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Colamone

A lightning-fast abstract duel: slide arrowed pieces, bank their values on the far side, and reach eight points before your foe.

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Gameplay overview

Race for eight points

Colamone distills the tension of chess into a compact 6×6 board. Each piece is labelled 1–6 and can only move in the direction indicated by its arrow. March a piece into the opponent’s home rank to “bank” its value and add the number to your score. First player to reach eight points wins; if both sides tie on eight, the red player claims the victory.

Colamone board with numbered tiles showing scoring rows
Use directional arrows to slide pieces into the far scoring row and accumulate eight points before your opponent.

Movement & scoring

Directional movement

Each number corresponds to a movement vector: the arrow that appears on the piece shows the single direction it may travel. Pieces may advance any number of squares along that line until they collide with the edge, a friendly piece, or an enemy piece—capturing removes the enemy tile and drops yours on that square.

Banking points

When a piece enters the opposite scoring row, its value is locked in and the piece leaves the board. Your running total is displayed beside the board. If you cannot move any pieces, the higher score wins; in a tie, red prevails automatically, so blue must push past parity.

Controls & interface

How to play

  • Click or tap one of your highlighted pieces to view the squares it may enter.
  • Select a destination to move; captures occur instantly if an opponent occupies the square.
  • Use the menu ribbon to restart, toggle sound, or switch between languages.

Colamone runs entirely client-side—play head-to-head on one device or pass the board back and forth. The simple interface makes it easy to share quick puzzles or teach the game to new players.

Strategy tips

Outpace your rival

  • Lead with high-value tiles early; even a single six reaching the far row forces your opponent to respond.
  • Block lanes by parking low numbers in front of the opponent’s arrows, buying time to set up your own scoring run.
  • Keep an eye on parity—because ties go to red, blue must aim for nine total points or deny red’s final score.

Frequently asked questions

Need a quick answer?

Q: How long does a match take?
A: Once you understand the movement arrows, games rarely last more than a few minutes—perfect for quick tactical sessions.

Q: Can I play offline?
A: Yes. The open-source project can be hosted locally; clone the repository and open the index file or run it through a static server.

Q: Is there a rules reference?
A: The official GitHub README and in-game language menu include the core scoring summary so you can teach new players in seconds.