Although the GIPF project as initially going to consist of 6 games, LYNGK is the seventh title in the series and acts as a synthesis of the project.

While GIPF itself is the epicenter of the project, LYNGK is the umbrella game. It brings together all 6 games through the implementation of elements and mechanics that characterize each game of the series.

Components

• 1 game board
• 3 white mottled pieces (ref. GIPF)
• 9 ivory pieces (ref. TZAAR)
• 9 blue pieces (ref. ZERTZ)
• 9 red pieces (ref. DVONN)
• 9 green pieces (ref. PUNCT)
• 9 black pieces (ref. YINSH)
• 1 bag
• Rulebook

Object of the Game

LYNGK is played with pieces in 6 different colors, each representing a game of the GIPF project.

Actually, there are only 5 active colors, for the 6th color (white mottled, here called "white") is not a color in itself; it can be used as any of the 5 other colors.

In the beginning, the pieces of all 5 other colors are neutral, as such they belong to both players. In the course of the game, each player must claim 2 colors-implying that, from that point on, the opponent may no longer play with these colors.

The goal is to build stacks consisting of 5 pieces of the 5 different colors. Victory belongs to the player with the most stacks of 5 pieces at the end of the game.

Setup

Place 8 pieces of each color and the 3 white pieces randomly on the board, so that each spot (i.e. where the lines intersect) is occupied.

Line up the remaining pieces (1 ivory, 1 blue, 1 red, 1 black and 1 green) next to the board. Draw lots to determine the starting player.

Random start position with 5 pieces next to the board, representing the 5 neutral colors at the beginning of a game.

A random position can never be advantageous for one of the players since neither of them knows yet which colors they will claim.

Joker pieces, neutral pieces and claimed pieces

1. The 3 white pieces must be considered as jokers, i.e. they have the potential to represent any of the 5 active colors. These joker pieces are passive. They cannot be used to play with; they may only be moved as part of a stack.

2. At the start of the game, all the pieces on the board are neutral. They belong to neither of the players, meaning that, apart from the passive jokers, both players may use them to make a move.

3. In the course of the game, each player may claim 2 colors. As soon as a color is claimed by a player, the pieces of that color are no longer neutral. From that point forward, only the player who claimed that color may play with these pieces.

   Note: the 5 pieces next to the board only serve to claim colors. They may not be brought into the game.

4. Players may claim a color at any stage of the game but only when it is their turn and before making their move. To claim a color, the player must take the piece of the desired color next to the board and put it in front of them, on their side of the board.

   
   

   Player A claims red. He makes the claim before making his move, for as soon as he moves a piece or stack on the board, it is the opponent's turn.

   The opponent may then claim a color if she wishes to do so (before making her actual move).

   
   

5. A player may claim only one color at a time. Thus, it is not allowed to claim 2 colors during a single turn.

6. When both players have claimed their 2 colors, the last (5th) color remains neutral. Both players may go on playing with pieces of that neutral color for the remainder of the game.

A Move

1. Players take turns. Each turn, a player must move one piece or one stack of pieces. To make a move they may choose any piece or stack of a neutral color or of one of their claimed colors.

2. When moving a stack, it must always be moved as a whole. The piece on top of a stack determines whether the stack is neutral or belongs to one of the players.

3. A move, be it with a neutral or a claimed color, must always end in an occupied space, thus on top of another piece or stack.

   A move can end on top of an adjacent piece or stack and on top of a piece or stack that can be reached in a straight line, crossing only empty intersections. It is not allowed to jump over pieces or stacks.

4. There is an extra option for making a move, but this is explained below in a separate section, under F. The LYNGK-rule.

5. A stack can consist at most of 5 pieces. The key rule is that a stack can only be built with pieces of different colors: 2 (or more) pieces of the same color can never be part of the same stack.

   However, 2 or even all 3 white pieces may be part of the same stack. As mentioned above, a white piece is a joker and not a color in itself. It counts as a piece of any color that is not in the stack.

   
   

   Player A makes a stack of 4 pieces, consisting of 1 red piece, 1 ivory piece and 2 joker pieces.

   He may use the joker pieces as any combination of 2 colors that are not in the stack: green/blue, blue/black or black/green.

   
   

6. A single neutral piece (i.e. of a color that has not been claimed yet) can only move onto another single piece of any other color.

   In other words, it can jump onto a joker piece, onto a piece of another neutral color or onto a piece of a color that has been claimed by either player. A single neutral piece cannot jump onto a stack.

   

   The red pieces and stacks belong to player A. The other 4 colors are still neutral.

   When it is player B's turn, she can move any neutral piece or any stack with a neutral piece on top of it.

   As an example, the arrows indicate the moves she can make with the blue piece.

   The piece cannot be moved onto the black stack for two reasons: (1) the stack already contains a blue piece and (2) the stack is higher than the neutral piece.

7. A stack with a neutral piece on top of it may jump onto any single piece or onto a stack of at most the same height. It cannot jump onto a higher stack.

   For instance, a stack of 2 pieces with a neutral piece on top of it can jump onto a single piece or another stack of 2 pieces, but not onto a stack of 3 pieces.

8. A single piece of a claimed color or a stack with a claimed color on top of it may be moved onto any other piece or stack. (That is, as long as the resulting stack is no higher than 5 pieces and all the pieces are of different colors).

9. When a player completes a stack of 5 pieces and the top piece is in a color they have claimed, they must remove the stack and put it on their side of the board, at all times visible for their opponent. A removed stack is worth one point at the end of the game.

10. 10/ When a player completes a stack of 5 pieces with a neutral color on top, then the stack remains on the board as an obstacle. This stack does not count as a point for any of the players.

11. It is not allowed to pass, unless a player has no more possible moves.

12. If a player cannot make a move anymore, the other player must continue to play until that player, too, has no possible move. In the event that a player who has passed gets the opportunity to make a move again, the player must do so.

The Lyngk

In the text that follows, single pieces and stacks are simply called "pieces", since the LYNGK-rule is the same for both.

1. The LYNGK-rule may only be applied when playing with a claimed color.

2. The rule states that pieces of one and the same claimed color are connected, but only under the condition that they can be moved towards each other with a regular move.

   A player can use pieces of that claimed color to make a double move, or even a triple or quadruple move, by using them as links towards other pieces on the board. As such, pieces of each claimed color can be seen as a network of multiple moves-to which the opponent has no access.

3. Apply the rule as follows: you may move a piece of a claimed color towards another piece of that color, but it may not be put on top of it; instead you use the reached piece as a LYNGK-point, meaning that you must make a second move from there.

   Thus, from the reached piece you must continue your move towards an adjacent piece or towards a piece that can be reached in a straight line. The piece you make your move with must be placed on top of this piece if the color(s) allow it.

   However, if this second piece is yet again of the same claimed color, you must make a third move from that point, and so on, until the moved piece reaches a piece on which it can land.

   
   

   Player A is one stack of 5 pieces ahead, but player B has a possibility to make the game even again.

   First she claims the black color (1), next she makes a triple move (2) and completes a stack of 5 pieces.

   To make such a multiple move, all the LYNGK-points must be of the same claimed color. (Note that both players have claimed only one color so far).

   
   

4. It is not allowed to use a joker piece as a LYNGK-point.

5. It is not allowed to use a LYNGK-point more than once within a single turn.

End of the Game

The game ends when the last possible move has been made. The winner is the player with the most stacks of 5 differently colored pieces.

In case of a tie, the winner is the player with the most stacks of 4 pieces on the board. If that still does not determine who wins, then count the stacks of 3 pieces, and so on.

Eventually, if even the number of single pieces is equal, the game ends in a tie.

Continue Reading