Shogi4 is a simple and dynamic version of Shogi, designed to be played with children. The game is shorter because the action starts right away. Movements are printed on the pieces so nobody needs to memorize.

In this game, you have a farm where you take care of lots of animals. But in order to get all kinds of animals there, you'll need to invite one that only the other player have. The first player to get the opponent's Crane or Pheasant wins the game.

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Let's learn to play Shogi4

Getting Started

place the pieces as indicated on the board - they are placed lying down, with the animal facing up. It isn't the piece's color that indicate to what team it belongs, but it's orientation. Your pieces are the ones right-side up, while your opponents are upside down.

Move an animal

In your turn you can move an animal. It must move in one of the directions marked on the piece. This means Carps may only go forward, while Grows and Pheasants may move in any direction.

Each animal only moves one space at a time, but he can jump over another piece that belongs to the same player. To do it, he must fall on an empty space or an space occupied by an opponent's animal.

Evolve an animal

As soon as it gets to the last row in the opposing side of the board, you animal evolves! Carps, Tapirs, Racoon-dogs and Foxes always evolve, but the Grow and the Pheasant never evolve.

To evolve an animal, just flip its piece so that the animal shown below - the one on the red background - faces up. The evolved versions of animals can move in more directions than the regular animals.

Invite an animal

To invite an animal from the opponent to come to your farm you need to move one of your animals to a space occupied by one of his animals. The invited animals are removed from the board and placed on your farm. But remember that an evolved animal, when invited to your farm, will go back to its regular form.

You win the game when you invite the Grow or Pheasant of the other player.

Call an animal

You can call an animal from your farm to help you. Simply place it on en empty space on the board. But you can't place it on the opposing side of the board. Calling an animal will be your move on that turn, so you can only call one each time and you won't be able to move another animal that turn.