Four Field Kono

A.k.a. Gok, 2 armies leapfrog for total domination.

SET UP

• 1 x 4x4 modular square grid board

• 2 sets of 8 uniformed colored stones

• The game starts preset with 8 stones occupying each of the player’s sides.

• Random draw determines which player has the first turn.

• Game play moves clockwise.

Number of Players

• 2

Objective

• To annihilate the opposition to only 1 stone. (A single stone is no longer a threat.)

Rules

• On your turn, you can either jump over one of your own adjacent stones to crush an enemy piece, OR move one space to any open adjacent space.

• Play continues with alternating turns until one Player has been reduced to one stone, and is defeated.

Player Variations

• Try playing with orthogonal movement options, meaning a pawn could move one space in any 8 directions.

• OR try playing with orthogonal movement or leapfrog attacking too. Did we just invent a new game?

History

• This game was played in Korea under the name Four Field Kono. At around the same time, the same game was known to be played in Danish medieval taverns under the name Gok. Where it originated is a mystery.

• This game was an early influencer to Chess and Draughts, and was played in medieval taverns in its day.

Game Theory / Game Dynamics

• This game is in my Tic -Tac-Tornado pack, and proudly resides on The Abstract Avalanche, The Sticks and Stones Series game shelves.

• I’d recommend to play Three Men’s Morris first to grasp displacement strategies, and then..

• Control the middle.

  I hope you enjoy playing games,
  as much as I have making them.