FOLLOW THE ARROW

This is a game I invented a few years ago in which the board rather than the playing pieces determines the direction of the movement of the pawns and combines the fun of a track type game and checkers poker .

Requirements

1. Two players. Although only two persons play against each other simultaneously, the game may involve two, three, or four players.
2. A follow the Arrow game board.
3. Five Black and five red Follow the Arrow pawns. The five pawns of each color group are marked with spots numbered 1,2,3,4,and 5.

The object of the Game. The object of Follow the Arrow is for a player to try to win the game by being the first to move his five pawns across the board from his start position to his opponent’s start position. When this is accomplished, the game ends and the winning player is credited with the result of the point value of all of his opponent’s pawns that have failed to reach his (winner’s )start position multiplied by the numbered value of the winner’s fifth and last pawn to reach the loser’s start position.
To Star the Game. The selection of the five black and red pawns is made as follows: Either player, with the consent of the other, takes a black and a red pawn. Holding both hands behind his back, he places one pawn in each hand. making two closed fists, he brings both hands forward. His opponent touches either fist. If it contains a red pawn, the guesser takes the red pawns; if black, the black pawns. His opponent takes the five pawns of the other color. The open game board is placed between the two players with the horizontal row comprised of the black circles marked S-T-A-R-T directly in front of the player holding the red pawns. Each player in each succeeding game retains the same colored pawns with which the began.
Placing the Black and Red Pawns on the Game Board. The holder of the black pawns is the first to place his five pawns on the board. He must place them on the five black circles marked S-T-A-R-T of the bottom horizontal row nearest him and he may place the five pawns in any numerical order desired. This accomplished, the holder of the red pawns places his five pawns in any numerical order he desires on the five red circles marked S-T-A-R-T of bottom horizontal row nearest him. Once the holder of the red pawns has placed his first pawn on a circle of his start position, the holder of the black pawns (first player to move) cannot make any change in the numbered arrangement of the black pawns. Thereafter the play in each succeeding game alternate in first placing their pawns on the game board and in making the first move of the game.
How to Move. Once they have placed their pawns on the board in the official start position, the players, starting with the player who placed his five pawns on his start position first, take turns in moving either forward or sideways by making use of either a line or jump move until the completion of the game. A backward line or jump move toward a player’s own start position is prohibited. In other words, a pawn cannot move (retreat) toward its original starting position, nor is a side jump permitted on either of the player’s starting positions.

The Follow-the Arrow game board with pawns

Detailed explanation of a Line and Jump Move follows:

1. Line move. At his turn of play, a online play poker player may move either one of his five pawns forward or sideways from the circle on which it is resting to an unoccupied adjacent circle provided an arrow points from the circle on which the pawn is resting to the adjacent unoccupied circle. A forward or side line move is permitted on each of the thirty circles of the game board, rules and arrows permitting. However, a backward line move toward a player’s own start position is not permitted or the player may make use of a Jump Move.
2. A jump Move is a move that permits a player to pick up one of his pawns and, in a forward or sideways direction, jump over an opponent’s pawn resting on an adjacent circle onto an unoccupied circle adjacent to the jumped pawn. This move is similar to a jump movie in checkers however, the jumped pawn or pawns remain on the circles of the board. They are not removed from the board as in checkers. This jump move is legal provided an arrow points from the circle on which the pawn is resting to the adjacent circle occupied by the opponent’s pawn the position of the arrows or lack of an arrow on the circle occupied by the opponent’s pawn the position of the arrows or lack of an arrow on the circle where the opponent’s pawn or pawns to be jumped are resting are ignored when jumping. The same holds true for the circles on which the jumping pawn lands. A two three or four pawn jump move is permitted in follow the Arrow. Again I repeat, a backward jump move toward a player’s own start position is not permitted, nor is a side jump move permitted on either of the players; starting positions.

When it is possible for a player to make a legal jump move, his opponent may do one of three things (1) call “Jump”; (20 remain silent; or (3) call “Pass ”, (A pass call indicates a player relinquishes his privilege of calling jump.) When the opponent calls “Jump” he must also point out the possible jump move. When this situation occurs, the player is compelled to make a forced jump as directed by his opponent. This rule holds true except when there are two or three different directions in which he may jump. In that case, although the player still must make a jump move, he has the right to select his own jump move. If a legal multiple solitaire poker jump move of two, three, or four pawns is possible, the player has the privilege of jumping one or as many pawns as he desires.

If a player at his turn of play has one or more possible jump moves and his opponent has either remained silent or called “Pass,” his opponent knowingly or unknowingly has signified that he gives up his privilege of compelling his opponent to make a forced jump move. The player under such conditions is now free to do as he wishes; he may make use of either a jump or line move.

To help speed up the game and avoid unnecessary arguments that may arise over the jump call, the following rule should be enforced. A player must call “Jump” immediately after completing his move and while his fingers still rest on his played pawn.
Point Scoring for Standard Follow the Arrow. A game is completed when one of the players succeeds in moving his five pawns onto the five circles of his opponent’s start position. When the player moves his fifth and last pawn onto the opponent’s start positions, he calls either “Single game,” “Double game,” “Triple game,” “Quadruple game,” or “Quintuple game,” according to the number on this pawn, and by so doing is declared the winner of the game. He receives point credits as described below.

1.If the winner of a game succeeds in moving his fifth and last pawn onto his opponent’s start position and if this numbered pawn is a one-spot he calls “Single game.” This officially ends the game, and he receives the total point credits of all the loser’s pawns that have failed to reach his (the winner’s ) start position. Example: If only one of the loser’s pawns has failed to reach the winner’s start position, the winner receives its numerical value if it is a one-spot 1 point, a two-spot 2 points, etc. If two or more of the loser’s pawns have failed to reach the winner’s start position, the winner is credited with their total numerical value. Example: If the loser’s numbered pawns 1,2, and 4 have failed to reach the winner’s start position, the winner receives credit for 7 points and so on.

2. If the winner of a game succeeds in moving his fifth and last pawn onto his opponent’s start position and if this pawn is a two-spot he calls “Double game.” This call officially ends the game, and the poker winner receives double (two times ) the total point credits of al the loser’s pawns that have failed to reach his (the winner’s ) start position. And, similarly, for the three spot he wins a triple game; for the four-spot a quadruple game; for the five-spot a quintuple game.