Anda (2023)

Introduction:Anda (from Proto-Germanic: anþÄ…, which means "breath") is a drawless annihilation game for two players: Black and White. It is played on the hexes (cells) of an initially empty hexagonal board. The recommended size is 9 cells per side, but boards of 7 or 11 are also valid. Each player has access to a sufficient supply of stones of their own color. Definitions: A group is a maximal set of connected stones of the same color. A single stone is also a group. A breath of a group is an empty cell adjacent to the group along with all other empty cells with a clear path to that cell. A breath of a group is a territory if it is adjacent to stones of the group's color only. A group is smothered if it has no breaths or each of its breaths is adjacent to exactly one enemy group. Turns:Black plays first, then turns alternate. On your turn, perform the following actions in order: Place a stone of your color on an empty cell that is not part of an enemy territory. If it is your first turn, place two stones of your color on empty cells on non-adjacent edges or corners. Remove from the board all smothered enemy groups, then remove all smothered friendly groups. If the only stone you remove is the one you just placed, your placement is illegal. End of the game:You win if the last enemy group is eliminated from the board. To balance the game, before starting, the first player chooses an integer as the komi value, and then the second player chooses a side. During the game, White may choose to spend one komi point instead of placing a stone. This balancing method is called the komi pie rule. Notes:Special thanks to Luis Bolaños Mures for a material contribution to the game's rules. —description from the designer