SHIFTI RULES
OBJECT OF THE GAME: To safely cross all four of your pieces to the station diagonally across the board from your home station.
HOW TO PLAY: Set the shift levers at the side of the playing board so that ONLY black appears between the lever handle and the playing board. Players roll both dice to see who plays first, with the player rolling the highest point total playing and selecting their color first. Each player, in turn to the left, then chooses their color, and all players place their four pieces on the matching color square on the board. That square is each player's home station.
Playing pieces may move along the black track ONLY, either sideways, forward on backward. Pieces can NOT move diagonally from square to square to stay on the black track. Pieces stranded on white squares can NOT move at all until the black track is moved back into position underneath them.
1. Each player in turn rolls both dice on each turn, and if two numbers appear on the dice, that player can move EITHER one playing piece the total number of squares along the track as matches the total on the dice OR the player may move two playing pieces on that same turn, moving any one piece the number of squares on any one die and another piece the number on the remaining die.
2. If a number and a star are rolled on the dice, the player has the option of EITHER moving a playing piece of their color the number shown on the dice AND then shifting a lever (shifter) ONE space either right or left OR shifting the lever (shifter) ONE space right or left AND then moving a playing piece the number squares shown on the dice. In this manner, each player can determine for themselves the best strategy to use ... shift, move ... move, shift ... possibly strand another player's piece on a white square.
3. If a number and TWO STARS appear on the dice, then the player has the same options as in 2 above, BUT can now shift EITHER ONE lever (shifter) TWO spaces either right or left OR TWO levers (shifters) ONE space each right or left.
4. If a player rolls stars on both dice, that player loses their turn and play passes to the next player.
5. ONLY ONE playing piece may occupy a square at any time. If a player lands one of their pieces on a square occupied by an opposing piece, the opposing piece is captured and returned to the home station from which they started.
6. Any playing piece may jump a playing piece of the same color along the track, but may NOT jump a playing piece of another color.
7. Playing pieces may enter and leave a station on any track touching the station.
8. Playing pieces MUST enter the station diagonally across from the board from their home station on the EXACT number of moves shown on the dice in that turn OR on a number on the dice HIGHER than the exact number needed.
9. Once a playing piece has entered the station across the board after safely crossing the board, that piece may NOT be re-entered onto the board or captured.
10. The winner is the first player to safely move all four of their playing pieces across the board to the opposing station along the track.