Karo
Karo Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 24 black square tiles
- 16 pieces (8 white, 8 red)
Noughts and Crosses
Components
- 20 square tiles
- 6 red pieces
- 6 white pieces
Object of the Game
Each player tries to be the first to make a row of four of their own pieces, turned so the mark is face up. The board keeps changing throughout the game.
Setup
Build a 5 x 4 board from the 20 square tiles. Each player takes the 6 pieces of one colour. The first player is decided by lot.
Course of Play
The game has two parts: first the players place their pieces on the given board, then they try to reach the goal by moving pieces and board tiles.
1. Placing the pieces. Players take turns placing their pieces on free squares of the board, mark side down. When all pieces are placed, the second phase of the game begins.
2. Moving pieces. On their turn, a player moves one piece of their own colour. Pieces may move vertically, horizontally and diagonally, and may jump over other pieces (their own or the opponent's) if the square beyond them is not occupied.
- After each jump, the piece that made the jump is turned over, so the round mark is now visible.
- If a piece simply moves to an adjacent square, it is not turned over.
- If a turned piece jumps again, it is turned over again (the mark is once more face down).
3. Moving tiles. At the start of their turn, a player may take a tile from the edge of the board and move it to another place. The following conditions must be met:
- The tile must not be occupied.
- At least two sides of the tile must be free.
- After the tile is removed, no tiles may remain completely cut off from the rest of the board. A tile that touches the other tiles only at a corner counts as cut off.
Example: in the situation shown in the diagram, tiles A, B and C may be removed.
When a tile is relocated, the following rules apply:
- The relocated tile must adjoin at least one other tile, along at least one side.
- The player who relocates a tile must, in the same turn, move one of their pieces onto it.
Example: the white player relocates tile C and in the same turn occupies it, jumping over a red piece.
If a player cannot satisfy the rules for removing and relocating a tile, that player cannot move the tile.
End of Game
The first player to place 4 of their own pieces in a row, with the marks face up, wins. Rows count vertically, horizontally and diagonally.
Example: the red player relocates tile X, occupies it in the same turn, and wins by completing a row of 4 pieces.
Ant and Dragonfly
Components
- 24 square tiles
- 6 red pieces
- 6 white pieces
Object of the Game
Each player tries to be the first to reach the opposite edge of the board.
Setup
Lay the 24 tiles out as a 3 x 8 rectangle. Each player places their 6 pieces on the first two rows of the board. Three pieces on each side are placed mark side up (dragonflies), and three are placed mark side down (ants). The first player is decided by lot.
Course of Play
Players take turns moving one piece of their own colour.
Ants. An ant moves one square horizontally, vertically or diagonally.
Example: the diagram shows four possible moves of a white ant.
Dragonflies. A dragonfly jumps in a straight line over one or more other pieces (its own or the opponent's). A dragonfly may only move if there are pieces next to it (its own or the opponent's).
Example: the diagram shows three possible moves of a red dragonfly.
Both ants and dragonflies may move backwards, towards their own edge of the board.
Transformations. At the end of a move (after the move is made), pieces change, that is, they are turned over:
- An ant that moved onto a free square becomes a dragonfly.
- A dragonfly that jumped over other pieces becomes an ant.
End of Game
The winner is the player who first brings all of their pieces to the opposite edge of the board (the six starting squares of the opponent), regardless of whether the pieces are ants or dragonflies.
If all of a player's pieces are on the opposite side of the board, but they cannot occupy one or more of the finishing squares because opponent pieces are there, that player is also considered the winner.
Advanced Variant
The players decide for themselves how many ants and how many dragonflies they place at the start, and how those pieces are arranged on the six starting squares of each player.