Biloba

About the game

Biloba is played on an octagonal board of square tiles with a star-marked tile in the middle. Each player starts with a cluster of round pawns on one side: two players face each other across the board, three or four players take the sides. The aim is simple to say and slow to achieve: remove every enemy pawn.

A pawn moves one tile in any direction, including diagonally. It can also jump over any pawn that stands next to it, one jump at a time, but never backwards, towards the side where its owner started. The interesting part is the capture. When you place two of your pawns on opposite sides of an enemy pawn, in a row, a column or a diagonal, that pawn is taken. Your move is not over, though: a pawn that has just been taken is replaced on the board by one of the two pawns that took it, which can open a new capture, and taking is mandatory when it is possible. So a single move can turn into a chain, and the game swings quickly once the two armies meet.

The game was invented by Guillaume Demougeot, who also drew the pictures, and programmed by Colin Leroy as free software. This is version 0.9.3, from 2010.

The star tile in the middle is special: a pawn that lands on it must immediately take one more step to a free tile next to it, other than the one it came from.

Playing it here

This is Biloba 0.9.3 compiled for the browser from the project's source code, in English. It is a small download, about 1 MB, and plays offline once loaded. Nothing is saved. The original also has network games and sound; both are left out of this version, so you play on the same screen, against other people or against the computer, and the game is silent. A mouse is required.

How to play

On the first screen choose how many players take part (click the number), and for each player click the HUMAN button to change it into CPU if you want the program to play that colour. The player names can be edited. Click PLAY to start. The ? button shows six pages of rules, each page advances with a click.

Tips

Keep your pawns together. A pawn is only taken when two enemy pawns stand on opposite sides of it, so a pawn with a friend next to it on that line is safe from that line.

Think about the replacement. After a capture one of your two capturing pawns moves to the tile of the one that was taken. Choose the one that leaves you safe, or that lines up the next capture.

Mind the rule that forces you to take. If a capture is possible you must make it, which lets you set traps: offer a pawn so that the opponent is obliged to take it and leave a gap.

Frequently asked questions

How do I win? By taking all the enemy pawns.

Can I play against another person? Yes, on the same screen: leave both players as HUMAN and take turns with the mouse.

Why is there no sound or network play? The sound files and the network code of the original are not included in this version.