Xoliba

Xoliba is a fast-paced, surprising and totally new abstract strategy game. It has no standard starting position. Instead, before each game a new starting position is created by placing game pieces on the board at random. As there are billions of possible starting positions, each game is different from the next. Because the starting position is randomized, it seldom offers equal opportunities for both players and you may well need luck to win. Sometimes you can find yourself much worse off from the very beginning; in such positions all what you can do is to minimize your loss. Do not get discouraged: Xoliba is played in matches and the next game might well be yours.

The objective of the game is to create triangles. The game is won by the player who has the biggest triangle on the board when the game ends. Moves are made by changing places of the player's own piece and a neutral white piece in such a manner that a new triangle is formed. If such a triangle contains player's own or opponent's pieces, they are captured. The game ends when no new triangles can be formed. The winner scores points from enemy pieces that have been captured. The match is won by the player who is the first to reach or exceed 50 points. Of course, it is not obligatory to play up to 50 points. If the players so wish, they can also play shorter or longer matches, for example, up to 35 points.

Equipment

7x7 octagonal board with 45 intersections (corners cut off), points, where horizontal, oblique, and vertical lines cross each other. Game pieces are 57 discs. Each disc has a white side but the colour of the opposite side varies: in 17 discs it is red, in 17 discs it is blue, in 12 it is green and in 11 it is white.