Introduction
Note: The game is much easier to see using the graphical web interface than the ASCII email version!
Rules
Two players, O and X, share a common pool of tiles, where each tile face has a coloured bridge between two corners and a coloured tip on a third corner as follows:
.--oo .--xx .--oo
x oo\ / xx / ooo \
xxx oo ) oooo ) oooo ) O bridge with X tip (Ox) Mambo tile
x oo/ \ ooo / \ xx
`--oo `--oo `--xx .--xx .--oo .--xx
o xx\ / oo / xxx \
ooo xx ) xxxx ) xxxx ) X bridge with O tip (Xo) Mambo tile
o xx/ \ xxx / \ oo
`--xx `--xx `--oo .--oo .--oo .--oo
o oo\ / oo / ooo \
ooo oo ) oooo ) oooo ) O bridge with O tip (Oo) Lambo tile
o oo/ \ ooo / \ oo
`--oo `--oo `--oo .--xx .--xx .--xx
x xx\ / xx / xxx \
xxx xx ) xxxx ) xxxx ) X bridge with X tip (Xx) Lambo tile
x xx/ \ xxx / \ xx
`--xx `--xx `--xx
The Ox and Oo designs are painted front and back on the same tiles, as are the Xo and Xx designs (i.e. each tile has bridges of the same colour but tips of opposed colour on the front and back). There are 32 tiles of each type for a total of 64 tiles.
Start: The game starts with a single Ox tile in the middle of the playing area.
Play: O places a single tile adjacent to the starting tile such that edge colours match, then players take turns placing two tiles per turn adjacent to at least one existing tile such that edge colours match.
Auto Moves: Any space enclosed by three corners of mixed colour constitutes an automatic move as only one possible tile in one possible orientation will match those three colours. Players must automatically complete any such moves created by their tile placement (there may be several).
.--xx .--xx
o xx\ o xx\
.--oooo xx ) .--oooo xx )
x ooo xx/ x ooo xx/
xxx oo .--xx xxx oo . xx
x oo/ x oo xx
) oo ----> ) ooooo )
/ oo / oo ooo /
xxxx `--oo xxxx . oo
\ xxx x oo\ \ xxx x oo\
`--xxxx oo ) `--xxxx oo )
x oo/ x oo/
`--oo `--oo
The moves made each turn, including auto moves, must form an adjacent group (i.e. not separated) and must contain the colours of both players.
Aim: The game is won by the player who forms a closed group of their colour containing at least one eye (closed white region). Only one tile of any colour(s) need be played if that tile wins the game for either player.
For example, the following figure shows a game won by O who has closed an 'o' group containing an eye.
.--xx
/ xxx \
xxxx `--xx
\ oo xx
) ooooo `--oo
o oo ooo o oo\
ooo oo . oooo oo )
o oo ooo o oo/
) ooooo .--oo
x oo xx
xxx oo . xx
x ooo xx\
) oooo xx )
/ oo xx/
oooo .--xx
\ ooo /
`--oo
If a move forms winning groups for both players, then the mover loses. If the tiles run out before either player wins then the game is won by the player with the largest group (counting bridges) otherwise it is draws.
History
Mambo/Lambo/Superbo tiles and Superbo rules by Cameron Browne and copyright (c) Cyberite Ltd, 2008.
The name Superbo refers to the fact that this is a Supergame combining Mambo with Lambo. As well as combining the tiles of these two games, it features the auto moves of Mambo without the null points, and the double move mechanism of Lambo.
Please see the official Superbo page for further details: http://www.cameronius.com/games/superbo/
Implementation and Help file by Cameron Browne, November 2008.