Kamon

About this board game

Kamon is a two-player abstract strategy game that plays in about 15 minutes. Players place pawns across a hexagonal grid, following changing color-and-symbol clues to determine where each pawn may be placed next.

To set up, shuffle the 37 tokens and place one on each hex. The set includes one blank token and 36 tokens showing every combination of six colors and six symbols. The blank token fills a space and acts only as a barrier.

The black player begins by placing a pawn on a perimeter space that touches only one side of the hex. The token on that space then guides the white player’s move: the next pawn must be placed on a token matching either its color or its symbol. The newly occupied token sets the restriction for the opposing player, creating a continually changing chain of placement options.

Every move can bring the game closer to one of three immediate victory conditions:

• Connect two opposite edges of the grid with your pawns, as in Hex.
• Surround one or more hexes with a loop of your pawns, whether those enclosed spaces are empty or contain opposing pawns.
• Prevent your opponent from placing a pawn, such as by occupying a token when no matching color or symbol remains available.

Because each placement determines the next available category, Kamon combines direct territorial goals with tight restrictions on movement. Players must watch the grid, the remaining token possibilities, and the routes their opponent may be building.

Released in 2007, Kamon offers a compact contest in which connection, enclosure, and blocking can end the game immediately.