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HUGO KASTNER RECOMMENDS

HARE AND TORTOISE

1^st Game of the Year

Dear readers! With this game as 1st winner of the today so highly appreciated award “Game of the Year” in 1979 a new era did begin for parlour games and board games. This opinion should not be taken for a pathetic exaggeration, because the brilliant and creative British author of books on card and board games, David Parlett, managed to open new horizons for board games by his mix of well-seasoned movement elements and novel forward/backward turn elements. By the name “Hare and Tortoise“ (Hase und Schildkröte) British game enthusiasts could already enjoy the pleasure of eating up lettuce, harvesting carrots and unusual hedgehog movements in the „wrong“ direction. The name is reminiscent of the fable “The Tortoise and the Hare”, that is attributed to Greek author Äsop. The fable tells the story of the presumptuous hare that is challenged fo a race by the tortoise. Sure of his victory the haughty hare takes a nap only to be finally overtaken by the staid and deliberately moving tortoise. The leap from board game to sensationally successful board game was taken by the game in Germany, where the title was changed to “Hase and Igel”, Hare and Hedgehog, reminding one of the tales of the Brothers Grimm. In this tale the cleverness of a pair of hedgehogs from Buxtehude positioning itself at both ends of a field furrow turns into disaster for the hare which literally runs for his life. Whenever the hare reaches the end of the furrow, the supposedly sole opponent is already there, grinning. This story became so well-known that the saying “A game of hare and hedgehog” grew part of the colloquial language for taking unfair advantages.  In the Austrian Games Museum in Leopoldsdorf unfair is never an issue, because Hare and Tortoise, too, is played in strict adherence to the rules. We invite you to participate in a race! www.spielen.at.

A close look into the light cone of games history reveals that David Parletts game board for Hare and Tortoise features exactly 63 squares and thus ties in with the oldest, most popular and mythically transfigured movement game of all, the “Game of Goose”. Very probably Parlett, a designer with lots of knowledge in games history, kept an eye on the symbolic character of his game as well as on the play content. The aim of the game is simple and appropriate for families, and so is the fairytale board: You want to be the first to cross the finish line. But already at this point Parlett’s ingenious perniciousness comes into play: A high consummation of carrots is necessary to move forward fast, and further supplies of those carrots can only be obtained by moving backwards onto hedgehog squares. And don’t forget, the more squares you want to cover in one move, the more carrots this move takes up according to a number series taken from Pascal‘s Triangle.  Higher mathematic, then, in a family game marked “for children, ages 8 and up?  But no need to worry, the came offers simple tables for easy use; and for short distances the numbers are easily added: 1 step = 1 carrot, 2 steps = 1+2 carrots, 3 steps = 1+2+3 carrots, 4 steps = 1+2+3+4 carrots, and so on. A last sum for your information: To cover a distance of 10 steps you must eat up exactly 55 carrots on the way! The backwards move to obtain carrots must be ended on hedgehog squares, where you receive a multiple of 10 carrots depending on the distance covered. Furthermore, there are number and flag squares, which bring the relative positions of the playing pieces into play and offer additional carrot supplies according to these positions. The lettuce squares, on the other hand, make you lose a turn to eat up one of your lettuces. Finally, 13 Hare squares serve as chance element, yielding positive or negative influence on the running of the race. And if you thing you have run ahead fast enough, pernicious-minded Mr. Parlett has a last hurdle for you: To pass the finish you must not have more than 10 carrots. So careful carrot management is necessary from the beginning, because getting rid of carrots can be even harder then acquiring them! And now, let’s find the nearest furrow!

Comments to: hugo.kastner@chello.at Homepage: www.hugo-kastner.at

TIP # 57

Designer: David Parlett

Cost: 20 €

Year: 1978

Player: 2-6    

Age: ab 8   

Time: ab  60 Min.  

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Strategy/Tactics   Info± Chance

Luck and tactics are evenly balanced in this classic game by David Parlett. Therefore it is not surprising that the recommendations for suitable age vary from a too “child-friendly” 8 to 10 to 12, depending on the respective issues of the game. The average value seems more or less fitting, even if a child probably will put too much emphasis on using up the carrots fast and will equally probably not properly appreciate the hedgehog positions. But you did just read the appropriate hint!  

Hugos EXPERT TIP

Do not forget the possibility of „big“ jumps, especially well targeted ones. Because only these jumps let you hope for a timely arrival in the labyrinth of Hare and Tortoise. And remember well to eat up your lettuces on time!

Hugos FLASHLIGHT

Many a critic has called „Hase und Igel“ a timeless masterpiece. This opinion is wholeheartedly shared by the author of “Highlights among Games“. How wonderful it is to handle the carrots and lettuce heads, how elegant and beautiful the continuous to and fro on the board reminding one of fairy tales. Besides its enormous historical weight “Hare and Tortoise” offers an equally enormous amount of arithmetic and attractive play..

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„… the basis of European game culture“