Overboard

Old board game alive again!

The game Overboard was the Czechoslovak board game from 1984. It was one of the modification of Alex Randolph’s original model (Overboard, 1978). There are some differences in the last row, for example in captains or rules.

The board game was almost forgotten after velvet revolution in 1989 in Czechoslovakia and it’s very difficult to get it today. The mobil version of the game has revived the game and it allows the player to play against the computer.

The goal of the game is to push all the opponent's stones from the 'overboard' area. In the case of the selected version B (B VAR END), the winner is player who has in the draw more stones in desktop area. Stones can only push the same or smaller number of enemy's stones out. The mobile version also allows you to start a game with randomly mixed stones in any number.

The game is controlled by the finger and the virtual joystick.

Rules:

Goal of the game

With tactical moves, both players try to force as many of the opponent's pieces as possible off the field and at the same time protect their pieces from being removed. The winner is: whoever manages to push all the opponent's pieces off the board (version A (A VAR END button)) or whoever keeps the most pieces after three tries (version B (B VAR END button)). The game also can end in a draw.

Possible moves

A game piece can be pushed forward, backward or sideways.

Figures with a color ring (captain) may not be moved backward.

If the players own game pieces stand in front of the current game piece, the whole row can be shifted by one place.

If there is no free space in the direction of the turn of a piece or a whole series of game pieces, it is possible to press the same or a smaller number of enemy characters.

If the opposing character is at the edge of the board and is moved by dragging,

This falls over the edge (overboard) and is removed from the game.

If a game piece is behind the character or line of the opponent, the move cannot be executed.

If the captain stands in a row of figures, the whole row must not be moved back (this does not apply in the case of the opponent's turn).

If opponent backtracking moves with the same number of figures, the same move must not be repeated immediately.

Start of the game

Red starts first. On the first move, one of the counter-characters falls over the edge of the board and is removed from the game.

This may also be the case in several subsequent moves, in which the players prepare a tactical position for the game's end.

Draw

A draw occurs after three tries of a position or not enough game pieces (i.e., figures remain in the 1: 1 ratio on the field).

In game version B (B VAR END button) the one who has more pieces on the board at this time wins.