Dara (also Doki or Derrah) is played across northern Nigeria, Niger and Chad, traditionally with sticks and stones in holes scooped out of sand. Making three in a row does not win the game — it lets you remove one of your opponent’s pieces.
Variant implemented
Dara on the 5×6 grid: 12 pieces each dropped one per turn (no three-in-a-row during the drop), then orthogonal slides; each new three-in-a-row removes an enemy piece.
Board and pieces
A 5×6 grid of thirty cells, traditionally scooped into sand.
Setup
Twelve pieces each, all in hand.
Turn
Players alternate placing one piece per turn until all twenty-four are down. After that, move one piece one step orthogonally to an adjacent empty cell.
Capture and scoring
Making a new line of three of your own pieces lets you remove one enemy piece. Only rows and columns count — diagonals do not.
Win condition
Reduce your opponent below three pieces, or leave them unable to move.
Draw condition
A long stretch with no capture and no progress is a draw.
Special rules
You may not complete a line of three during the placement phase. That restriction shapes the whole opening.
Computer opponent
Alpha-beta with an evaluation counting material and near-lines.