Kamon
Kamon Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Materials
- a board
- 37 "kamon" chips, including a first player chip
- 18 white pieces
- 18 black pieces
Preparation
- Place the board between the two players.
- Each player takes the pieces of one colour.
- Place a random "kamon" chip on each space of the board.
- Remove the "first player" chip (this space is forbidden to both players for the rest of the game) and place it next to the board, between the two players.
How to Play
Black begins.
Black must place one of their pieces on an edge space of their choice, as shown on the "first player" chip, excluding the six corner spaces.
Once the space is chosen, Black replaces the "kamon" chip there with one of their own pieces, and stacks that chip on top of the "first player" chip.
The chip on top of the stack indicates to the opponent the type of space on which they must play next. White must place one of their pieces on any space bearing a "kamon" chip with the same symbol, or with the same number of symbols, as the chip on top of the stack.
Example: Black chooses to play on a space marked with 5 thorns. White must then play on any space with a chip bearing 5 symbols of any kind, or on any space with a chip bearing the thorn symbol.
White chooses a space respecting these constraints, places a piece there, and puts that chip on top of the "kamon" stack, in plain view.
Example: White finally chooses to place a piece on a space marked with 3 thorns, and places that chip on top of the stack. Black may then play on any space bearing a chip with the thorn symbol, or with 3 symbols.
The game continues in this way until one of the three victory conditions is achieved.
Game End
There are three different ways to win.
Connecting two opposite edges
A player wins by connecting two opposite edges of the board with a continuous chain of their own pieces (for example, snake edge to snake edge).
Creating a loop
A player wins by forming a closed loop with their own pieces — a continuous chain of their pieces that encloses at least one empty space and/or an opposing piece.
Preventing the opponent from playing
A player wins if their opponent cannot make any further move, because there is no remaining "kamon" chip on the board with the same symbol, or the same number of symbols, as the chip on top of the stack.
Draw
If both players manage to place all of their pieces on the board without either of the three victory conditions being reached, the game ends in a draw.