Lublache (2024)

Introduction:Lublache (from Irish: lúb-bealach, meaning “loop path”) is a loop game for two players: Black and White. It is played on the hexes (cells) of an initially empty hexagonal board. The recommended board size is 7 cells per side, but boards with 5 or 9 are also valid. Each player has a sufficient supply of identical stones, each with one color on the front and the other on the back. Definitions: A group is a maximal set of connected stones of any color. A single stone is also a group. A path is a subgroup of stones of any color within a group that traces a continuous line of minimal thickness (one stone wide) without branches. A group may contain multiple minimal paths. A loop is a closed path that surrounds empty cells or stones of any color. You control a loop if at least half of its stones are of your color. The length of a loop is the number of stones it contains. To flip is to replace enemy stones with friendly ones. A claimed loop is a loop made up of stones of a single color. Stones in claimed loops cannot be flipped. Turns:Black plays first, then turns alternate. On your turn, place a stone of your color on an empty cell that is not adjacent to friendly loops and does not form part of a loop controlled by your opponent. If this action results in you controlling a loop, flip the enemy stones it contains until all are your color. Then, remove all friendly stones adjacent to the new loop. If you cannot place a stone, you pass your turn; otherwise, passing is not allowed. End of the game:The game ends when both players pass in consecutive turns. The winner is the player with the longest claimed loop. In case of a tie, the next longest claimed loops of each player are compared until a difference is found. If still tied, the player who placed the last stone wins. To balance the game, before starting, the first player places a black stone on an empty point and the second player chooses a side. This balancing method is called the pie rule. —description from the designer