Morelli

About this board game

Morelli is a two-player abstract strategy game for 2 players, with a playing time of about 45 minutes. On its 13 × 13 board, concentric rainbow-coloured bands lead from the outer red band toward a single violet central cell called the Throne.

Black and White each begin with 24 stones, initially placed on the red band. Players take turns moving one stone at a time. A stone has the movement freedom of a chess Queen, but every move must end on a band closer to the Throne, creating a constant inward struggle.

Capture in Morelli is based on flanking. When a stone is positioned between two opposing stones, either orthogonally or diagonally, it is captured and defects to the other player. This conversion rule can rapidly change the balance of power and make each move significant.

• 13 × 13 board with seven concentric colour bands and a central Throne
• 24 stones per player, beginning on the outer red band
• Queen-like movement, restricted to inward progress
• Orthogonal and diagonal flanking capture that converts stones

The central objective is to capture the Throne for your King by completing a frame: a rotationally symmetrical arrangement of four stones around the Throne, at any distance. The Throne may change hands repeatedly during the game, so control is never necessarily permanent.

Play ends when a player has no available move on their turn. The side whose King occupies the Throne at that moment wins; if the Throne has remained neutral throughout the game, the result is a draw. Released in 2013, Morelli offers a highly distinctive abstract contest built around inward movement, conversion, and changing central control.