CIFRA

CIFRA is an abstract strategy game designed by Mitsuo Yamamoto. It is played on a 5×5 grid (with a 9×9 variant) using numbered pieces.

• Board: A 5×5 grid. The cells are colored Light or Dark in a randomized pattern at the start of the game. The central square is neutral, neither Light nor Dark.
• Pieces: Each player has a set of pieces. One player is Light, the other Dark.

1. The board cells are randomly assigned Light or Dark shades (12 of one, 12 of the other, with the center cell being neutral/uncolored).
2. The first player on their first move decides what color they will play and on which of the 4 sides they want to start. The second player starts on the opposite side. The second player then makes the first move and from then on players alternate moves.

The game is played in turns. On your turn, you must move one of your pieces.

Pieces move in straight lines (orthogonal or diagonal). The distance a piece can move is determined by the shading of the cells it traverses relative to the player's chosen shade.

• You can slide freely over any number of your own colored cells.
• You can slide over at most one cell of your opponent's color.
• You can make at most one step onto a cell of a different color.
• Once you reach the opposite side of the board your piece becomes locked and can't move any more. It can't be captured either.

Examples:

In this example, the piece at d1 is on its own color and can move to d2 for “free”, once it gets to d3, it has crossed colors and is now on the opposite color and must stop.

In this example, the piece at c3 is on the neutral square, as soon as it has made a step in any direction it has already used up its one color change move.

Capture is by replacement (landing on an opponent's piece). You can capture an opponent piece you can reach by the usual movement rules (as long as it isn't locked). You can not move over either your own or your opponent's pieces.

The game ends when a player has no mobile pieces left (all captured or locked).

• Locked Pieces: Pieces that reach the opponent's “Home Cells” become locked and cannot move.
• Scoring: The winner is the player with the most points. Points are awarded for locked pieces.
• Tiebreaker: If points are equal, the player with the most pieces remaining on the board wins.

• Played on a 9×9 board with pieces numbered 1 to 9.
• Setup involves 38 Light and 38 Dark cells.

• One piece is designated as the King (the piece with the highest number, e.g., 5 on a 5×5 board).
• On move 2 and 3 players decide where their King will start. From move 4 play proceeds as usual.
• Winning Condition: You win if you capture the opponent's King OR if your King reaches the opponent's Home Cells.

• Pieces have point values equal to their number (e.g., piece “3” is worth 3 points).
• On move 2 and 3 players place their pieces (in any order) on their home sides. From move 4 play proceeds as usual.
• Scoring: Instead of 1 point per locked piece, you score points equal to the sum of the values of your locked pieces.
• Tiebreakers:
  • Sum of values of locked pieces (Primary score).
  • Number of locked pieces.
  • Number of pieces remaining on the board.