Overview
At a glance
Is this game right for my group?
ABG editorial scores on a 1–5 scale.
Easier to teach
High replayability
Highly interactive
Player-count sensitive
Deep strategy
More strategic control
How it plays
How does it play?
Command a mythic champion across a tactical grid, spend a single divine power, and force the opposing god into defeat.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Grid Movement
Move pieces between adjacent spaces on a regular grid.
Once-Per-Game Abilities
Each powerful ability may be used only once during the entire game.
Pattern Movement
Pieces move according to defined geometric patterns.
Square Grid
Use an orthogonal grid where position and adjacent spaces shape movement or placement.
Sudden Death Ending
End the game when a specific timing or state condition is reached.
Read the full game description
Ichor is a sharply focused two-player abstract battle designed by Reiner Knizia. Each side controls a mythological champion moving across a square grid, with movement patterns and positioning determining which spaces remain safe. The objective is immediate and readable—corner the rival or trigger the game’s sudden-death condition—but the path there depends on tempo, geometry, and the threat of each character’s once-per-game ability. Because those powers can radically change a position, simply having one available can matter as much as using it. Turns are quick, information is open, and every move gives the opponent a new tactical resource, producing the clean tension of a traditional abstract with a modern asymmetric twist. Different pairings change the opening priorities and endgame traps without adding procedural weight. Ichor is easy to set up, brisk to teach, and built for rematches where a single square or a power spent one turn too early becomes the whole story.
