Avalam
Avalam Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 1 wooden game board (see the board diagram at the end)
- 48 wooden pieces (24 of each color)
Setup
Place the 48 pieces on the holes of the board, alternating red and black. The central hole stays empty.
Basic Rule
Each player chooses a color.
The goal of the game is to build as many towers of 1 to 5 pieces as possible — never more — topped by a piece of your own color.
A player owns a tower when a piece of their color occupies its top. An isolated piece also counts as a tower.
Moves
Each player makes one move per turn, in any direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal), using any piece (or stack of pieces), regardless of its color.
This move consists of stacking the moved piece or pieces onto a directly adjacent hole that is already occupied by one or more pieces.
Forbidden Move (1)
A player must move the entire stack sitting on a hole (it may of course consist of a single piece). In other words, a stack of pieces can only grow, never shrink.
Forbidden Move (2)
Pieces may never be placed onto an unoccupied hole: it therefore remains empty for good. A piece (or tower) that becomes isolated on all sides can no longer change owner.
End of Game
As long as a player is able to make a move, they must play; the game only ends when no more moves are possible.
The pieces occupying the top of each remaining tower are then counted by color, and the winner is whoever has the most.
Note: whether a tower holds 1, 2, ... or 5 pieces, it is always worth ONE point.
Variant
Each player chooses a color. The board starts empty, and players alternate placing a single piece (of either color) onto the board, trying to work out a strategy as they go. The 49th hole may end up anywhere on the board.