I recently posed a question with the Abstract Nation on
Facebook asking what were three games players preferred on an 8x8 checkerboard.
Not surprisingly there was a lot of commonality in answers
and IMHO a few gems missed.
So over the coming weeks I’ll offer a few short reviews of
what I see as the best games to be played on an 8x8 checkerboard with the added
constraint you have only two sets of 24 pieces – basically you buy two matching
common checker sets.
This is #12.
This one is interesting as it reminds me how long I have
been reviewing board games.
It was back in July 2015 I first reviewed Generatorb for
Yorkton This Week.
I liked Tim Schutz’s 2001 well-enough back then, and it
remains solidly interesting today.
Generatorb is a game of jumping and capturing where you
attempt to get one of your own pieces in your opponent's generator square –
basically across the board which is positioned as a diamond between the
players.
The orientation of the board, while not unique to
Generatorb, is not used too often, so it gives this abstract strategy game an
unusual visual playing field. It makes you visualize moves in a slightly askew
fashion from the norm.
Each player requires 24 stackable game pieces – so the max
for the 8x8 & 48 Project.
The playing pieces are called Orbs.
Orbs move by jumping in a straight line over another playing
piece to the empty space behind it. Orbs can go in any of the eight directions
when moving, but must jump over a piece to move. Orbs can do multiple jumps if
it is possible, similar to a checkers jump.
With four pieces starting on the board the remaining 20 are
held in reserve off the board.
After an Orb moves out of the Orb-Generator and vacates a
space, a new playing piece is placed in the empty space. This is done at the
end of a player's turn. It's not considered a turn to create a new Orb. Only
one new Orb can be created per turn. Players may leave a space in the
Orb-Generator empty until another turn if they so desire.
Capturing opponent pieces is an element of Generatorb. Orbs
capture by jumping over a playing piece onto your opponents playing piece. Orbs
can only capture Orbs not Spheroids.
So what is a Spheroid you ask?
Spheroids are two Orbs stacked on top of each other to
create one playing piece. They are created by jumping an Orb over another
playing piece onto one of your own Orbs.
Spheroids are more versatile pieces as they can move two
ways, either like an Orb or one space in any direction. Similar to a Chinese
Checker.
Spheroids capture by landing on your opponent's piece.
Spheroids can capture Orbs and Spheroids.
To split a Spheroid move the top piece like a Spheroid and
leave the bottom piece behind. You can split a Spheroid as a move or as a
capture. Yes, a splitting Spheroid can capture another Spheroid.
That was basically the game when created.
However, good games evolve, and Generatorb did just that,
becoming much more in the process of that evolution.
A few years after creating the game Schutz revisited his
creation and added a third piece; the Globe.
Globes are a stack of three same coloured game pieces and
are created by stacking an Orb on a Spheroid, a Spheroid on an Orb or by
splitting a Spheroid and stacking half of it onto another Spheroid.
Place a stack of three pieces two spaces in front of your
Orb-Generator … each player starts with a Globe.
Globes have several rules attached to them which add depth
to the game.
Only your own orbs and spheroids may use your globe to jump
over as a move.
Globes move along the board like a queen in chess, giving
them significant freedom in terms of traversing the board.
Globes cannot jump over other game pieces.
Globes cannot be placed on an Orb-generator core, but may be
placed onto any other Orb-generator space.
Globes cannot be captured or capture other game pieces.
Globes cannot be placed or created orthogonally next to
another globe regardless of what colour the other globe is.
Once created, Globes cannot be split into its component
parts.
The abilities and limitations of Globe pieces add much to
the game.
In addition, a new win condition was added as well.
You win by taking control of five of the Front Line spaces.
This is the line of eight spaces across the middle of the diamond.
With the revised rules Generatorb goes from the rather
mundane, to a game that edges its way into comparisons with some of the best
alternative games for your checkerboard, in the conversation with great games
such as Lines of Action and Dameo.
This is certainly more game than I think most might imagine
and deserves some play exploration.