How to Play Mu Torere

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Mu Torere is a two-player abstract strategy game played on an eight-pointed star board. Each player has four pieces and takes turns moving to adjacent empty spaces, with the central hub acting as the critical contested point. The game looks deceptively simple but rewards careful, forward-thinking play.

Its appeal lies in how quickly a position can swing from comfortable to trapped. Games are fast, require no equipment beyond the board and eight counters, and can be played anywhere a flat surface is available. It is well suited to children and adults alike and travels easily.

A little history

Mu Torere is traditionally attributed to the Maori people of New Zealand, where it is regarded as the only indigenous board game of the region that has been widely documented. It was recorded by European observers in the nineteenth century, though the precise age of the game and the full details of its origins are unclear. It has been played as a recreational game within Maori communities and is today recognised internationally as a notable example of Oceanic abstract strategy.

Setting up

1. Place the board so the eight outer points of the star are visible and the central hub (called the putahi) is clear.
2. One player takes four counters of one colour; the other player takes four counters of the second colour.
3. Each player places their four counters on four consecutive outer points of the star, occupying one half of the board. The players' pieces must be adjacent to one another as a block, not scattered.
4. The central hub starts empty.
5. Decide who moves first, traditionally by agreement or a simple lot.

How to play

1. Players alternate turns. On your turn you must move exactly one of your pieces.
2. A piece on an outer point may move to an adjacent outer point if that point is empty.
3. A piece on an outer point may move to the central hub (putahi) if that hub is empty, but only if the piece is adjacent to at least one of your opponent's pieces on the outer ring.
4. A piece on the central hub may move to any empty outer point.
5. You may not pass. If you have a legal move you must make one.
6. Moving to the central hub is restricted: you cannot move a piece to the putahi if it is surrounded only by your own pieces on both neighbouring outer points. It must neighbour at least one opponent piece.
7. The restriction on hub entry is the critical rule. Check it carefully before moving.

Winning and scoring

The player who cannot make a legal move on their turn loses. There is no scoring across multiple rounds unless players agree to a match format, in which case the first to win an agreed number of games (commonly three or five) wins the match.

The fine points

The most common dispute concerns the hub-entry rule. A piece may only move to the putahi if it neighbours at least one opponent piece on the outer ring. 'Neighbour' means the two outer points directly adjacent to the moving piece on the star, not diagonal or extended adjacency. If both adjacent outer points hold only your own pieces, the hub is off-limits for that piece on that turn, even if the hub itself is empty.

A second frequent question is whether a player may choose not to move to the hub when they legally could. They may. Moving to the hub is always optional provided another legal move exists. However, if the only legal move available is to the hub, they must take it. If no legal move exists at all, that player loses immediately. Draws are theoretically possible through indefinite repetition, and most players agree in advance that threefold repetition of position results in a draw, though this outcome is rare in practice.

How to win more often

• Keep your four pieces as a connected block for as long as possible. Spreading them across the board early makes it easier for your opponent to isolate and trap individual pieces.
• Control the putahi. A piece on the central hub has maximum mobility and threatens every outer point. Denying your opponent the hub while keeping it available to yourself is the central strategic tension of the game.
• Count your opponent's legal moves before you move. The winning idea is to reduce their options to zero, so work backwards from positions where they are nearly trapped.
• Be cautious about moving the piece on the end of your block. The pieces at the edges of your group are most vulnerable to being cut off from the rest.
• Look at least two moves ahead. Because the board is small, most positions can be read to their conclusion with practice. Players who visualise the position after their opponent's likely response consistently outperform those who react move by move.

Variations

Match Play

Rather than a single game, players agree on a target number of wins, commonly three or five. This format rewards adaptability because the losing player can observe what trapped them and adjust in the next game. It also reduces the impact of a poor starting decision.

Alternate First Move

Because the first player holds a slight initiative, some players alternate who moves first across a series of games to keep the contest balanced. Wins are tallied across the full series rather than game by game.

Draw Rule by Repetition

The standard game has no explicit draw rule, but in longer sessions players often agree that if the same board position occurs three times with the same player to move, the game is declared a draw. This prevents the rare but possible loop where neither player can force a win.

Handicap Setup

When an experienced player faces a newcomer, a simple handicap is to allow the weaker player to place their four pieces in any outer positions rather than as a consecutive block, giving them more starting flexibility. The stronger player still starts from a standard consecutive block. No other rules change.

Mu Torere: frequently asked questions