Nika

A game inspired by ancient Greek geography & warfare! Command a Greek city's hoplite soldiers. Push and rout enemy lines. Coordinate allied attacks to secure victory, but watch your flanks! Nika is based around two core mechanics: facing and formations. Pieces can be routed off the board if attacked from the side or back, but not from the front. A routed piece can rally back onto the board at the cost of an action. Your pieces can move or rotate together in a phalanx if they are adjacent and facing the same way, and you can push back enemies facing you if your phalanx is deeper than theirs. There are 4 cities: Athens (white) and Messene (blue) are allied against Sparta (red) and Thebes (black). Allies start across the board from each other, and you win by getting a piece into your victory area in the heart of your ally's territory. Each two-city alliance can be played either solo or with a partner, so the game can support 2, 3, or 4 players. Every player has enemies on both sides, making the distribution of both pieces and actions between fronts a strategic and often tactical consideration. Maneuvering, timing, coordination, and sacrifice are all key elements of strategy.