Overview

Brainstonz is a two-player abstract strategy game published by McWiz Games. Players take turns placing stones on a board, trying to be the first to complete a row, column, or diagonal of 4 stones. The board spaces have hidden symbols underneath the stones, and matching symbols triggers the removal of opponent’s stones, adding a tactical layer beyond simple placement.

Components

• 1 game board (grid with hidden symbols on each space)
• Stones in two colors (black and white)

Setup

1. Place the game board between both players.
2. Each player takes all stones of their color.
3. Black goes first.

Turn Structure

First Turn (Black only): Place exactly 1 stone anywhere on the board.

All Subsequent Turns: The current player places 2 stones on the board, one at a time, following the symbol-matching rules below.

Actions

Place a Stone:

• Place one of your stones on any empty space on the board.
• After placing a stone, check if the symbol on the board position just played matches a symbol under any of the current player’s other stones already on the board.
• If a matching pair of symbols is formed, the current player must immediately remove one of the opponent’s stones from the board.

Second Placement:

• After the first placement (and any resulting removal), place a second stone.
• If the second placement also completes a symbol pair, remove another opponent’s stone.

Restrictions:

• You may only remove opponent’s stones, never your own.
• Symbol matching is checked each time a stone is placed.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

The game ends when either:

• A player completes an entire row, column, or diagonal with 4 of their stones. That player wins immediately.
• It is impossible for the current player to make a legal move. The game ends in a tie.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• First Turn Exception: Black’s first turn consists of only 1 stone placement (not 2). This helps balance the first-player advantage.
• Mandatory Removal: If placing a stone creates a matching symbol pair, the player must remove an opponent’s stone — this is not optional.
• Symbol Visibility: Players can see the symbols on the board before placing stones, allowing strategic planning around which positions trigger removals.
• Tie Condition: A tie only occurs when no legal placement exists for the current player. Given the removal mechanic, this is uncommon.

Player Reference

Turn	Actions
Black’s 1st turn	Place 1 stone
All other turns	Place 2 stones (one at a time)

Win condition: 4 stones in a row, column, or diagonal Removal: Matching a symbol pair under your stones forces removal of 1 opponent stone Tie: Only if current player has no legal move