Claw Crossing

Ember and Tide square off across the river. Rank beats rank, traps undo strength, and one bold leap can decide the whole board.

Claw Crossing is an animal strategy board game for one or two players. Eight ranked animals a side, a 7x9 board split by two streams, three snares guarding each lair. Move an animal, take an animal, and get into the opposing lair before your opponent gets into yours.

Small enough to learn in a minute, sharp enough to argue about afterwards.

HOW IT WORKS

• Every animal carries a rank, Elephant 8 down to Rat 1. Stronger takes weaker, or an equal.
• The Rat is the exception: it topples the Elephant, but only from dry land.
• Only the Rat swims. The Lion and the Tiger clear a stream in one leap, unless a Rat is swimming in the way.
• Step onto an enemy snare and your rank drops to 0, where anything at all can take you.
• Win by entering the enemy lair, by capturing every enemy animal, or by leaving your opponent with no legal move.

TWO WAYS TO PLAY

• Solo: you lead Ember against Tide, an opponent that thinks entirely on your device. Three levels, from a forgiving opening partner to one that punishes a loose move.
• Pass and Play: two people, one device. Ember moves first.

Tap an animal and its legal squares light up: gold rings are moves, red rings are captures. Undo takes back the last move. Five illustrated How to Play pages are built from the real board, so the pieces you read about are the pieces you play with.

GOOD TO KNOW No account, no sign-in, no purchases, no subscriptions. Every match plays fine offline; when you are online the game is free with ads, shown between matches. Your wins and streaks are saved on your device, and one tap in Settings clears them.

iPhone and iPad, portrait, in English.