turns placing one stone of their color onto any unoccupied hexagonal cell .

Winning and Losing

After placing a stone, all lines extending across the three hexagonal board axes through that stone are evaluated:

• WIN (4-in-a-row) : If you create an unbroken straight line of 4 or more stones of your color, you immediately WIN the game.
• LOSE (3-in-a-row) : If you create an unbroken straight line of exactly 3 stones of your color (without simultaneously completing 4), you immediately LOSE the game!
• Simultaneous Win/Loss Rule: If a single placement forms both a line of 4 and a line of 3 at the same time, the WIN takes precedence and you win the game.
• Draw: If all board cells are filled with no winning line formed, the game ends in a tie.

Pie Rule (Swap Option)

To balance the first-player advantage in 2-player matches, the Pie Rule is available:

• The first player places one stone.
• The second player may either place their own stone normally or choose to Swap, taking over the first player's stone and color.

Three-Player Rules

When 3 players play Yavalath ( White, Black, Red), elimination rules apply:

• Elimination: A player who forms a line of 3 stones is immediately eliminated.
• Obstacles: The eliminated player's stones remain on the board as permanent neutral blockers.
• Must-Block Rule: The player whose turn comes next must not be allowed to win. If the next active player could win on their next placement, you must place your stone on one of those winning cells (highlighted with a red pulse). This applies even if blocking eliminates you.
• The game ends when a player completes 4-in-a-row (1st place) or two players are eliminated (sole survivor wins).

Board Variants

• Board Radius 4 (37 cells): Fast, aggressive tactical game.
• Board Radius 5 (61 cells): Official championship standard board.

Controls on BGA

• Placing a stone: Click any highlighted valid cell to stage your placement. A ghost stone shows your piece.
• Confirm / Cancel: Click the blue Confirm button on the action bar to finalize your turn, or click Cancel (or click another cell) to choose differently.
• Last Move Markers: The most recent stone placement is highlighted with an amber cell outline to easily track the game state.
• Symbols Preference: Optional high-contrast geometric symbols on stones can be toggled on/off in player preferences.