Neutron

About this board game

Neutron is a two-player abstract strategy game played on a 5×5 grid, with each game taking about 15 minutes. Players maneuver their own tokens and a shared central piece called the Neutron, aiming to trap it or bring it to their baseline.

Each player begins with five tokens of different colors on the baseline nearest them. The Neutron, shown in a third color, starts in the center of the board. Its position is the focus of every turn, creating a direct contest over movement and access across the grid.

On a normal turn, the player first moves the Neutron in any direction. It must travel as far as possible along a clear path, stopping at the furthest vacant square it can reach without leaping over another token. The player then moves one of their own tokens using the same movement rule.

• Move the Neutron as far as possible without jumping over tokens.
• Move one of your five tokens by the same sliding rule.
• Win by surrounding the Neutron or moving it to your baseline.

If the Neutron has no legal movement, it is surrounded and the player unable to move it loses. On the first turn, the starting player skips the Neutron move, adding a distinct opening rule before the regular sequence begins.

Designed by Robert A. Kraus, Neutron first appeared in 1978. It is nearly identical to Bobail, which differs in allowing the Neutron to move only one vacant adjacent space. Publishers of Bobail have claimed that it is a traditional African game predating Neutron, but the provided information notes that there is no evidence supporting that claim.