Azacru (2005)

Azacru has one objective: to have as many squares of your color on the board at the end of the game. There two very different dynamics at work in the game. Since you cannot land on a square of another player's color, part of the game focuses on blocking opposition pieces and avoiding being blocked. However the game features a "connection change" move which involves pre-planning so that you can move one of your pieces several squares across to another square already of your color. Potentially this could be right across the board, which is a 9 by 9 grid.

Each time a piece moves the square it lands on becomes its own color, and the number of colored squares it has in one of the nine 3x3 borderlands on the game board determines the power of movement the piece has.

If the connection change involves changing a square of opposition color then your piece leaves the game, but this can also be to your advantage since the game ends shortly after the first person playing is in a position where they cannot move any pieces. So players strive to get ahead on squares and then cause any early end to the game ... or wait so that they can make a dramatic connection change on the last turn that follows the first person being unable to move.

Azacru is one of the games featured in the Pacru Series 302 game box of 2005 (the games all use the same board, pieces/chevrons and markers), and can be freely played at http://www.pacru.com/azacru.html.

Separate entries exist for Pacru, Shacru & Azacru as opinions vary widely on the 3 games.