Kevin HY Hau - Hello World 👋


Runes

Chapter 60 · A new dice-and-magic board game I invented: roll two dice, pick one, and its number casts a spell borrowed from chess, shogi, Othello, xiangqi, Senet or Ur. Capture the enemy Mage or hold the Throne

LIGHT ♟5
TO MOVELight
DARK ♟5
TURN1
Your move

Runes in 4 steps

You win!

Roll the dice.
Play:
You are:
Computer:
Board:

📖 How to play Runes

Runes is a new board game, invented for this chapter. Two wizard schools fight on a board, and dice decide what magic you get.

Your turn

  • Roll two dice. Then pick one die and spend it on one action. (Roll doubles and you get both dice: two actions.)
  • Step (any die): move one piece 1 square in any direction, even diagonally, onto an empty square or onto an enemy to capture it. You may not step straight back to the square you just left.
  • Or cast the spell for the die's number:
⚀ 1 🛡 Wardfrom the safe squares of Ur: one of your pieces cannot be captured or charmed until you act again. ⚁ 2 🔀 Swapfrom Senet: swap the places of two of your pieces. ⚂ 3 🐴 Leapfrom chess: move one of your pieces like a knight (it can capture). ⚃ 4 ✨ Summonfrom shogi: put a lost Apprentice on an empty square next to your Mage. ⚄ 5 💜 Charmfrom Othello: turn an enemy Apprentice next to your Mage into yours. ⚅ 6 ⚡ Boltfrom xiangqi's cannon: destroy the first enemy Apprentice in a straight line from your Mage, up to 3 squares away.

Pieces and winning

  • Each side has one Mage (tall hat) and some Apprentices (small hats).
  • Only a Mage can capture a Mage (by a step or a Leap). Apprentices cannot, but they block the way.
  • Win by capturing the enemy Mage, or by ending your turn with your Mage on the ★ Throne (the centre of the enemy back row) and still being there when your next turn starts. The enemy gets one turn to chase it off or capture it.
  • After 60 turns each side, the player with more Apprentices wins (equal is a draw).

Tips

  • Two dice mean a choice: a 6 is strong, but a 2 may be exactly the Swap you need. Look at both before you pick.
  • Ward is best as your last action of the turn (any later action of yours ends it), so use it on a Mage on the Throne.
  • Keep your Mage a knight's move and a step away from the enemy Mage, or be ready to chase theirs.
  • 💡 Hint suggests a move. ↩ Undo takes back your last action and the computer's reply (the dice stay the same, no re-rolls).

Where the ideas come from

  • Backgammon, Ur, Senet, Ludo: rolling dice and choosing what to do with them. Dice choose, you decide.
  • Chess, shogi, Othello, xiangqi: one spell each (Leap, Summon, Charm, Bolt). Senet and Ur: Swap and Ward.
  • Jungle chess and xiangqi: the goal square and winning by taking the leader. Flock (chapter 59): no stepping back and a turn limit so games end.

It is a new game, so the computer's levels come from trying them against each other (a deeper search beats a shallower one clearly, but dice still make upsets).