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Hey, everyone. Little something different today. First off, I blame Steam's Summer Sale. Second, I have a special place in my heart (or my aching head) for positional strategy games like Chess, Checkers, Chinese Checkers, Tablut (King's Table), Othello, etc.

So what do we have here today? Abalone! Its appearance at a glance reminded me very much of the Chinese game Go. For a long time I've wanted to play Go and Shogi, so I guess Abalone makes a good kiddie step toward those.

What you are seeing in the video is the quick-motion recap of the entire match. In this match I am playing as Black against the AI set on Easy controlling White. This was my 3rd-ever game and the first played on the "Official" layout. The game comes with multiple symmetrical layouts and also an Editor so you can create your own layouts. My first two games were in Editor mode so I could learn how the heck to play.

So how do you play? The goal is to knock 6 of your opponent's pieces off the board. (In Editor mode you can set the quantity lower. This yields greater risk / greater challenge.) You can move your own pieces individually or together in straight lines. (There are some scenarios, which I don't understand yet, in which the game allows you to move multiple pieces in parallel - this is optional.) You can only move up to 3 of your own pieces per turn. You have to use your pieces to move your opponent's pieces and, in order to be able to do this, there are two requirements: One, the number of your own pieces you control must be greater than the number of your opponent's pieces you manipulate. If quantities are equivalent, neither player can move the other. Two, the spaces you are moving your opponent's pieces into must be empty/clear of obstruction. Even your own pieces count as obstructions.
Mind, every piece on the board can only move one space per turn, so it's not like the Rook or Bishop in Chess who can just sail across the board through open spaces. This keeps the game very paced and back-and-forth-like.

The game lets you choose which color you command. You can have both sides be player controlled, meaning a friend sitting there with you can play too. There is also an online feature so you can play against total strangers.

I hope I've enticed some of you to try it!