SHŌBU

SHŌBU is a beautifully made strategy game for two players, and it radiates calm and beauty the moment you take it out of the box. You play on four wooden boards, with real river pebbles as playing stones. A rope divides the playing area into two halves. It feels familiar right away, a bit like chess or go, and at the same time it is entirely its own thing. Each turn has two parts. First you quietly slide one of your stones, up to two spaces, in any direction you like. Then comes your attack: the same direction, the same number of spaces. With that second move you push your opponent's stones across the board, and sometimes even off it. The first player to drive all four of the other player's stones off a single board wins the game. This is a game to sit down and face each other over, with a cup of tea and the time to really think. No rush, no luck, just you and your opponent trying to read every move. Half an hour together, and still it feels like a little adventure on the table.