Churn Rulebook

Table of Contents

Group
Play
Removals
Object of the Game
Design Notes
Author's Note

Group

A "group" here is a monocolored group of at least one stone.

Play

If you can place a stone in isolation (not adjacent to any friendly groups), you must do so. If you can only place adjacent to a friendly group, you must select a placement that forms the smallest friendly group possible.

Removals

Having placed adjacent to a friendly group, thereby forming a larger group, you must immediately remove all friendly groups smaller than the group so formed, concluding your turn.

Object of the Game

Once the board has filled, at the conclusion of a turn, the player having the majority of on-board stones wins. (If your placement causes the board to be filled, you still have to finish your turn by removing all friendly groups smaller than your newly formed group.)

Design Notes

Churn was designed to have an extreme churn rate. For example, it takes about 7,400 turns to complete a game of Churn on a size 5 board (61 cells). It would take about 950,000 turns to complete a size 7 (127 cells) game of Churn. But like all MSG games (except for my first game, Quadrature, from 1992), Churn is naturally finite. Play can't go on forever.

Irregular hexagonal boards can be used, such as one having side lengths 3,4,3,4,3,4 (27 cells). Only boards with an odd number of cells should be used, to prevent ties.

Author's Note

Feel free to publish this rule sheet and to program the game of Churn. No licensing fee or royalties are required. However, please don't change the name or the rules, and please attribute the game to me, Mark Steere. Except, no attribution for Churn (Эргэлт) is required in Mongolia. My other games can be found at marksteeregames.com.