Diamond is a two-player abstract strategy board game invented by Larry Back. The invention was inspired by the game Kensington, which uses a similar b...
Diamond is a two-player abstract strategy board game invented by Larry Back. The invention was inspired by the game Kensington, which uses a similar board pattern and game objective. Rules for Diamond were conceived in 1985 and finalized in 1994. Diamond introduces a new board geometry and neutral pieces, with the aim of enhancing the game dynamic and lowering the potential for draws.
Diamond was featured in the February 2013 issue of Games magazine.
The Diamond gameboard consists of interlocking squares and triangles. White and Black each control 12 game pieces of their own color. Neutral pieces (red-colored in the diagrams) enter the game via captures. The pieces are played on the line intersections (called points, as in Go). White and black (but not red) pieces can move along straight lines to adjacent unoccupied points. A player wins by being the first to occupy all four corners (points) of a board square with their pieces.
Capturing moves are possible in the Movement phase. If the points of a triangle contain exactly one white and one black piece, either player can capture the opponent piece by occupying the remaining open point ("cornering" the enemy piece on the triangle). The captured piece can be cornered on one triangle (see Example 1), or simultaneously cornered on two different triangles (Example 4). The captured piece is immediately removed from the game and replaced on its point by a neutral piece.
If a move simultaneously corners two opponent pieces on two different triangles, then neither enemy piece is captured (Examples 2 and 3). A piece can move safely to a triangle point even if the other two points of the triangle are occupied by enemy pieces (Example 5).
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JAIPUR
Jaipur is a card game for two players. It was created by Sébastien Pauchon in 2009 and published by Asmodee. Players assume the roles of powerful merc...
Jaipur is a card game for two players. It was created by Sébastien Pauchon in 2009 and published by Asmodee. Players assume the roles of powerful merchants in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan. The aim is to receive two "seals of excellence" and be invited to the court of the Maharaja. The game focuses on buying, exchanging, and selling at better prices, all while keeping an eye on both your camel herds.
Overall, the board game has received favorable reviews, many acknowledging its simplicity, yet sufficient depth. Shut Up & Sit Down have suggested that "great game for seasoned vets but also something you could easily introduce to people who don’t play a lot" whereas iSlayTheDragon said "Jaipur is a blast to play". Board Game Land has suggested that the game was "one of the top card games for couples". Jaipur has continued to be a popular game with recommendations into 2020 as well as being part of the Mind Sports Olympiad 2020 competition.
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