Diamond Bridge

From the designer's website (www.diamondbridgegame.com):

Diamond Bridge is a strategy game for two to four players. The board has a diamond-shaped grid, four corner pits and gems of two colors.

To play, take turns placing a gem on any open dot on the board.

The object of the game is to bridge sides of your color with an unbroken string of gems.

The game always results in one player completing a bridge or the other giving up. There is no deadlock.

The corner dots count for either color.

A player who spans side-to-side calls out, "Diamond Bridge!"

The game concept is basic. Players try to bridge sides of their color. It's fun to play "right out of the box." For the serious player the complexity of Diamond Bridge soon becomes apparent. Mastering the game requires a sense of balance, spatial reasoning and sustained focus.

How does this game differ from the classic earlier game Hex?

1. In Diamond Bridge, a player has only 16 pieces, and once a player has placed all their pieces, they then move an already-placed piece on their turn.
2. Diamond Bridge has no swap rule, so there is a significant first player advantage.