Garw 2025

Garw is a drawless connection game for two players: Black and White. It is played on the intersections (points) of an initially empty square grid (board). The top and bottom edges of the board are colored black; the left and right edges are colored white.

A hill is three like-colored stones in a 2×2 area. A mountain is three like-colored stones orthogonally adjacent to the same point.

Black plays first, then turns alternate. On your turn, perform exactly one of these actions:

Place a stone of your color on an empty point. After your placement, for each pair of diagonally adjacent stones of your color there must be a hill or mountain that includes both stones. Flip an enemy stone to your color, provided it is adjacent to all three pieces in a mountain of your color.

Passing is not allowed, but, if you have no legal moves available, your turn is skipped.

You win if there is a chain of orthogonally connected stones of your color touching the two opposite board edges of your color.

To make the game fair, White will have the option, on their first turn only, to swap sides with Black instead of making a regular move.

—description from the designer