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Basilisk User Guide

Basilisk is a game of skill between two opponents, represented by two snakes.

However these are not ordinary snakes. They are the highly venomous basilisks, which reputedly live in caves below the Gerberbrunnen in Basel, Switzerland.

And Basilisk is not an ordinary game. It has a unique and compelling game play.

Game Controls

Basilisk buttons

The game controls are respectively a skill level toggle with three ascending skill levels, a language toggle, four direction buttons represented by arrows, a settings button, and a reset button, which starts a new game.

Basilisk settings

The settings controls respectively reset the game for two players, reset the game for a game without borders, provide a snake colour toggle, provide help, allow you to return to the game cotrols and reset the game.

Game Play

You are the basilisk emerging from a cave at the top left of the game board. You start the game by choosing an arrow from the control bar to show which direction you want your snake to move (or use one of the other ways to direct the head of the basilisk explained below).

Your opponent is the basilisk that emerges from a cave at the bottom right. You alternate in taking turns to move your snake forward, either left, right or straight ahead. You cannot move backwards or miss a move.

If you make a move which takes you out of bounds at any time, you lose. Your goal is to either land on the square of the head of your opponent's snake - a kill - or to trap your opponent so that they have no available moves other than to go out of bounds - entrapment. Your opponent has the same objectives with regard to you. If you land on a square adjacent to your opponents head, or you land on a square where there are unused sections that would connect to their head, you will likely die!

As the path of the body of the snake is extended, the move is represented on the board by a piece which shows an extension of the snake, and a grey segment. The grey segment represents an unused snake body section.

If a move you make attaches to such an unused body section, your snake absorbs it and is extended beyond it, enabling you to extend your move beyond an adjacent square. If there are more than one contiguous unused body segments, the snake absorbs those too. Both snakes may move through any available unused body segments that either snake has created, and may move over the body of their opponent.

Difficulty

In the default version of the game, you play against the computer. There are three levels of difficulty which you can cycle through by pressing the leftmost control, or pressing 'L' on a keyboard. The lowest level of difficulty is shown with one bar, the middle level with two and the most difficult with three.

You can only change the level of difficulty at the start of a game.

Two Player Game

You can play against another player if you wish, rather than the computer. You do this, before making the first move, by selecting the leftmost option on the settings bar, pressing the square containing the head of the opponent, or by pressing the number 2 on a keyboard. Players then take it in turn to move.

The head of the basilisk whose turn is next is highlighted.

Shortcuts

You can press on the adjacent square of your snake's head to move in that direction. You can use arrow keys on a keyboard. You can press on one of the squares on the edge of the board to go in that direction. And you can press on the square on the board where your move will take you, if there are unusued body segments you can use.

Note that there may be more than one way to get to the square you want to reach. If you want to make a specific move for aesthetic reasons and there is more than one way to get to the square in question, use the arrow keys on the screen or on your keyboard.

If you want to see where your moves will take you, or those of your opponent, click on or touch the relevant snake head.

This does not work, however, if you press on the head of your opponents snake before you make your first move. This will initiate the 2 player mode.

Additionally if you press any square, except border squares, after a game has finished, the game board will be reset for a new game.

Keyboard Shortcuts

If you have a keyboard you can use the arrow keys on the keyboard to move in the indicated direction.

There are also a number of actions you can initiate by pressing keys on the keyboard: (2) Switch to 2 player mode, (3) or (M) Toggle sound effects, (4) or (N) New game, (L) Cycle through levels and (V) Version number of the software release.

Keyboard short cuts are not case sensitive.


The Game of Basilisk

Star Ratings

If you win a game you will receive a star rating. You get one star for each skill level you played the game with. You get an additional star for a kill, as opposed to entrapment. You also get stars if you achieve a win with aplomb, e.g. with very few moves, a low average time between goes, extending the game to almost fill the board, or not looking to see which moves are available to you.

Tactics for Beginners

Remember that the opposing snake can move through unused body segments too. Always see where the next move for the opposing snake may take it.

Leaving segments which you can traverse over yourself later in the game will help avoid you playing at a disadvantage.

At the lowest difficulty level the snake is somewhat myopic and easier to contain than to kill. You can set traps by luring it into a part of the board where it cannot escape or where it can only move into a square where you can kill it. The longer you can evade being killed the more opportunity there is to win by containing your opponent.

Changing the Game Dimensions

The canvas for Basilisk is optimised for most displays. If you want to make it larger or smaller, your device's browser should permit this. e.g. in Chrome, select settings and press the zoom + button. On a phone you can usually use two fingers to do so.

Borderless Game

The second option on the settings menu restarts the game where the game is almost borderless. There are however two 'exits' which in the first handful of moves are losing moves, but then become a magic passage - bringing you back into the game from the other entrance.

Further Information

There is Basilisk on Facebook where you can join the Basilisk community to share your thoughts and get useful tips.

Please feel free to provide any comments to the author here.

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© Nic Oatridge 2021 Basilisk™ US Patent Pending 17/004,710