The only board game native to the Maori tribes of New Zealand. The game is played on an eight pointed star, with spaces at each point and one in the center. Each player starts with his pieces on four adjacent points of the star. Pieces may move from one point to an empty adjacent point, or from the center space to any empty point. A piece may only move from a point to the center space if one or both adjacent points are occupied by an enemy piece. The object is to immobilize your opponent's pieces.
Game intelligence
1. Place the board — an 8-pointed star (kewai) with a central point (putahi). 2. Each player takes four pieces (perepere) of their colour (black or white). 3. All eight kewai (outer points) are filled with pieces, each player's four pieces grouped together on adjacent kewai. The putahi (centre) starts empty. 4. Black moves first.
Players alternate turns, beginning with Black. On their turn, a player must move exactly one piece along a marked line to an adjacent empty point. Three types of moves are possible: (a) move a piece from the putahi to any empty kewai, (b) move a piece from a kewai to an adjacent empty kewai, or (c) move a piece from a kewai to the empty putahi (subject to the flanking restriction). If a player cannot make any legal move, they lose immediately.
The player who successfully blocks their opponent — leaving them with no legal move on their turn — wins the game. There is no points system. Target score: Block opponent completely Scoring sources: Blocking the opponent so they have no legal move
Source: Rulebook
The most useful rules for getting a first game right.
The board consists of nine points in total. The eight outer points are called kewai. The single central point is called the putahi. Each kewai is connected by a marked line to its two neighboring kewai (forming the ring) and to the putahi (forming the spokes). Adjacency in this game means connected by a marked line — each kewai is adjacent to two other kewai and the putahi; the putahi is adjacent to all eight kewai.
Before play begins, all eight kewai are occupied — one piece per kewai. Each player's four pieces must be grouped together in a contiguous block of four adjacent kewai (i.e., all of one color on one half of the star). The putahi (centre) begins the game empty. Black moves first.
Black always makes the first move of the game. After Black's move, White moves, and players continue to alternate for the rest of the game. In subsequent games, players swap colours so each gets a chance to move first.
A player's entire turn consists of moving exactly one of their own pieces along a marked line to an adjacent empty point. Only one piece may be moved per turn. The destination point must be empty and must be directly connected to the piece's current point by a marked line. There is no option to pass.
If one of your pieces occupies the putahi (central point), you may move it to any of the eight kewai that is currently empty. Because the putahi is connected by marked lines to all eight kewai, any empty kewai is a valid destination.
A piece resting on a kewai (outer point) may be moved to either of the two neighboring kewai if that neighbor is empty. Two kewai are adjacent if they are directly connected by a marked line on the rim of the star.
A piece on a kewai may move to the putahi (centre) only when: (a) the putahi is currently empty, AND (b) the moving piece is flanked by at least one opponent's piece on an adjacent kewai. 'Flanked' means at least one of the two kewai neighboring the moving piece is occupied by an enemy piece. A piece that has only friendly neighbors on both adjacent kewai may NOT move to the putahi.
No piece may jump over or bypass another piece. Movement is strictly one step along a marked line to the immediately adjacent point. Intervening pieces (of either colour) block movement along that line.
The putahi (centre) is the most powerful position on the board because a piece there can reach any of the eight kewai (rule: move_putahi_to_kewai). Placing your piece on the putahi gives you maximum flexibility and can deny your opponent easy blockade setups.
You can only enter the putahi from a kewai if you have at least one enemy neighbor (rule: move_kewai_to_putahi). Therefore, actively maneuvering your pieces so they are adjacent to opponent pieces creates legal paths to the putahi — a key strategic lever.
Since pieces may not leap (rule: no_leaping) and kewai-to-kewai movement is limited to adjacent points, a cluster of your own pieces can inadvertently block itself. Spreading pieces to have at least one enemy neighbor maintains your options for entering the putahi.
The win condition is purely blockade (rule: blockade_loss). Plan several moves ahead to funnel the opponent's pieces into positions where no kewai-to-kewai move is possible and the putahi is either occupied or unreachable, leaving them with zero legal moves.
Under the standard variation (rule: variation_first_two_turns), Black cannot freely access the putahi in the first two turns even if the flanking condition would otherwise be met (the restriction specifically limits kewai-to-putahi movement to prevent an immediate win). Understanding this prevents illegal opening moves and helps plan the first few turns carefully.
Black has a first-move advantage. Over multiple games, the colour swap rule (rule: colour_swap) ensures parity — track wins per colour to determine overall skill superiority.
Yes. The rule requires the moving piece to be flanked by AT LEAST ONE enemy on an adjacent kewai. Having one enemy neighbor and one friendly neighbor satisfies this condition. The piece may move to the empty putahi.
No. The piece must be flanked by at least one enemy on an adjacent kewai. If both neighbors are friendly, the piece cannot move to the putahi.
You cannot move your putahi piece to the putahi (it is already there). Your only options are kewai-to-kewai moves (moving a piece on a kewai to an adjacent empty kewai). If no such moves exist, you are blocked and lose.
The restriction applies per player individually. Each player is restricted from freely moving to the putahi during their own first two turns. After each player has each completed two turns, they are individually free to move any kewai piece to the empty putahi without the flanking requirement.
No. There is no passing in Mu Torere. If you have no legal move on your turn, you are immediately blocked and lose the game.
Yes. The putahi is connected by marked lines to all eight kewai. A piece on the putahi may therefore move to any of the eight kewai as long as it is empty, regardless of its position on the star.
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