Aera

Aera was published by New Dimensions of Corvallis, OR, and reviewed in GAMES, April/May 1987. The games was for two players, Red and Blue, each has 6 pieces in his own color, numbered 1 to 6. There is, first a drop phase, then a movement phase with each phase being in numerical sequence. For the dropping phase Red drops 1, then Blue drops 1. Red drops 2, then Blue drops 2, and so forth through Blue dropping 6. Now the movement phase starts. The pieces are now moved in numerical sequence. So Red moves his 1, then blue moves his 1. Red moves his 2, then blue moves his 2 and so on. In addition the pieces are started with the silver side up. When the pieces are played a second time, then they are flipped to the other side, gold, to help keep track of the sequence. The object is to score points; one point is scored by forming a line of four of the players pieces, either orthogonal or diagonal. The first player to score six points wins. The original pieces, according to the review, were not numbered. The "1" was a clear acrylic disc showing a circle, the "2" was an vesica piscis (oval with pointed ends), the "3" an equilateral triangle, "4" a square, "5" a pentagon, and "6" a hexagon.