Transfer

Transfer is a simple abstract 2-player game that is played on a 4x4 grid. Each player starts with 4 egg-cups, in one of two colors, on the base row of the grid, with a ball on the two corner ones. The aim is to be the first player to move these cups to the baseline of the opponent and get the 2 balls again onto the 2 egg-cups on the edges. If the starting player does this first, then the opponent has the chance to get a draw if they manage to do the same thing in the turn immediately afterwards.

Each turn a player picks one of two moves. A player can either move one cup with a ball to a free space that touches it, horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Or a player can move the ball from one of their pieces to another one of their pieces that touches it in those same directions. When a blockade occurs, by 2 rows that block each other on the center rows, the active player may jump with a piece that contains a ball over an opponent's piece. When one player still has a piece on the start line, and the opponent has filled all other end-spaces, that piece needs to vacate its space right away. If this is impossible (when it doesn't contain a ball), then that player loses immediately.

This appears to be Dieter Hartmann's only published game.

PUBLICATION HISTORY:

 1978 Transfer Edition Perlhuhn (Göttinger Spiele) - out of print

Like all typical Edition Perlhuhn releases, this game comes in a tube, with chunky wooden pieces (black and red) and a board that is printed on a fake leather vinyl.

ADDITIONAL INFO:

 language skill needed: language neutral.
 English translation: none. The description above should suffice.
 artwork: no artwork on the board (grid only). The label image appears to be a replication from an old scientific print.   
 awards won: none.