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- 7.7
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Ayanu
1987
Rules assistance for Ayanu
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
- 2 players
- 30 min
- 10+
- Complexity 2.3/5
Rules assistant for Ayanu
For 2 players
What would you like to know?
Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
Ayanu is a board game released in 1987 for 2 players, 30 minutes per game, and ages 10 and up. It was designed by Harald Germer.
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About the game
This game is 'Chess-like' in many ways: two players have identical sets of game pieces starting on opposite sides of a square grid. Players move one piece per turn and can eliminate the other player's pieces by moving into their space. Movement options depend on which piece it is you're moving. In a fit of conspicuous difference, it's the black side who makes the opening move here. The central gimmick is that each piece is composed of two parts, a body and a head. The height of the body determines how far a piece can move (one, two or three spaces), whereas the head determines the directions: straight lines (like rooks), diagonals (like bishops), or both (like kings or queens). Each side also has one super-powered queen/rook hybrid which can move to any space within the range determined by its body, and even one unbeatable but immobile head. There's a reason for all this separation into bodies and heads: after every move the piece which just moved must swap heads with a different type of head, chosen by the player from their pieces still in play. There are two victory conditions: either you move one of your pieces to a specific target square on the far side of the board, or you force your opponent to make an illegal move. Draws are possible, but rare (they require both sides' forces to be extremely depleted). The theme is pretty much irrelevant - this is an abstract at heart. The rulebook frames the game as the secret strategy-honing tool of the nobles in a fictional culture, and the rules introduction is presented in dialogue form with the Wise Old Master teaching the game to his Young Noble Student, but none of this is at all relevant to gameplay. In fact, the game presented within the fiction is themeless and, quite literally, abstract: the pieces' names are translated as abstract concepts like 'strength' etc. _______________ ______________________________ The 1989 edition is part of the Franckh-Kosmos/ 'Spiele-Galerie' series.
Categories
Designers
Publishers
- KOSMOS
- Edition Perlhuhn (Göttinger Spiele)
Questions and answers
Ayanu supports 2 players according to the catalogue. This is the publisher’s listed player count, so the game is designed for exactly that number of participants. Variants for other group sizes, if any, are described in the rulebook of your edition, so check it before setting up a different configuration.
The listed playing time for Ayanu is 30 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists Ayanu for ages 10 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
Ayanu has a complexity rating of 2.3 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a medium-light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
Ayanu belongs to these categories: Abstract Strategy. Categories describe the theme, setting and style of a game rather than its rules. Filter the catalogue by the same category to find similar games when you enjoyed Ayanu and want something comparable for your next game night.
The credited designers of Ayanu are: Harald Germer. These credits come from the published game data and name the people responsible for the game’s design, not its illustrators or publishers. Designer pages on MeepleRules collect other titles by the same designers, which helps when you enjoy a game and want to find similar ones.
The catalogue lists Ayanu as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.