Game review
Reviewed by Kerry Handscomb
At first glance Stymie looks like another checkers variant, with a small 7x7 board. Pieces are dropped on the board in a turn, or moved once they are on the board; the pieces jump like checkers, and one of the objectives is to capture 7 opposing pieces by jumping over them. Designer, Marc White, has augmented this basic system in several important ways that make of Stymie an interesting and unusual game—still a checkers-type game, but with a selection of strategies and tactics.
As mentioned, the Stymie board is 7x7, but the perimeter spaces and the centre space are marked differently. The remaining 24 spaces are the "prime spaces." Each player has 13 pieces of their colour, gold or silver; the final piece is the "antipode". You win by getting 7 pieces in prime spaces; you lose with no pieces in prime spaces. As mentioned, you can also win by capturing 7 opposing pieces.
The board starts empty except for the antipode in the centre, which starts silver side up. The players take turns to place stones, with the proviso that a stone may not be placed orthogonally or diagonally adjacent to any other stone, friend or enemy. When no more pieces can be placed in this way, the movement options change to move, jump, or drop. Pieces are moved one space orthogonally, or a piece can jump in checkers-fashion orthogonally over friendly and opposing pieces, capturing any opposing pieces jumped. Manoeuvres on the board may open up spaces where new pieces can be dropped on the board, where they are not adjacent to any other piece.
The antipode can be moved by the player whose colour is uppermost. The antipode can move any number of spaces orthogonally, instead of just one, but the antipode can neither be captured nor jump. The antipode is flipped upside down when it is jumped, to the opposite colour.
The author has published several Stymie articles on the game's website, but there is very clearly much more to the game. The author himself lists four formations in Stymie: Line, Diagonal, Triangle, and Square—but only Line and Diagonal articles are posted so far. How to use the antipode effectively is an interesting topic.
At root, I think this game is about control of territory, building strong structures, so that when the board is crowded, and the enemy is forced to approach, you are both protected and can strike back rapidly. Capture is not forced, so many of the sharp tactical manoeuvres of checkers are lacking. With forced captures, however, perhaps the game would be too unstable. Nevertheless, Stymie does not pretend to be a checkers variant and does not need the mandatory capturing of checkers.
Stymie has three different objectives, capturing 7 pieces, getting 7 pieces on prime spaces, or forcing your opponent completely off the prime spaces. The three objectives are compatible and mutually reinforcing. Capturing opposing pieces naturally tends to thin them out on prime spaces; building strong formations and capturing pieces naturally tends to increase the number of your pieces on prime spaces. Perhaps a good strategy is to go all out to capture opposing pieces, making sure not to get wiped out in the prime spaces or beaten in the capturing race.
The dynamic relationship between the different ways to win is interesting, and herein lies the sophistication of Stymie. I'm only a beginner in this game, but it engages my interest. The author uses familiar mechanisms, but puts them together in a way to create something genuinely new. ◾️
Stymie is playable on boardspace.net.
As mentioned, the Stymie board is 7x7, but the perimeter spaces and the centre space are marked differently. The remaining 24 spaces are the "prime spaces." Each player has 13 pieces of their colour, gold or silver; the final piece is the "antipode". You win by getting 7 pieces in prime spaces; you lose with no pieces in prime spaces. As mentioned, you can also win by capturing 7 opposing pieces.
The board starts empty except for the antipode in the centre, which starts silver side up. The players take turns to place stones, with the proviso that a stone may not be placed orthogonally or diagonally adjacent to any other stone, friend or enemy. When no more pieces can be placed in this way, the movement options change to move, jump, or drop. Pieces are moved one space orthogonally, or a piece can jump in checkers-fashion orthogonally over friendly and opposing pieces, capturing any opposing pieces jumped. Manoeuvres on the board may open up spaces where new pieces can be dropped on the board, where they are not adjacent to any other piece.
The antipode can be moved by the player whose colour is uppermost. The antipode can move any number of spaces orthogonally, instead of just one, but the antipode can neither be captured nor jump. The antipode is flipped upside down when it is jumped, to the opposite colour.
The author has published several Stymie articles on the game's website, but there is very clearly much more to the game. The author himself lists four formations in Stymie: Line, Diagonal, Triangle, and Square—but only Line and Diagonal articles are posted so far. How to use the antipode effectively is an interesting topic.
At root, I think this game is about control of territory, building strong structures, so that when the board is crowded, and the enemy is forced to approach, you are both protected and can strike back rapidly. Capture is not forced, so many of the sharp tactical manoeuvres of checkers are lacking. With forced captures, however, perhaps the game would be too unstable. Nevertheless, Stymie does not pretend to be a checkers variant and does not need the mandatory capturing of checkers.
Stymie has three different objectives, capturing 7 pieces, getting 7 pieces on prime spaces, or forcing your opponent completely off the prime spaces. The three objectives are compatible and mutually reinforcing. Capturing opposing pieces naturally tends to thin them out on prime spaces; building strong formations and capturing pieces naturally tends to increase the number of your pieces on prime spaces. Perhaps a good strategy is to go all out to capture opposing pieces, making sure not to get wiped out in the prime spaces or beaten in the capturing race.
The dynamic relationship between the different ways to win is interesting, and herein lies the sophistication of Stymie. I'm only a beginner in this game, but it engages my interest. The author uses familiar mechanisms, but puts them together in a way to create something genuinely new. ◾️
Stymie is playable on boardspace.net.