pattern building

In Niya, each player tries to arrange her tokens to gain the favor of the emperor. Alternatively, you can prevent your rival from placing a token in the Imperial garden, showing that you have more control than your opponent.

To set up the game, shuffle the 16 tiles and arrange them in a 4x4 square; each tile shows one of four types of vegetation (maple, cherry, pine or iris) and one of four types of poetic symbols (rising sun, bird, rain or tanzaku - the small pieces of paper on which people sometimes write wishes).

The starting player removes one tile on the border of the square, sets this tile aside, then places one of her tokens in this space. The opponent must then do the same thing, but can choose from only those tiles that depict the same type of vegetation or poetic symbol shown on the tile first set aside. Play continues, with each set-aside tile determining where the next player can go until:

A player forms a line with four of her tokens in any direction,
A player forms a 2x2 square with four of her tokens, or
A player chooses a tile which doesn't allow her opponent to place a token.

In any of these cases, the player has won the game. A match can be a single game, a "best of three" series, or a point-based match, with the winner of a game earning as many points as the number of tiles remaining in the grid when she wins; in this case, the player who first collects ten points wins the match.

This includes three expansions for GIPF.

Contents:

6 YINSH-potentials for each player
6 PÜNCT-potentials for each player
3 extra basic pieces for each player

See the project GIPF wiki page for more details on the potentials' powers.

The YINSH-potential can slide off its piece, any number of empty spots, for sneaky deployment. The PÜNCT-potential can land atop certain other pieces (different ones than the DVONN-potential), changing their color, or possibly introducing more GIPF-pieces mid-game!

GIPF Set 3 contains 6 white and 6 black YINSH-potentials, 6 white and 6 black PÜNCT-potentials, and 3 white and 3 black extra basic pieces to play "Ultimate GIPF". For the very brave amongst players: that is GIPF with 21 basic pieces and all 5 different kinds of potentials.

This is probably the last part of Project GIPF - after all those years players can combine all games :)

First product of cooperation of Kris Burm with company SMART.

This includes two expansions for GIPF and one for ZÈRTZ.

Contents:

6 DVONN-potentials for each player
6 ZÈRTZ-potentials for each player
12 ZÈRTZ rings

See the project GIPF wiki page for more details on the potentials' powers.

This expansion can integrate DVONN and ZÈRTZ with the original GIPF game. Additionally, it contains ring pieces to extend the ZÈRTZ board into new configurations.

The ZÈRTZ-potential has the power to jump other pieces. The DVONN-potential has the power to land on top of other pieces, changing their color.

This is part of project GIPF.

This is an expansion for GIPF.

Contents:

6 TAMSK-potentials for each player

See the project GIPF wiki page for more details on the potentials' powers.

The TAMSK-potential is the first additional piece of project GIPF. It is named after the game TAMSK and offers new ways to play GIPF. The TAMSK-potential can grant its owner an extra move during a turn.

A clarifying note from designer Kris Burm about the GIPF Project expansion Set #1 and the TAMSK potentials included with the TAMSK game:

As you maybe know, enclosed in the TAMSK box are 3 white and 3 black TAMSK-potentials. These are samples. You need a minimum of 3 potentials of each color to get a feeling of how they change a game of GIPF. The GIPF Project Expansion Set #1 contains 12 TAMSK-potentials; 6 potentials per color is the standard number to play with. The kit is meant to give players who like playing with the potentials the possibility to get more potentials without needing to buy a second game of TAMSK. That aside, it is also meant to serve those who want to find out what potentials are all about without needing to purchase TAMSK.

This is part of project GIPF.

Expands:

GIPF

GIPF is a strategic game for two players based on a classic concept: in turns, players introduce one piece into play until achieving four-in a-row. Players then remove their row and capture any of their opponent's pieces which extend that row. This principle of capturing pieces creates each time again completely changed situations on the board. The purpose is to form successive rows of at least 4 pieces, until the opponent has no piece left to bring into play.

GIPF is not only the name of a game, but of a project as well. This project concerns a group of games and extra pieces that will follow step by step. Each game of the project will be playable either separately, or, by means of extra pieces, in combination with GIPF. It concerns a system that makes winning or losing GIPF-related games a strategic factor of the game GIPF itself.

This game is part of project GIPF.

Online Play

Boardspace.net Real time, against humans or robot players