How to play
Marble Push is a game of strength in numbers on a hexagonal board of 61 spaces. Each player has 14 marbles; Black starts at the bottom and moves first. You win by pushing six of your opponent’s marbles off the board.
Moving. On your turn, move one, two or three of your marbles that sit next to each other in a straight line. They all move one space in the same direction:
- In line (along the line they form), forwards or backwards, if the space ahead is empty.
- Sideways (any direction off the line), if every space they would move into is empty.
Tap one of the marbles, then tap the space you want to move into. When several groups could make that move, the game asks you to choose: tap the destination again to move a single marble, or tap the other marbles you want to include.
Pushing. An in-line move may push enemy marbles that stand directly ahead, but only if you outnumber them: two marbles push one, three push one or two. A single marble never pushes. The pushed marbles slide one space back; a marble pushed against the edge falls off. You may never push your own marbles, and you may never move your own marbles off the board.
Winning. The first player to push off six enemy marbles wins. If a game reaches 400 moves, the player who has lost fewer marbles wins; an equal count is a draw.
At the top, choose your Opponent. Against the Computer you play Black and can pick Easy, Medium or Hard. Choose Friend to play two people on one device; the strip of the player to move lights up. The status line counts the marbles each side has pushed off. Hint shows a good move, and Undo takes back one move against a friend, or your move together with the computer’s answer.
Strategy
- Hold the centre. Marbles in the middle cannot be pushed off and threaten every direction. Marbles on the rim are the ones that fall.
- Stay together. A lone marble can be pushed by any pair. Keep your marbles in compact groups so every line is backed by a third marble.
- Three beats two. Build lines of three pointing at the enemy. A three-line pushes any two-line, and two-lines are what your opponent will mostly have.
- Do not chase marbles to the edge too early. Pushing one marble off often leaves your pushing group stretched along the rim, where it can be pushed in turn.
- Sideways moves are for defence. Sliding a line sideways out of a push, or into a gap, costs no strength and often ruins the opponent’s set-up.
The computer values marbles pushed off, central position and cohesion, and searches deeper on harder levels. In our tests the hard level beat the easy level in every game between them.
If you enjoy pushing and positioning, try Sumo Bump or the connection game Hex.
If you enjoy Marble Push, try Mini Shogi or Nim next.
