Tak

Sympkyn of the Moor

Number of players: 2
Type of game: Boardgame
Period: Period-esq (2016)

Tak is a two-player abstract strategy game inspired by the fictional game described in Patrick Rothfuss’s The Wise Man’s Fear (from the Kingkiller Chronicle series). It was later developed into a real-world playable game by James Ernest and Rothfuss, first published in 2016. Tak is elegant in design, with simple rules but deep strategy, and shares a lineage with classic games like Go and chess.

History of Tak

  • Fictional Origin: Tak was first introduced as a cultural game played in the world of Temerant in The Wise Man’s Fear (2011).

  • Real-world Version: In 2016, James Ernest (of Cheapass Games) and Patrick Rothfuss collaborated to bring the game to life through a successful Kickstarter campaign.

  • Design Philosophy: Intended to reflect the theme of “a beautiful game” that is simple to learn and difficult to master.

Traditional Equipment

  • Board: A square grid; most common sizes are 5×5 (standard) or 6×6, but it can range from 3×3 up to 8×8.

  • Pieces: Each player has a supply of flat stones, wall (standing) stones, and a special piece: the capstone. The number of stones is determined by the board size as follows

Board Size Flat Sones Cap Stones
3x3 10 0
4x4 15 0
5x5 21 1
6x6 30 1
8x8 50 2
  • Players: Two players.

Objective

Create a continuous path (called a road) of your flat stones connecting opposite sides of the board—either left to right or top to bottom—before your opponent.

Basic Rules

Setup

  • The board starts empty.

  • Players take turns placing a flat stone for the opponent as their first moves (swap openings).

  • Then, players alternate turns normally.

On Your Turn, You May Either:

  1. Place a Stone

    • Place a flat stone, standing stone (wall), or capstone onto an empty square.

  2. Move a Stack

    • Pick up one or more stones (up to the carry limit = board size).

    • Move them in a straight line, dropping at least one stone per square.

    • Only the top stone of a stack indicates control.

Stone Types

  • Flat Stone: Can form part of a road.

  • Standing Stone (Wall): Blocks roads and stacking, but does not form a road.

  • Capstone: Acts like a flat stone, can crush a wall, and is immune to being covered.

Win Conditions

  1. Road Victory: Complete a path of your flat stones (including capstone, not walls) connecting opposite board sides.

  2. Flat Victory: If the board is filled and no road is formed, the player with more flat stones on top of stacks wins.

  3. Cap Out: If a player runs out of pieces and cannot move, the opponent wins.

Optional and Variant Rules

1. Board Size

  • 5×5 is the standard, but smaller sizes like 4×4 are good for beginners, and larger boards allow deeper play.

2. Time Controls

  • Timed play is common in tournaments to limit analysis paralysis.

3. Swap Rule (Pie Rule)

  • After the first player places a stone, the second player can choose to swap roles—preventing unfair openings.

Summary Table

Rule Aspect Details
Players 2
Board Sizes 5×5 standard (3×3 to 8×8 allowed)
Pieces per Player Flat stones, 1 capstone, standing stones (walls)
Objective Create a continuous path of flat stones (a road)
Turns Place or move stones
Stacking Allowed; only top stone counts for control
Victory Road victory, flat victory, or cap out