Description

Aboleo is a two-player strategy board game played on an Aboleo board. On the surface, the board resembles a chess or checkers board but has some significant differences. It is a checkered game board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid with each square containing two dots (one at the lower left and one at the upper right) or circles indicating the proper positioning of a player’s piece within the square. 

Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one general, two chariot units, two cavalry units, two archer units, and eight infantry units. Each of the six piece types moves differently. An additional piece which is not present at the beginning of the game, is the noble. The noble piece replaces any infantry unit that makes it to the opposing player’s side of the board and moves in the exact same fashion as the king. The objective is to 'Aboleo' or abolish the opponent's nobility by executing three attacks resulting in the “death” of the piece. If the king is killed and no other nobility exists, the game is ended. If a noble exists, that piece is then promoted to king and game play continues. This is called a “coronation”. If more than one noble exists, the player has the option of choosing which piece is promoted to king.

To this end, a player's pieces are used to attack and kill the opponent's pieces, while supporting their own. In addition to Aboleo, the game can be won by voluntary resignation by the opponent, this would typically occur when too many forces have been lost, or if the player feels that the death of his nobility is unavoidable. A game may not result in a draw unless both players agree to concede.

—description from the designer