Mijnlieff
Sympkyn of the Moor
Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: Period-esq (2010)
History
Mijnlieff is a period-esq game designed by Andy Hopwood in 2010.
The standard game is played on a 4 x 4 square grid. Each Player has eight pieces with two of four different symbols. Each piece when played determines where your opponent can play their next piece.
In Mijnlieff each piece you play instructs your opponent to play in a straight line (either orthogonally or diagonally) from the piece just played, to play away from, or to play adjacent to the piece just played. The aim is to form lines of 3 but with your opponent controlling where you can play this is harder than it sounds. If you can play so your opponent is unable to go you get a free play anywhere on the board.
Each player has 8 pieces, 2 of each of the following
Straights – Makes your opponent play into any one of the empty squares that line in a straight line from where you play it
Diagonals – Makes your opponent play into any one of the empty squares that lie in a diagonal line from where you play it
Pushers – Makes your opponent play into any one of the empty squares that do not touch the square you played this into
Pullers – Makes your opponent play into any one of the empty squares that touches the square you played this into
The board is made up of 4 2×2 square boards. These are normally arranged into a square, but for more advanced play you can make different board layouts.
Rules
The light player starts by placing any piece into any outside space.
The dark player then considers the piece played by light and establishes which squares are available for play, and then plays a piece into one of them.
Play continues in turn with each play determined by your opponents’ previous play. pieces do not exert any permanent restrictions on play.
If you are unable to play because there are no legal spaces available you must pass.
If any player passes you have a free play into any empty space on the board.
As soon as one player places their last piece their opponent gets one last chance to play, which they forsake if they have to pass, and the game ends.
Scores are totalled, with each straight or diagonal continuous line of three pieces scoring one point. Longer lines score one extra point for each extra piece, so a line of four scores two points