Dao
History
Dao is a game created by Reveal Entertainment, Inc.
The Board
Dao is played on a four-row, four-column grid.
The Pieces
The first player has four light-colored pieces and the second player has four dark-colored pieces. At the start of the game, the light pieces lie along the main diagonal and the dark pieces lie along the antidiagonal.
Rules
To move: A player chooses one of their pieces to move on their turn. A piece may move in any of eight directions (north, northeast, east, southeast, south, southwest, west, or northwest) as long as there is an unoccupied space adjacent to the piece's departure space in that direction. A piece being moved must be relocated to the farthest unoccupied space in the chosen direction that can be reached from its departure space without jumping over another piece. A piece moving diagonally is not “blocked” by pieces on adjacent diagonals.
To win: A player wins when they either (1) form a vertical or horizontal four-in-a-row of their own pieces, (2) occupy the four corners of the board, or (3) form a 2-by-2 square of their pieces anywhere on the board. The game does not end when a diagonal four-in-a-row is created.
Pictures
References
Reveal Entertainment, Dao Game, 2002.
Links
GamesCrafters
Dan Garcia (Backend, Solving)
Avery Liou (GamesmanUni GUI v0)
Andrew Esteban (GamesmanUni GUI v1)