Setup

The playing pieces are discs. One side of a disc is black and the other side is white.

Each player takes 36 discs and chooses the color of one side of the discs to use throughout the game.

The board consists of twelve circles which intersect at a point in the center of the board.

Each player places 6 discs of their color on the board as shown in Figure 1. The game always begins with this setup.

The place in the center of the board is ignored. The board spaces which are connected to the center space by the lines of the circles which make up the board are considered to be adjacent to each other if they are both on the same circle. This can be seen in Figure 2 where the white piece is considered to be adjacent to the two black pieces.

Moving and Capturing

A move consists of surrounding your opponent's disc(s) and flipping the captured disc to your color.

To surround a disc you must place a disc on the board so that your opponent's disc(s) is bordered at each end by a disc of your color along a line of a circle. (See Figure 3)

However it is not necessary to capture your opponent by using two game pieces. It is also possible to do this using only one game piece (as a white piece borders several black pieces in Figure 4). This unique move is referred to as a full moon or an eclipse.

The result of this move is seen in figure 5.

Object of the Game

The object of the game of Moons is to be the player with the majority of discs (which show the player's color on the top side) on the board.

Rules

1. Black always moves first.

2. If on your turn you cannot capture at least one opposing disc, your turn is forfeited and your opponent moves again. However, if a move is available to you, you may not forfeit your turn.

3. A disc may capture any number of discs along one or more lines of the circles which make up the board at the same time.

4. You may not skip over your own color disc to capture one of your opponent's discs.

5. Disc(s) may only be captured as a direct result of a move and must fall in the direct line of the disc placed down.

6. All discs that are captured in any one move must be flipped, even if it's not to the player's advantage.

7. A player who flips a disc which should not have been turned may correct the mistake as long as the opponent has not made a subsequent move. If the opponent has already moved, the disc(s) remain as is.

8. Once a disc is placed on the board, it can never be moved to another place later in the game.

9. If a player runs out of discs, but still has an opportunity to to capture an opposing disc on his or her turn, the opponent must give the player a disc to use. (This will happen as long as the player needs and can use a disc.)

10. When it is no longer possible for either player to move, the game is over. The discs are counted and the player with the majority of discs (which show the player's color on the up side) on the board is the winner.

If you would like to play a demo of Moons please click on the following:

MOONDEMO.ZIP (76K)

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