burnTrailAbstract strategy game for two
Every step burns the point behind it – whoever can’t move loses.
burnTrail is an abstract strategy game – a two-player game online, in your browser, against the computer or other players. The rules leave nothing to chance except who moves first, which is decided by lot. A game ends after at most 27 half-moves – by then, no point is left open.
Example: It’s your turn. Only f5 and the corner g5 are still open. Your piece on f4 is next to both, your opponent’s on e4 only to f5; all other pieces are stuck. Which move wins? Solution: f4 to f5: now f5 is taken and f4 is blocked, so your opponent can’t step anywhere and loses. If you go into the corner g5, they move to f5 and you’re stuck.
Levels: The time per move shrinks with the level: 60 seconds on level 1, then 50, 40, 30, 25, 20, and 15 on level 7. The computer looks up to as many half-moves ahead as the level number – one on level 1, seven on level 7.
burnTrail trains thinking ahead: counting open points and taking away your opponent’s room before they take yours.
How to play
Both play the flame: your pieces in the game’s color, your opponent’s dark. Nothing to pick.
vsNothing is placed: both start with four pieces each on the board. 27 of the 35 points are free.
Players take turns moving one step: one of your pieces moves to a free neighboring point – in any of eight directions, diagonals included.
And the point it leaves is blocked – for both sides, until the end. With every move the board gets exactly one point smaller.
If it’s your turn and you can’t step anymore, you lose. There are no draws and no move limit – sooner or later someone gets stuck.
One round is the whole match. If your time runs out or someone resigns, that decides the match too.
one round
Level 1 gives 60 s per move, level 4 still 30 s – level 7 only 15 s.