JarmoArena is a variation of the classic two-player game Jarmo, combining its familiar rules with a completely new board geometry.
The game still uses the same 25 points (5×5), but instead of the traditional rectangular layout, they are arranged in a circle to form an arena. All other rules governing movement, capturing, and the objective of the game remain unchanged from the original Jarmo.
The main change - the shape of the board - greatly increases the game's variability and replayability. The circular arena allows for a variety of different starting formations, making games less repetitive and reducing the possibility of the same sequences of moves recurring from one game to another.
JarmoArena features 16 different starting positions, compared to just 2 in the original Jarmo. The basic principle behind these formations is to arrange the black and white armies symmetrically opposite each other.
For easier tracking of the original starting points - which also serve as the opponent's target points and the finishing points required to win the game — they are marked with special markers at the beginning of each game.
Game board:
The board is made from a cross-cut section of juniper wood with a live edge.
Dimensions: approximately 310 × 270 × 26 mm / 12.2"×10.75"×1"
Army:
28 mm diameter white and black balls.
Maple wood. (White - natural color, Black - toned)
The piece has a mark on its underside to distinguish it after it has captured an opponent's piece (as required by the rules). The mark is created by inserting wood of a different color.
Starting position markers:
Wooden spheres with a pin. The board features holes for the pins, corresponding to each point on the arena's outer circle.
Full set contains: board, 5+5 pieces, 10 markers.
Full set weight is 0.9 kg
