King's Valley Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Summary
• Components
• Rules of the Game
  • Number of players
  • Starting positions
  • Goal of the game
  • Course of play
  • Winning conditions
  • Variant starting positions

Summary

"King's Valley" is a game that is simple to understand and to play, but offers great strategic depth. The simplicity of the game comes from the fact that all pieces follow the same movement rule on the board. All can be moved horizontally, vertically or diagonally, but in every case the movement must be continued until reaching the last free square before the edge of the board or another piece. There is no "capture" of pieces during the game. The goal is to bring your King onto the central square of the board (the King's Valley) and thereby win the game immediately.

Components

"King's Valley" is played on a board of 5x5 squares, whose central square is called the King's Valley.

At the start of the game, each player takes the 5 pieces of one colour: one King and 4 Soldiers.

Rules of the Game

Number of players

Two.

Starting positions

The players place their 5 pieces facing each other, on the first row on each side of the board. Each colour's King is placed in the middle of the row.

Goal of the game

Bring your King onto the central square of the board, the King's Valley.

Course of play

Players take turns moving one piece (a Soldier or their King) to a free square of the board. All pieces move the same way: in a straight line horizontally, vertically or diagonally, without stopping, until reaching the last empty square before the edge of the board or another piece (friendly or enemy). Players may not pass their turn without moving a piece. On the first turn, the first player must move a Soldier and not their King. Afterwards any piece may be moved.

(From the Japanese sheet only:) Only a King may enter the central square, the King's Valley. If moving a Soldier would make it end on the central square, the Soldier cannot be moved in that direction.

Winning conditions

There are 2 ways to end a game.

• First case: If a player manages to place their King on the central square of the board, they win immediately. Their King must end its movement on that square (and therefore be stopped there by another piece, friendly or enemy) and not merely pass through it.

• Second case: If a player is no longer able to move their King (it is surrounded by opposing pieces and the edge of the board), their opponent wins the game.

Variant starting positions

Experienced players may choose a different starting setup called "Retrieve the King". The Soldiers are set up the same way, but the Kings are swapped and placed in the middle of the opponent's row. The course of play remains the same.

(Illustrations: standard setup on the left and "Retrieve the King" on the right.)