Traverse
Traverse Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Players
Traverse is a challenging game for 2, 3, or 4 players.
Equipment
Traverse is played on a square game board with a 12.5" x 12.5" grid. Each player chooses one colour of playing pieces: pink, yellow, orange or green. Each player has eight pieces of the same colour: two squares, two diamonds, two triangles, and two circles.
Object of the Game
The winner of Traverse is the first player to move all of his or her pieces from the starting row on one side of the board to the destination row on the opposite side.
Beginning the Game
Players set up their pieces along one side of the board, not including the corners of the board. Diamonds and triangles must point forward. Players arrange their pieces in any order within their starting row. (An example diagram for four players is shown in the original.)
Moving the Pieces
The playing pieces move in different directions depending on the shape of the piece. Squares can move only horizontally and vertically. Diamonds can move only diagonally. Triangles can move forward on the diagonals or straight backward. Circles can move in any direction. The movements of the four pieces are shown in the diagrams on the gameboard. Players take turns, moving only one piece each turn. Two pieces cannot occupy the same space. Skipping a turn is not allowed unless a player's piece becomes trapped and no other pieces can be moved. If this happens, the player passes his or her turn until a legal move can be made.
Single Space Moves
In single space moves, pieces can be moved one space only, and only to an empty adjacent space. Remember that each piece can move only in its legal directions.
Single Jumps
Players may jump over their own or another player's pieces to move across the board more quickly. However, when players jump a piece, they don't capture it or send it back. Single jumps can be made only in a straight line, over a piece, to an empty space directly on the other side. As with single space moves, a piece can jump only in its permitted directions. A player cannot move one space and then jump on the same turn.
Legal and Illegal Jumps
(Diagrams only in the original.)
Series of Jumps
Players can string together a series of jumps if each individual jump in the series conforms to the rules governing single jumps. The second jump in a sequence of jumps must begin where the first one ended. No single space moves can be inserted at any time during a series of jumps. (An example diagram is shown in the original.)
Corners and Sides of the Board
Normally a piece cannot end a move or a jump within its starting row. The only exception is when that piece has not yet left the starting row (has not entered the area in the middle of the board). However, a piece can be temporarily moved onto any of the four sides, including its starting row, or into the corners as long as it is moved out again on the same turn. A piece can move into and out of its destination row or jump along its destination row.
Ending the Game
The first player to move all of his or her pieces into the destination row (not including corner spaces) is the winner. Players cannot force a 'draw'. If one player can infinitely prevent the opponent's last piece from moving into the destination row by a repetitive blocking action, the game is declared over. The player who was blocked out is declared the winner.
Advanced Traverse
For a more challenging game, add the following:
Long Jumps
Players can make long distance jumps by jumping over a piece that is not next to their piece. The jump must by symmetrically spaced around the piece that is being jumped. For example, if there is one empty space between your piece and the piece you are jumping, then your jump must end with one empty space between the jumped piece and the space in which your piece lands on the other side. Likewise, there can be two empty spaces in a straight line on both sides of the piece that is being jumped, or three. All intervening spaces along the straight line from which the jump begins to the space in which the jump ends must be empty, with the exception of the piece that is being jumped. Otherwise, all rules governing single and series jumps apply to long jumps. (Examples are shown in diagrams in the original.)
The Circles
Circles are special pieces. If you jump another player's circle, you send it back to its starting row. As soon as you jump another player's circle, remove it from the board in the middle of your turn. After you finish your turn, you place the circle anywhere you choose on its starting row. If there are no free spaces on the starting row, you place the jumped circle on any legal place you choose on the board. Circles cannot be relocated before they have left their starting row or after they have reached their destination row.
Destination Row
A piece can jump into and out of its destination row or jump along the destination row, but once it comes to rest in the destination row, it cannot be moved again. This rule forces players to plan ahead to bring their pieces into an appropriate finish position. For and even more challenging game, allow the jumped circles in the destination row to be sent back to their starting row.