Overview
Katarenga is a two-player abstract strategy game where pieces move according to chess-like rules determined by the color of the square they leave. The board is assembled from four randomized quarter-boards, creating thousands of possible configurations. Each player controls eight pawns and tries to either get two pawns into the opponent’s “camps” or capture enough enemy pieces to win.
Components
- 4 double-sided asymmetrical quarter-boards (form an 8x8 grid with colored squares)
- 8 black pawns
- 8 white pawns
- 2 decorated corner squares per side (enemy camps)
Setup
- Randomly arrange the four quarter-boards to form the full board. Each can be placed in any orientation.
- Each player places their 8 pawns along their chosen baseline (the row closest to them).
- Black selects which baseline to use and makes the first move.
Turn Structure
Players alternate turns. On your turn, move one of your pawns according to the movement rule dictated by the color of the square it currently occupies.
Actions
Movement
The key mechanic: a pawn’s movement is determined by the color of the square it is leaving:
- Red square: Move like a rook (any number of squares horizontally or vertically), but cannot move beyond the next red square in that direction.
- Yellow square: Move like a bishop (any number of squares diagonally), but cannot move beyond the next yellow square in that direction.
- Green square: Move like a knight (L-shaped: 2 squares in one direction and 1 square perpendicular, jumping over pieces).
- Blue square: Move like a king (one square in any direction).
Capture
- Pawns capture by landing on an opponent’s pawn, removing it from the board.
- On the first move of the game, capturing from the opponent’s home rank is prohibited.
Reaching the Enemy Baseline
- A pawn that reaches the opponent’s baseline must then be moved into one of the two decorated corner squares (“enemy camps”) to count toward the win condition.
- Pawns on the opponent’s baseline remain vulnerable to capture until moved into a camp.
Scoring / Victory Conditions
A player wins by achieving either:
- Camp Victory: Getting two pawns into the opponent’s two corner camp squares, OR
- Capture Victory: Capturing seven or all eight of the opponent’s pawns.
Special Rules & Edge Cases
- The board is different every game due to the randomized quarter-board arrangement.
- Movement range limitations (red and yellow) mean a pawn on a red square cannot pass through another red square in the same line, creating natural barriers.
- Green (knight) moves can jump over other pieces, just as in chess.
- For fair match play, rotate the board 180 degrees for subsequent games with alternating first players.
Player Reference
| Square Color |
Movement Type |
Range Limit |
| Red |
Rook (straight lines) |
Cannot pass next red square |
| Yellow |
Bishop (diagonals) |
Cannot pass next yellow square |
| Green |
Knight (L-shape) |
Standard knight jump |
| Blue |
King (one step) |
One square any direction |
| Victory Condition |
Requirement |
| Camp Victory |
2 pawns in opponent’s corner camps |
| Capture Victory |
Capture 7-8 enemy pawns |