Game of Istaffat

The Game of Istaffatis one of the traditional games in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It relies on the player's skill to plan and can only be played by two players. The game requires small stones or any solid objects that each player can distinguish, along with a designated playing area marked in a specific pattern.

The game of Istaffat does not require many tools. Each player only needs three distinguishable stones or any solid objects of an appropriate size and recognizable shape. To prepare for the game, the ground, or the playing area in general, is marked with a square. Four diagonal lines are drawn, intersecting the square's sides and corners. One straight line extends from the midpoint of one side to the midpoint of the opposite side, and another line is drawn similarly. The remaining two lines are drawn diagonally, connecting one square corner to its opposite far corner. These four lines intersect at the center of the square, forming nine intersection points that serve as the game's stations.

The two players usually have a draw before starting to determine who will begin the game. The game starts with one player placing a stone on the playing area, and they take turns until all six stones are placed. Players can then move their stones in any direction, provided that they move only to an adjacent station.

The game relies on intelligence and good planning. Each player aims to achieve the main objective, which is aligning their stones within the designated stations without any of the opponent's stones interrupting the sequence.