Better than Chess

thingiverse

This is a game that has slipped my mind's grasp, but the rules remain vivid in memory. It's a more captivating challenge than chess, if you ask me, which is why I'm sharing it here on Thingiverse. The beauty of it lies in its simplicity - a single part, crafted in four distinct colors. Anyone can design this for themselves. The board itself can be drawn on paper, wood, or whatever material suits your fancy. For those with access to CNC drilling machines, I've included the DXF file as well. Just remember to test print a small pocket first to ensure it fits within the button's dimensions (the pockets in the DXF are 0.1mm larger than the buttons). Given the variability in printer results, I've added multiple buttons with different upper knob diameters to accommodate various printers' needs. The file name indicates how much smaller the upper knob is compared to the lower pocket. Feel free to experiment and find the best fit for your printer. Let's dive into the game mechanics: Each player has two colors, with one color restricted to moving forward while the other can move in both directions. The game starts with each player having one color, and when a button reaches an opposing field, the leading button is swapped with a backward-facing color button. I've dubbed this leading button the "decider" to illustrate its role. As players build towers, the button at the top determines which tower belongs to whom and in which direction it can move. Let's take things further: Initially, if you have a single button or a forward tower, you can only move one field. However, there's an exception: when you can hit multiple buttons, we'll get into that later. As you begin, there's only one free row available. The first move always results in being "eaten up," which leads us to the game's first rule: If you can hit, you must hit and cannot make another move. To hit, you need a free field behind an opponent's button, jump over it, and take it with you if it's a single button (as shown in Pictures 2 and 3). However, if you jump over a tower, you only take the leading button (the top one) with you. If the other player has a tower with two of their own colors on top, that tower remains theirs. Using Picture 4 as an example, let's say it's your turn to move: You must hit (with Mover) hit 1 and then choose to hit either hit 2a or hit 2b in the same move. However, you must hit the first and one of the second buttons in that move. If you have multiple hitting opportunities, the choice is yours as to which hit move you'll make. Naturally, your choice would be hit 2a for these reasons: Taking hit 2b would leave the other player with a single button to move forward. By choosing hit 2a, you take back a tower with double colors and prevent the other player from hitting you back. Feel free to ask any questions if you're unsure about anything. For those interested in using only two colors, I've included different shape buttons for moving forward and all directions.