Terrace (board game)

"Terrace" is a strategy game played on a three dimensional board. The board has 64 squares of uniform color, which are arranged in L-shaped levels ("terraces") that rise stepwise from the board's lowest points in two diagonally opposite corners to its highest points in the other two corners. All pieces are shaped alike and move according to the same rules, but they are of 4 different sizes and vary in capturing "power." One of each player's smallest pieces has the letter "T" carved into it and has a role somewhat similar to the king in chess.

Born out of one of the inventors' frustration at the difficulty of teaching chessFact|date=July 2007, "Terrace" features simple, locally-oriented rules that apply across all pieces, without compromising on depth of strategy. Games tend to be circling rapier duels for territorial control and material advantage, and players are often faced with the dilemma of pursuing one of the two victory conditions.

The object is to win either by moving your "T" piece from its starting point at one corner to an opposite corner, or by capturing your opponent's "T". Players can move any number of squares on the same terrace, and are allowed to jump over their own pieces. Players can move up a terrace by either going straight up or diagonally up. Players can move down a terrace by going straight down. Opponent's pieces are captured by moving diagonally down. It is courteous to say 'Terrace' when the opponent's "T" piece is placed in jeopardy of being caught the next turn; "Terrace-Mate" should be said when the opponent's "T" piece cannot escape. In 3 and 4 player games, when a player loses his or her "T", all of their pieces are removed from the board; other players continue the game. If a player cannot make a move during his or her turn, the game is a draw, with no winner or loser.

"Terrace" was invented by Anton Dresden in the 1950s and fine tuned over many years with his Lake Oswego, Oregon neighbor and inventor Buzz Siler. When the board game was introduced in 1992, "Terrace" won a number of major awards and was subsequently featured on "" as a permanent prop. In 1997, a revised version was introduced, with the board changed to 6x6 (36 squares), a 43% reduction in size, with 12 pieces per side instead of 16. Only two rows separate the two players' pieces, instead of four. The new version is more tactical, and less strategic. Playing time is accordingly shortened.
(The change came about because of legal problems with the owners of the original molds to the game.)

"Terrace" appears to be out of print and is rather difficult to find. Several computer versions are widely available, including the original implementation from the board game's creators at Home of the Underdogs.

External links

* [http://www.terracegames.com/ "Terrace" Home Page] - defunct. From April 30, 2006 : [http://web.archive.org/web/20060430064332/http://www.terracegames.com/index.html WayBackMachine]
*bgg|2872|"Terrace"