Appendix:World/Azers

Azers (lit. exile; English Hop-Drop), also occasionally called Li-di-ry (see plays below), is a two-player, turn-based abstract strategy game originating in Radestria. In out-of-world terms, it was invented by Avl.

A Python implementation can be found on GitHub.

Setup

traditional game setup

The board of play is tiled 4×4, and can be played with any two sets of differentiated tokens and a drawn grid, hence it is a common children's game. It is often played by drawing the grid in sand or soil or on paper, and using leaves, stones or household objects as tokens. In social settings, it can be played with people as 'tokens' in two teams.

The game commences with one token for each of the two players in opposing corners.

Setup variations

So long as the mechanics of the game are maintained, the players may agree to set up the game in another way, though some players may also agree to impose extra play restrictions or other victory conditions.

In some variations of the game, instead of starting in the corners, one player chooses where both players' starting points are (anywhere on the board as long as they are not diagonally adjacent), and the other makes the first move. In such setups, the parties may also agree that tokens may or may not start in the centre.

In other variations, the players may even agree to start with more than one token, or with a non-standard grid, with the central reservation defined.

Plays

Players take turns to make one play at a time. There are three possible plays, whose names in Radestrian rhyme, hence the colloquial name Li-di-ry being a blend of their differing syllables.

Divuozs • Drop

A token can move two spaces, no more, no fewer, in any direction, i.e. horizontally, vertically or diagonally. A token cannot move to a space that is either already occupied or beyond the board. If the token passes over an unoccupied space, another token is also "dropped" in said space. This play is known as a divuozs (“creation”).

Livuozs • Hop

If a token hops over another token, friend or foe, no token is dropped and nothing happens to that token: an enemy token does not get taken in this instance. This is known as a livuozs (“jump”).

Ryvuozs • Swap

The only permissible move of one space is the play of capturing an opposing token. This is known as a ryvuozs (“take”) and can only occur diagonally: an opposing token in a square diagonally adjacent to one of one's tokens can be "swapped" by the token moving to that space. The opposing token is thereafter removed from the board.

Objective

The main aim of the game is to have three tokens occupy the centre 2×2, though there are other situations in which one can win, as well as an automatic stalemate situation.

Azers • Victory by Exile

Having three tokens in the middle results in a win by "exile" (azers).

Azers • Victory by Massacre

If all the opponent's tokens have been captured, this results in a win by "massacre" (hĵázgaus).

Drevuozs • Victory by Defence

If one’s opponent can no longer make a valid move, this results in a win by "defence" (drevuozs). The following is an example of a full game resulting in a win by defence:

Svímavarduozs • Draw by Opposition

In some variations, if two tokens of each player occupy the centre in a cross formation (i.e. diagonally only), this results in an automatic draw, known as "standing in opposition" (svímavarduozs).

Aziese • Draw by Boredom

A draw is also concluded if the players are caught in a cycle of repetitive moves, an end known as aziese (“boredom”).