Quoridor variants

Here are some 2004 Quoridor variants by João Pedro Neto and Bill Taylor.

Four-Way Walls

• One player has stones n s e w, the other N S E W.
• Each stone must try to cross the boundary furthest in its name-direction.
• With 13444 equalizer, in each turn each of a player's stones, (move order at the mover's discretion), must move one orthogonal step; then a wall is played (but not on the boundary); all as in Corridor.
• If any stones are adjacent to the moving stone in its chosen direction, it may jump them to the next vacant cell. If a wall blocks this direction part-way through such a jump, either unblocked right-angle may be turned.
• The winner is the first player to get three stones off the board. 

Sample initial moves:

  A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K
a + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
  :                                       :
b :   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   :
  :             s                         :
c :   +   +   +   +-------+-------+   +   :
  :                     W                 :
d :   +   +   +-------+   +   +   +   +   :
  :         S |     e |                   :
e :   +   +   +   +   |   +   +   +   +   :
  :         E |       |                   :
f :   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   :
  :       |                 N |           :
g :   +   +   +   +   +   +   |   +   +   :
  :       |         n         |           :
h :   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   :
  :                             w         :
i :   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   :
  :                   |                   :
j :   +   +-------+   |   +   +   +   +   :
  :                   |                   :
k + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +

   N E S W    wall    n e s w    WALL
   """""""""""""""""""""""""""""
1. - - - W    CEj     e e s -    Fik
2. N E S W    GIc     n e w w    Cfh
3. N N S W    EGc     n e w w    DFd
4. N N W W    Hhf     n e w s    Ddf  
5. N E S N    Fdf

This is a very fun game. Both player must, at each turn, decide which enemy player they want to delay, while advancing their own as far as possible.

§

Endless Fences

• Quoridor rules but with no wall limit

Sample game:

                    Joao

        H   G   F   E   D   C   B   A
        |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
    +-----------------------------------+
    |                                   |
 1--|   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |--1
    |                                   |
 2--|-------+-------+-------+   +   +   |--2
    |                                   |
 3--|   +   +   +   +   +   +-------+   |--3
    |                   |       |       |
 4--|   +   +   +   +   +   +   |   +   |--4
    |                   |       |       |
 5--|   +   +   +   +   +-------+-------|--5
    |                     O   X         |
 6--|   +   +   +   +   +   +-------+   |--6
    |                       |       |   |
 7--|   +   +   +   +   +   |   +   |   |--7
    |                       |   |   |   |
 8--|-------+-------+-------+   |   +   |--8
    |                           |       |
    +-----------------------------------+
        |   |   |   |   |   |   |   |
        H   G   F   E   D   C   B   A

                    Bill
    JoaO       BilX
-----------------------
1. S [ec8]    W [ec2]
2. W [ge8]    E [gi8]
3. S [ac3]    E [b79]
4. S [ge2]    E [gi2]
5. S [ba5]    N [c68]
6. E [b35]    N [d35]
7. S [db5]    N [ac6]
8. E [a68]    resign

§

Endless Barriers

• Quoridor rules except:
• no wall limit
• walls can also be L-shaped
• player's piece moves twice per turn 

Sample game:

                   Joao
  
   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L
 a +-------------------------------------------+ a
   |   |                                       |
 b |   |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   | b
   |   |                                       |
 c |   +-------+-------+-------+-------+   +   | c
   |               |                           |
 d |-------+-------|-------+   +   +---+   +   | d
   |               |               | J         |
 e |   +   +   +   +   +-------+   +   +   +   | e
   |                       |   |       |       |
 f |---+   +   +   +   +   |   +---+   |   +   | f
   |   |                   |           |       |
 g |   +-------+-------+   +---+-------+-------| g
   |                 B     |                   |
 h |   +   +   +---+-------+   +   +   +   +   | h
   |           |                               |
 i |   +   +---+   +-------+   +   +   +   +   | i
   |       |       |                           |
 j |   +   +   +   |   +   +   +   +   +   +   | j
   |               |                           |
 k |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   | k
   |                                           |
 l +-------------------------------------------+ l
   A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L
                         Bill
    Bill        Joao             Bill        Joao
-----------------------     -----------------------
1. .N  FHc     SW  EGi      11. NN  Geg    EE  BDg
2. EW  DFc     WW  Eik      12. NE  Bf3    NN  DFg
3. EE  BDc     WW  Bac      13. EE  Id4    resign
4. NN  ACd     SE  HJg
5. NW  CEd     EE  HJc
6. NW  EGd     EE  Gg4
7. SW  Ece     ES  EGh
8. WW  FHe     ES  Dh4
9. SW  Hf1     ES  Ci4
10 SW  Jeg     WW  JLg

 

§ 

[addendum: variant by neto and Taylor from 2010]

Assassins

• Move sequence 012(122)* with passing options on all parts.
• number xyz means x moves of the King, y moves of the Assassin, place z connected walls
• Basic corridor rules with each having a king and an assassin.
• No player may move so as to permanently separate an assassin from its target king. If a piece is unable to move, it stays still.
• The first player to kill the opponent king (by replacement), wins.
• Assassins may not be captured. 

      a   b   c   d   e   f   g
  +-------------------------------+
  |                               |
7 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |
  |     J                   j     |  CAPS are KINGS,
6 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |  lowercase are assassins.
  |                               |
5 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |
  |                               |
4 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |
  |                               |
3 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |
  |                               |
2 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |
  |     B                   b     |
1 |   +   +   +   +   +   +   +   |
  |                               |
  +-------------------------------+
      a   b   c   d   e   f   g 

     B  b    X       J  j    X
     ===========================  
1.   -  s   a1+1     n  w   g5+2    (a1+1 means first quadrant at corner a1)
2.   e  ws  b3+3     w  se  e4+1
3.   e  es  d1|      s  nn  e1+4
4.   w  ww  e3|      w  nn  d3+1
5.   e  nw  c6+3     w  sen c4+1
6.   w  nw  d6-      w  ee  b7+4
7.   e  ss  f6-      w  en  d7-
8.   w  sw  b1|      resign

      a   b   c   d   e   f   g
  +-------------------------------+
  |                               |
7 |   +   +---+-------+   +   +   |
  |       | B                     |  CAPS are KINGS,
6 |   +   +---.-------+-------+   |  lowercase are assassins.
  |           |               | j |
5 |   +   +   +   +   +   +---'   |
  |           |       |           |
4 |   +   +   +---+   +---+   +   |
  | b             |   |           |
3 |   +---.   +   +---|   +   +   |
  |       |           |           |
2 |   +   +   +   +---+   +   +   |
  |   |   |       |               |
1 |   `---|   +   +---+   +   +   |
  |     J |           |           |
  +-------------------------------+
      a   b   c   d   e   f   g

Trabsact Sagme Diaries

Let complexity emerge - do not seek it out. [T.Sagme, Proverbs 2, 14].

Self-limitation

We, email game inventors (not many I know), tend to create (and play) games that are ascii-friendly. The same happened with the appearance of Zillions. Many new games are Zillions-friendly, especially Chess Variants submitted at CVP's contests (there are nearly one thousand CV's for Zillions). I'm not saying it is bad, but it is always important to notice our self-imposed limitations.