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Surakarta, also know as Roundabouts, is an interesting abstract strategy game from Indonesia. The board has an unusual layout and gives rise to the game’s unique method of capture which can only be achieved by a piece that first travels around one or more of the corner loops!
A colourful game, Surakarta is easy to learn but reasonably deep and is both fascinating and enjoyable for children and adults alike.
The game of Surakarta is named after the large town on the island of Java and in Indonesia it is called Permainan, which translates simply as ‘The Game’. Surakarta is also played across China and Korea and was first brought to Europe in 1870.
The game of Surakarta is played on a special board of 6 x 6 points connected orthogonally to form a grid. Additionally, eight further loops extend out from the board. The points second in at each corner are connected by a three-quarter circle and the points third in from each corner are connected by a larger three-quarter circle concentrically outside the first.
Surakarta Rules, Route and Layout
