Ishido Download (1990 Puzzle Game)

Ishido is a solitaire board game played with tiles (like Shanghai). The objective is to place all of the tiles onto the board and obtain the highest possible score by following specific rules of play. It is a solitaire game. There are ways to play that can dramatically increase the score, which makes the game very strategic in nature. Additionally, when desired, the player can get an oracle reading by asking a question...the question is answered when the player makes a very elegant play (4 way match).

There is also a "construction set" where players can create their own tiles and backgrounds. But the game comes with numerous tile sets and backgrounds.

Ishido: The Way of Stones is a puzzle game of ancient origins, that will immediately invoke comparison to MahJongg, and rightly so. However, rather than removing pairs of matching tiles from a pre-stacked pile, in Ishido you are placing tiles, or stones, as they are referred to in this game. Of course stones must be placed according to some simple rules based on the color and pattern of the stone. Ishido includes detailed rules in-line as well as some pointers on strategy, so I will not go into depth on it now. Take a look at the screen shots to the right for a clue as to how the game plays.

In my opinion, Ishido takes much more thought and patience than MahJongg. Randomly placing stones with little forethought will usually leave you without moves well before all your stones have been placed. Four-ways, which are the true goal of placing your stones, net you a higher score, but require incredible planning and some luck.

The game features several modes of play, multiple board skins, multiple tile sets, and a variety of options. The graphics are more than satisfactory for a puzzle game. The sound effect is limited to stones clicking into place, and there is no music at all. This could be a welcome change of pace though, allowing you to drop in a smooth jazz CD to listen to while you concentrate on winning!

Ishido is a worthy addition to any puzzle lovers collection. It's the perfect game for a little contemplative relaxation on a rainy day. The cliché of a few minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master applies easily to Ishido.

This little known PC version of a popular Japanese board game is similar to Go in that it is easy to learn by hard to master. The object of the game is to fill up the board as much as possible with stones, each of which can be placed only adjacent to a stone that shares either its color or its name. Like all good board games, Ishido is deceptively simple. The more stones that your stone touches, the more points you earnfor that stone. Oriental music and good graphics also add to the atmosphere.

Almost philosophical game. Not just a simple puzzle-game. The rules itself are simple: when you place a stone it has to match the surrounding stones in either color or symbol. Relax while playing. As far as I know this game is based on a long tradition, I don't know much about it, but what I know is that this game is one of the rare classics that you play for years and don't get tired of it. I think I played this game on every computer-system I ever owned (oops - sorry, not on the C16...) and I think this is the best version. Nice graphics add the athmosphere to get into it.

How to run this game on modern Windows PC?

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