Operation Cuckoo (2022)

Overview

Welcome to the battle nest! You have been dropped as an egg in an unfamiliar nest by your cuckoo mother. When you hatch, you notice that your egg was different than the other eggs. But this is your nest, right? So, you want to throw them out. Looking around, you notice another cuckoo. Your competitor! Will you manage to get rid of all other eggs or lure your competitor into a trap? Start the battle.

You take alternating turns, with the starting player going first. Your turn consists of moving one game piece on the board, your turn ends after the movement. There are three different game pieces, each with their own rules for movement.

Game pieces can only move to a space on the board that is empty or occupied by an opponent. Game pieces cannot jump over other game pieces. When you move a game piece to an occupied space, you capture your opponent on this space. Your opponents’ game piece is then removed from the board and your game piece takes its place. There are two basic rules to keep in mind; 1) if you can capture an opponent, you are obliged to. 2) You can only move your game pieces in a forward direction, except when you can capture an opponent behind you.

Your movement options lead to two potential situations; 1) you can capture an opponent, or 2) you cannot capture an opponent.

There are four winning conditions in this battle. 1) All game pieces of your own color are captured, except your own cuckoo. 2) You capture your opponents’ cuckoo. 3) You enter one of the homebases of your opponent with your own cuckoo, thereby taking over their nest. 4) Your opponent enters one of your homebases with any game piece other than their cuckoo, this game piece is now safe from being captured.

—description from publisher