Generatorb more game than expected

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.