A few weeks ago I wrote a column about the abstract board game DVONN, which I said was “harder than checkers but easier than chess.” It proved to be a big hit with readers, and led me down the obvious path of taking a look at another of the abstract games in the same series. ZERTZ is an interesting game and hard to nail down to a simple description, though I suppose I could say it’s kinda like Chinese Checkers on an ever-shrinking board.

It’s an intriguing concept to be sure, but is it fun?

Just like DVONN, the game is both simple to learn but reveals a huge depth in gameplay and strategy as you begin to play it. Luckily, like DVONN the basic rules are so simple that you can get a game of ZERTZ up and running with people that have never played before in about 5 minutes.

ZERTZ is played on a gird of discs where you take turns placing different colored marbles and jumping them to take acquire them (a la Chinese Checkers). The rub here is that marbles are taken from a shared supply and that as the game goes on the board itself gets smaller and smaller since every time you place a marble on the board, you remove an empty disc from the table.

I can’t think of any other games I’ve played where the board physically shrinks as the game progresses, and adds a hugely novel angle to the proceedings.

So to start the game you line up the circular marble holder pieces just like in the picture to the right. As far as setup goes that’s it. Players then take turns taking different colored marbles out of the shared supply (6 white 8 grey, 10 black) and putting them on the board, and then removing a circular piece. This continues until there’s a situation where a marble can jump another. If there is a possible jump on the board at the start of your turn, then you MUST take it. Jumped marbles are captured by that player.

To win the game, you’ve got a couple of options. Of course, your opponent has the same options and since you’re drawing from a shared supply you need to carefully choose which pieces you bring to the board and which you allow your opponent to capture. To win you must capture either:

• 3 marbles of each color
• 4 white
• 5 grey
• 6 black

One of the interesting aspects here is that if the shared supply of marbles runs out the game doesn’t end, but rather players still take turns and place marbles on the board but they use marbles out of their OWN captured supply. So just cause you’ve stolen some of the marbles your opponent needs doesn’t mean it’s safe… you just might have to put it back on the board.

So each person’s turn involves putting a marble of their choice on the board and removing an empty disc… unless there’s possibility to jump an adjacent marble. If there’s a potential jump, the player must take it. What this means is that you’ll end up setting up your opponent to jump marbles, so to be successful in this game you need to think 3 moves ahead (at least). You’ll place a marble that will force your opponent to jump one, and then you’ll be setup for your next move. It tough to wrap your head around just reading about it but it makes sense one you see it in action.

I’ll say two things about the game right here and now…

1. I really enjoyed playing it
2. I got my ass soundly kicked each time.

The game is very similar in style to DVONN, a game I both reviewed earlier and exists in the same “series” as ZERTZ here. The abstract games are very simple to learn and understand once you see them, and reveal a pretty deep strategy once you start playing. They stand very comfortably along other abstract games (like checkers/chess/etc) and throw in some completely unique mechanics. ZERTZ especially with both the general supply of marbles and the ever shrinkiing board.

I think I still preffered DVONN over ZERTZ (although that may simply be cause I won the games I played of DVONN) but ZERTZ will take a proud space on my game shelf and I’d be happy to play it anytime. I’m excited to try some more games from this line very soon.

ZERTZ was designed by Kris Burm and originally was released in 2000. It is currently published by Rio Grande games. It can be purchased at Amazon, Funagaingames.com or from your Friendly Local Game Store. You can also try it online at boardspace.net.