Global Connection (2009)

Global Connection is a drawless connection game for two players: Black and White. It is played on the cells of an initially empty hexhex board with eight or ten cells per side. Before the game starts, the perimeter cells of the board, except the six corners, are filled with black and white stones alternating in color. Each corner cell must be adjacent to one stone of each color. Black plays first, then turns alternate. On your turn, place a stone of your color on an empty cell. When the board is full, the player with the lower score wins. Your score is the number of groups of connected stones of your color including at least one perimeter stone. To make the game fair, White will have the option, on their first turn only, to swap sides with Black instead of making a regular move.