boardgamevideo
  • Trending
  • Videos
  • Games
  • Channels
  • Lists
  • Shorts

Explore

  • Home
  • Trending
  • Channels
  • Videos
  • Games
  • Lists
  • Shorts
  • Conventions
  • Year in Review

Browse by type

  • Reviews
  • How to play
  • Playthroughs
  • Unboxing
  • Top 100 lists
  • Featured videos
  • Trending this week
  • Rising games
  • Games with fresh review perspectives

Information

  • About
  • Contact
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

© 2022–2026 BoardGameVideo.com

Powered by BGG
  • Videos
  • Trending
  • Shorts
  • Channels
  • Games
  • Lists
Jan 23, 2022·How to play·03:00·0·Watch on YouTube

How to play Martian Chess

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

Watch “How to play Martian Chess,” a how-to-play guide for Martian Chess from Triple S Games on BoardGameVideo.

Description provided by Triple S Games on YouTube:

Learn the rules to the board game Martian Chess quickly and concisely - This video has no distractions, just the rules. Para verlo en español, mira este video: https://youtu.be/iPMpxpQOB_Q Para assistir em português, confira este vídeo: https://youtu.be/vDxBzV2XylA Play chess online for free here: https://link.triplesgames.com/Play-Chess-Online (As an chess.com affiliate we earn from qualifying subscriptions) Don't own the game? Buy it here: amazon.com - https://amzn.to/33UnAsM amazon.ca - https://amzn.to/3nILv5f (As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases) RULES: The object of the game is to score the most points. There are 3 types of pieces: pawns, which are worth 1 point, Drones, which are worth 2 points, and queens, which are worth 3 points. Layout the board between two players and each player sets up their pieces starting in the back right corner live so: Queens, Drones, Pawns. Each player controls their half of the board, which is called a zone. The middle dividing line separating the two zones is called the canal. Pick a player to go first then turns alternate. On your turn you must move 1 piece on your side of the board. Pawns move 1 space at a time in any diagonal direction. Drones move 1 or 2 spaces at a time either horizontally or vertically in a straight line. Queens move any distance in a straight line horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Pieces may not jump over other pieces. You may not move a piece to the same space as another piece on your side of the board. If you move a piece on a space occupied by another piece on your opponent’s side of the board, then you capture that piece and remove it from the board and place it next to you. You always control ALL, and ONLY, the pieces currently on your side of the board. If you move a piece to your opponent’s side of the board then it stops being a piece you can control until your opponent moves it back to your side of the board. You are not allowed to undo an opponent’s move, meaning if your opponent moves a piece across the canal, you may not move it back to the exact same space on your next turn. However, you could move it back on the turn after that one if you wanted. If you have no queens or drones on your side of the board, you can move two pieces together to combine them into one. A pawn and drone can be combined to make a queen and 2 pawns can be combined to make a drone. This is called a field promotion. Remove the 2 pieces and replace them with a piece of the combined size. If there isn’t a piece available to promote to, then you cannot promote. The game ends as soon as one player’s zone is totally empty. So if you only have 1 piece on your side of the board, you can end the game by moving it across the canal. Each player adds up the points based on the pieces they captured and the player with the most points, wins. If the game gets to a state of deadlock, any player may say during their turn: “call the clock.” From that point on, if 7 moves go by without a capture, then the game ends and points are scored. If a capture happens, then the 7 move count starts over. If the final score is a tie, then the player who ended the game is the winner.

Explore more Videos

  1. Martian Chess Review: Not Of This World11:12
    Martian Chess Review: Not Of This World
    The Dice Tower
  2. Oath: New Foundations - Game 1 of 5 - 4p Teaching & Play-through by Heavy Cardboard3:11:46
    Oath: New Foundations - Game 1 of 5 - 4p Teaching & Play-through by Heavy Cardboard
    Heavy Cardboard
  3. How to play Stabbits2:18
    How to play Stabbits
    Triple S Games
  4. TDG: Cody's Top Ten Epic Solitaire Games (October 2026)18:45
    TDG: Cody's Top Ten Epic Solitaire Games (October 2026)
    The Discriminating Gamer
  5. Azul Kids and Miskatonic Tales! Tiles and Terror Roundup7:26
    Azul Kids and Miskatonic Tales! Tiles and Terror Roundup
    The Dice Tower
  6. Martian Chess is Out of This World6:17
    Martian Chess is Out of This World
    Riffle Shuffle & Roll
  7. How to play Star Realms3:30
    How to play Star Realms
    Triple S Games
  8. How to play Romantasy2:39
    How to play Romantasy
    Triple S Games
  9. How to play Uno No Mercy Attack2:06
    How to play Uno No Mercy Attack
    Triple S Games
  10. How to play Monopoly Stitch0:21
    How to play Monopoly Stitch
    Triple S Games
  11. Kingdom Come Deliverance - Solo Playthrough3:03:46
    Kingdom Come Deliverance - Solo Playthrough
    Gaming Rules!
  12. How to play Whatever3:31
    How to play Whatever
    Triple S Games
Martian Chess

Martian Chess

1995·Andrew Looney

2 - 4 players
20 min
Medium weight: Teach it in one sitting

About Martian Chess, from BoardGameGeek:

Martian Chess is a 2-4 player game that uses Icehouse pieces, requiring one stash per player, and a chessboard. It was one of the games included in Icehouse: The Martian Chess Set and Pyramid Arcade. Much like its namesake, Martian Chess is a game of capturing pieces. Like Chess, Martian Chess is turn based, and played on a chessboard. In both games, players move and capture individual pieces, and each type of piece has distinct moving rules. However, Martian Chess differs from Chess in critical ways: Piece ownership is determined not by color but by location. Instead of capturing a specific piece, winning is determined by points, making it possible to force the end of the game and still win with no pieces left in that player's control. Lastly, Martian Chess easily supports 4 players as well as two, and can also be played with 3, 5 or 6 players if you use geomorphic chessboard sections; see this photo for an example.

Designer

Andrew Looney

Artists

Andrew Looney, Eileen Tjan

Publisher

Looney Labs

Categories

Abstract Strategy

Mechanics

Grid Movement
View on BoardGameGeek ›
Martian Chess

Explore more videos

Martian Chess Review: Not Of This WorldReview11:12

Martian Chess Review: Not Of This World

The Dice Tower

The Dice Tower

Oath: New Foundations - Game 1 of 5 - 4p Teaching & Play-through by Heavy CardboardPlaythrough3:11:46

Oath: New Foundations - Game 1 of 5 - 4p Teaching & Play-through by Heavy Cardboard

Heavy Cardboard

Heavy Cardboard

How to play StabbitsHow to play2:18

How to play Stabbits

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

TDG: Cody's Top Ten Epic Solitaire Games (October 2026)Collection18:45

TDG: Cody's Top Ten Epic Solitaire Games (October 2026)

The Discriminating Gamer

The Discriminating Gamer

Azul Kids and Miskatonic Tales! Tiles and Terror Roundup7:26

Azul Kids and Miskatonic Tales! Tiles and Terror Roundup

The Dice Tower

The Dice Tower

Martian Chess is Out of This WorldHow to play6:17

Martian Chess is Out of This World

Riffle Shuffle & Roll

Riffle Shuffle & Roll

How to play Star RealmsHow to play3:30

How to play Star Realms

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

How to play RomantasyHow to play2:39

How to play Romantasy

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

How to play Uno No Mercy AttackHow to play2:06

How to play Uno No Mercy Attack

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

How to play Monopoly StitchHow to play0:21

How to play Monopoly Stitch

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

Kingdom Come Deliverance - Solo PlaythroughPlaythrough3:03:46

Kingdom Come Deliverance - Solo Playthrough

Gaming Rules!

Gaming Rules!

How to play WhateverHow to play3:31

How to play Whatever

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

How to play Monopoly Brainrot BillionaireHow to play1:41

How to play Monopoly Brainrot Billionaire

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

How to play Football FeudHow to play2:32

How to play Football Feud

Triple S Games

Triple S Games

More videos about Martian Chess

Martian Chess Review: Not Of This WorldReview11:12

Martian Chess Review: Not Of This World

The Dice Tower

The Dice Tower

Martian Chess is Out of This WorldHow to play6:17

Martian Chess is Out of This World

Riffle Shuffle & Roll

Riffle Shuffle & Roll

Related Content

More Martian Chess videos
game

More Martian Chess videos

Home
Videos
How to play Martian Chess