Objective
Mū Tōrere is an ancient board game played by the Māori in New Zealand. The main objective of the game is to move your pieces so that the opponent cannot make any legal moves and is therefore blocked.
Game Components
- A star board (a board with a central point and eight surrounding points arranged in a circle around the central point).
- Each player has four pieces in one color.
Setup
- Place the star board between the players.
- Each player chooses a color (e.g., black or white).
- Each player places their four pieces on the four opposite points around the edge of the board.
Gameplay
- Decide on a starting player.
- Players take turns moving one of their pieces to an adjacent empty point.
- A player may also move to the central point, but only if moving from a point directly opposite one of their occupied points on the edge.
Rules
- Players can only move their pieces to adjacent empty points.
- Moving to the central point is only allowed if the opposite edge point is occupied.
Strategy and Tips
- Blocking: Attempt to block your opponent so that they have no legal moves, while maintaining your own flexibility.
- Positioning: Pay attention to the positioning of your pieces to allow for both offensive and defensive moves.
- Prediction: Anticipate your opponent's moves and plan several moves ahead.
End of the Game
The game ends when a player can no longer make any legal moves, at which point the other player wins.
