SHŌBU

A two-part move, a quiet push and a rope-divided table: pure abstract duel on four wooden boards.

Designers: Manolis Vranas, Jamie Sajdak
Published by: Smirk & Laughter Games

SHŌBU is a two-player abstract game that looks like a tiny zen garden: four wooden boards, sixteen river stones per side, a rope down the middle. Each turn has two parts. First you make a gentle passive move with one of your stones, up to two spaces in any direction. Then you make an aggressive move that must copy it exactly, same direction and same distance, and this second move can push enemy stones across a board or off its edge. Win by clearing all four of your opponent's stones from any one board. It reminds people of Go and Chess without copying either, and every move makes you think about two boards at once.

Four boards, one rope and sixteen river stones per sideEvery turn is a passive move plus a matching aggressive moveWin by clearing one board of enemy stones

Who it's for

You want a handsome, luck-free duel for two that scratches the same itch as Go, Chess or Hive.

Not for you if…

You need theme, a story or more than two players. SHŌBU is pure abstract thinking.

Vibe's take

Serene on the outside, brutal on the inside. You have to plan a pair of moves at once, and you keep discovering that your best push is limited by the setup move you just made.