STACKS

A Board-Game for 2 Intelligent Players 
by Fred Horn © 04 / 06 /  2018 

Material

• 7 x 7 checkered Board
• 24 identical Game-Pieces which can be ‘stacked’
• Next to the Board TWO ‘Counting Tables’ to set down the SCORE
• Two sets of 12 Cards, one for Red; one for Green  
• Four count-pawns (two Red & two Green)

Each set contains: four cards with number 1; five cards with number 2; three cards with number 3

Preparation

• Place the Game-Pieces on the Board in the STARTPOSITION
• Place the count-pawns on position ‘0’ on the Counting-Tables
• Take for each color the 12 Cards with 1 ; 2 ; 3 , shuffle these per color and place these, his “stock”, -face down- next to each Player
• Each Player takes the 2 upper cards from his “stock” in his hand
• Red starts and plays ‘horizontal’, than Turns alternate, but Green plays ‘vertical’
• The SCORE is recorded with his count-pawns on the Player’s Counting-Table

Goal

• Player with the highest SCORE, after ALL Cards have been played, WINS

Rules

• The Red Player (playing horizontal) starts, then Turns alternate
• In his Turn a Player chooses with which card out of his hand he will play this Turn
• The number on that card gives the amount of ‘steps’ the Player must move a game-piece or a ‘stack’ of game-pieces
• One step is going from a white square to the next white square in the Player’s direction ‘horizontal’ or ‘vertical’. (Move is possible in both in 2 directions: horizontal left or right; vertical up or down)
• If possible, the Player must end his move on an occupied white square, either with 1 or with a -‘stack’ of pieces- by placing the played game-piece(s) on top
• His ‘SCORE’ in this Turn is the total number of game-pieces in the new formed “stack”, which ‘SCORE’ is recorded on the Player’s Counting-Table by adding the scored number
• If it is not possible to move to an occupied square the Player must move either a single piece or a -‘stack’ of pieces- to an empty white square in his direction
• This generates a negative ‘SCORE”: minus 1 point when one piece has been moved; minus 2 points when a ‘stack’ has been moved; and minus 4 points when no possible move is available
• After recording his ‘SCORE”, the played card is than removed and ‘out of the game’
• Player takes the upper card from his “stock” to get again two cards in his hand and his Turn ends and it is the opponent’s Turn
• It is not allowed to form in a Turn a ‘stack’ higher than six game-pieces
• When a ‘stack’ of six pieces has been formed it cannot move again and stays put   
• When ALL cards are played the game ends and the Player with the highest ‘SCORE’ WINS

 

VARIANT 1

 

• The game described above is the first of a series of games where the ‘SCORE’s are cumulated recorded. The first Player reaching a total ’SCORE’ over 99 (or any other number agreed before) WINS
• The Player who lost the former game starts the next one etc. etc.

VARIANT 2

Add two “4-Cards” to and remove one 2-Card from each Players “stock”

Game-play is like the ‘normal’ game but when a 4-Card is ‘opened’ the move is different:

• When a 4-Card is opened during a Player’s Turn the Player has to move as follows: He can start his move with any piece or ‘stack’ (not the 6-high) and must play (move) with it at least 1 step in his direction. He can also choose for 2 or 3 steps if possible. For the rest of his move he must play diagonally BACKWARDS (either 3, 2, or 1 step, which is allowed in both possible directions) and he must end his Turn always on a single piece or a ‘stack’ according to the rules.
• After the first  4-Card has been used by a Player he is also allowed to move BACKWARDS in the same way when playing a 2- or 3-Card
• If he can only end on an empty square when going BACKWARDS (no other move is available) he counts minus 3 as his ‘SCORE’; and minus 5 points when no possible move is available

VARIANT 2 gives Players the opportunity to change game-pieces from ONE of the white-square-play-area’s (of 12 white squares) to the OTHER area.