Abstract Strategy

We are in the realm of SIAM which once upon a time was heaven on earth, a vast country where elephants and rhinoceros had been living in peace for centuries. Once, the earth started to shake and SIAM was reduced to three regions surrounded by gigantic mountains. Since then, elephants and rhinoceros don't have enough space to live. These two incredibly strong species shall now struggle mercilessly to rule over two territories.

Contents:

A wooden board
5 elephants
5 rhinoceros
3 rocks
5 pieces of felt to stick under the board, 1 in the center and 1 under each corner
Rules of the game

Each player has 12 rings (in four sizes)and 3 bases of the same color. These are placed one at a time, in turn, on one of 25 territories laid out in a five X five pattern. You may place a ring:

i) onto or next to a territory that already has a ring in your color, or

ii) next to a base of your color.

You also may place a base next to a territory that already has a ring in your color. Each territory can accommodate up to four rings as long as all the rings are different sizes. The winner of the territory is the player who has placed the most rings on it when the game ends, which occurs when no one can place any more rings on the board. The bases do not count in the scoring but can be placed on a territory to prevent any other player from placing a ring on it.

Game description from the publisher:

In the strategic game Sparta, set in 228 B.C., you will relive the fascinating experience of skillful Spartan and Achaean warriors. Will Sparta seize power, or will the Achaeans maintain their stance?

Designer Yannick Holtkamp developed this strategic game at the age of 12. Still at school at age 14 in late 2011, he is enrolled as a science student at the University of Düsseldorf.

User summary:

The game is played on a 10x10 grid. Each player starts with a row of eight fighters on their side of the board. In the middle rows of the board, there are eight cities - each player owns four of these.

Each turn, a player may move one of their fighters up to two squares in any direction, changing direction between the moves if so desired.

If the fighter ends its turn in one of his own cities, he is promoted to a hero, and may move up to three squares on future turns.

If the fighter ends its turn on an opposing city, the city is conquered; it now belongs to the player that conquered it.

If, after the move, there are pieces trapped in between two opposing pieces, they are captured and removed from the board. Pieces are trapped if they are between pieces of the other side along a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row without a vacant square in between.

The game ends if one of the following happens:

One player owns all cities. That player wins the game.
One player has only one piece left on the board. His opponent wins the game.
Both players have only one or two pieces left on the board. The player with the most cities wins the game.

A strategic two-player abstract with a heavy deduction element. At the start of the game, neither player knows how their own pieces move. Via performing attempted moves, each player tries to deduce the movement of their own pieces. As you determine how to move your pieces, your goal is to capture the neutral piece, initially located in the center of the board, and deliver it to your opponent's side of the board.

From the new Stronghold Games version, Confusion: Espionage and Deception in the Cold War:

The Cold War. A dangerous time for the world. A dangerous time to be a spy... but that is exactly what being a spy is all about. As the shadowy clouds of intrigue and subterfuge settle across the globe you have been called upon by your country to obtain the Top Secret information that will ensure your country's safety and supremacy. But not all is as it seems; your spies are difficult to control on a global scale, and even worse, there's a Double Agent in your midst who threatens the entire mission!

At the start of a game of Confusion, players aren't aware of the talents and skills their own spies possess! Your opponent can see what your spies can do, but you cannot. Your job as a wise leader is to first deduce exactly how each of your spies move, then employ your knowledge by using each spy for maximum effect. But be on alert, because your opponent has placed a double-agent in your team of spies! The first player to take the Top Secret Briefcase from the middle of the board and deliver it to his opponent's capital is the winner.

Can you achieve your goals at the expense of your opponent, or will the entire operation collapse in a sea of Confusion?

Confusion is game #1 in the Stronghold Games "Castle Line".