Overview

Pah Tum is an ancient abstract strategy game from Assyria, dating back approximately 3,800 years. Two players alternately place stones on a 7x7 board containing 5 randomly placed “black holes,” trying to form the longest connected horizontal and vertical lines of their color while blocking their opponent.

Components

• 1 game board (7x7 grid)
• Stones in 2 colors (enough to fill the board; approximately 22 per player)
• 5 “black hole” markers (Boulders)

Setup

1. Place the 7x7 board between the players.
2. Randomly position 5 black hole markers on 5 different squares of the board.
3. Decide who plays which color. Choose a starting player.

Turn Structure

Players alternate turns. On each turn, place exactly one stone of your color on any empty square that does not contain a stone or a black hole. Play continues until the board is completely filled.

Actions

• Place a stone: Put one of your stones on any unoccupied, non-black-hole square on the board.

There are no other actions. No movement, no captures, no removal.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

When the board is full, score points for each connected line of your stones that is 3 or more stones long. Lines must be horizontal or vertical (not diagonal). A line is broken by any opponent’s stone or black hole.

Line Length	Points
1-2 stones	0
3 stones	3
4 stones	10
5 stones	25
6 stones	56
7 stones	119

Each line scores independently. A single stone can be part of both a horizontal and a vertical line.

The player with the higher total score wins. If scores are equal, the game is a draw.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Black holes block lines – a line cannot pass through a black hole.
• Opponent’s stones also block lines.
• Only horizontal and vertical lines count; diagonals do not score.
• Lines of 1 or 2 stones score zero points.
• Scoring is exponential – longer lines are dramatically more valuable.
• The game always ends when the board is full (7x7 = 49 squares minus 5 black holes = 44 stones total, 22 per player).

Player Reference

Turn: Place 1 stone on any empty, non-hole square

Scoring: 3=3, 4=10, 5=25, 6=56, 7=119 (horizontal/vertical lines only)

Black holes: 5 random positions; block all lines

Game end: Board completely filled; highest score wins