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Halma is a relatively simple board game in which the end goal is to transfer all your pieces to the opponent’s starting area. Things do get a bit more complex once the game is underway, however, and you will need to plan your moves carefully to achieve victory.

On the face of it, things could hardly be more straightforward. Each opponent starts in one corner of the board, and your goal is to move your pieces to the opponent’s marked starting area as quickly as possible.

The checkers can be moved into an adjacent square in any direction, but can also jump over any other piece on the board.

Of course, simple rules do not make for a simple game, and you will find that even your starting moves can end up making all the difference. It is possible to jump over any number of pieces in succession, which makes it possible to go from one end of the board to the other instantly.

Moreover, you cannot defend yourself by just keeping your pieces in your starting area, as you lose the game if the opponent has at least one checker in your camp while the other squares are also occupied, even by your own pieces.

Two people can play against each other from the same computer, although this can be a bit difficult if you have to share one mouse. An online or LAN multiplayer mode would have been great, but they are not included.

The computer-controlled opponent comes with three difficulty settings, and you can also choose from three starting layouts, as well as change the background color and the color of each player’s checkers.

Halma is a relaxing board game that is fairly easy to understand but requires a great deal of careful planning. It is a lot of fun, and you can play with a friend from the same Mac or select one of the available AI difficulty settings.