Nebuchadnezzar 2020

Rules

Nebuchadnezzar is a game of annihilation for two players. Not only are draws impossible in Nebuchadnezzar, almost any game of Nebuchadnezzar played to its conclusion will end with a board completely filled with a single color of disc.

Materials: A square board of any size (nothing bigger than 15x15 is recommended due to the amount of recycling and potential number of moves along with the amount of mechanical flipping involved) and an unlimited supply of discs with each player's color on either side. Go stones can also be used if you're willing to replace them instead of flip discs. (note: If you have an Othello set, 8x8 is a fine size to get started with)

Objective: wipe your opponent completely off the board!

Gameplay: Starting with black, on his turn a player may place a disc with his color facing up as long as it isn't orthogonally adjacent to exactly 1 enemy disc and 3 empty points. He may alternatively capture enemy discs according to the following convention. He cannot place and capture on the same turn.

A player may flip a rectangle of discs consisting purely of enemy discs, if the following qualifications are met

The rectangle is entirely bounded by single-colored walls (of discs) on all 4 of its sides The player owns the majority of the perimeter created by these walls The rectangle is not part of a bigger rectangle meeting these criteria.

Edge rule: If one or more of the walls bounding a rectangle are board edges these will take on the color of the parallel walls opposite to them. If a rectangle is bounded by two opposite board edges then these are considered to be neutral walls.

Forced passing: You automatically pass your turn if no legal move is available for you on your turn. Otherwise passing is not permitted

Pie: After the first move, the second player may choose to switch colors instead of playing a disc of his color for his first move.

—description from the designer