Setup
The board is an 8-pointed star with eight outer points (kewai) and one central point (putahi).
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.
Setup
All eight kewai are filled at the start; each player's four pieces are grouped together. The putahi starts empty.
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.
Turn structure
Black moves first; players then alternate turns.
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.
Turn structure
On your turn, move exactly one piece along a marked line to an adjacent empty point.
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.
Movement
A piece on the putahi may be moved to any empty kewai.
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.
Movement
A piece on a kewai may be moved to an adjacent empty kewai.
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.
Movement
A piece may move from a kewai to the empty putahi only if it is flanked by at least one enemy piece on an adjacent kewai.
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.
Restriction
Pieces may not leap over other pieces.
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.