Equipment:
A board of twenty-five squares and two sets of twelve counters in contrasting colors.
Object:
The object of the game is to avoid becoming the "Man in the Moon".
Playing the game:
The first player places one of his/her counters on any space on the board, except the center square. Then the second player places one of his/her counters on any space on the board, except the center square, and so on until the twenty-four counters have been placed, leaving the center square empty.
The first player now moves one of his/her counters to the center square. The second player then has his/her turn, and each then plays in succession. The counters may be moved forward, backwards or sideways. They may not be moved diagonally.
When a player captures one or more opposing counters between two of his/her own, they are all captured as long as there are no intervening empty spaces.
Counters may be captured only by a moving player. If one or more counters are caught between two opposing counters while the counters are being placed on the board, it does not count as a capture. Capturing does not begin until all twenty-four counters have been placed on the board.
If a player cannot move because his/her counters are blocked, the other player must go on moving until the blockade is raised. Then the blocked player takes his/her turn and play goes on as before. This rule also applies to the first move of the game.
The player who succeeds in reducing his/her opponent to one counter wins the game, the single counter left on the board becoming the "Man in the Moon".