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Elemental Halma: A game for 2 or 4 players

Elemental Halma – Print & Play Board Game

 

Description:

In Elemental Halma, you control the Greek elements of Air, Earth, Fire and Water in an attempt to take over the universe.  It can be played by two or four players and has relatively simple rules, but different square types and the rules for capturing other pieces create complex strategies and standoff situations.

Elemental Halma is a board game which can be played either by downloading the board and rules and printing them out, or by purchasing a print-on-demand copy.  See below for details.

 

Downloads:

Download the Elemental Halma boardDownload the board

 

Download Elemental Halma RulesDownload the rules

 

Download Elemental Halma printer friendly boardDownload the board (printer-friendly version which uses less ink)

 

All of these files can also be downloaded at Archive.org.

 

Print your own copy:

The rules are designed to be printed on 8.5 x 11 in. paper.  The board is 9.5 x 9.5 in. so can either be printed on two 8.5 x 11 in. sheets with 1.5 in. or smaller margins, or a single larger sheet if your printer is capable of this.  Configuring it up to print at 100% size, I was able to print it on two sheets, and affix it to poster-board with a glue stick, resulting a nice-looking and usable game board.

You can use whatever is available for game pieces, you will need nine each of four different types of pieces.  I recommend the roughly 0.7 in. diameter glass beads that are available in many colors.  I was able to purchase a large bag of these at a gardening store, but I’ve since seen them for even cheaper at dollar stores.

Put together as I described, the game looks like this:

Printed at home Elemental Halma game board

 

Purchase a professionally printed copy:

Click here to purchase Elemental Halma

I have set up Elemental Halma with The Game Crafter to be printed on demand.  With this version you get the board (with a regular halma board printed on the back), playing pieces, instructions, and a box to keep it all in.  The Game Crafter’s printings are very nice, here is a photo of their Elemental Halma printing:The Game Creators printed version of Elemental Halma

Click here to purchase Elemental Halma

 

Origin:

I made Elemental Halma in 1988 when I was only 8 years old.  It was played quite a lot by me, friends, and family back then.  Around 2015 I started drawing new art for the board.  Here is a photo of the original board I took when I visited my parents:

Original Elemental Halma Board ca. 1988

Though the art is different, the rules are largely the same with a few changes to make play easier and faster (e.g. in the original 2-player rules, you had to strictly alternate between your two elements between turns, and also there were different capturing rules at the edges of the elemental planes.)

I hope you find this update enjoyable!  I am always open to suggestions about how this game could be improved, please e-mail me at: suggestions AHT giantspacelizard DAWT com.

-Thompkins

 

 

Elemental Halma © 1988-2017 Garth Thompson. The free downloads above for the board, rules and printer-friendly board may be distributed as per the CC-BY-NC-SA license.

CC-BY-NC-SA


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