About Hidden Pearl
Hidden Pearl is a strategic two-player board game by AK Games where pearls are concealed beneath thimbles and moved across a 9×9 board — a fresh take on classic tabletop strategy that's easy to learn and hard to master.
How to Play Hidden Pearl
Two players face off on a 9×9 board. Each starts with 18 thimbles — golden or silver, arranged in two rows on opposite sides — and 3 pearls. Before play begins, each player secretly hides one pearl under each of three chosen thimbles.
Objective
Move your own pearls, or any captured opponent pearls, to the opponent's back row. Once a pearl reaches that back row, click the thimble covering it to extract the pearl. The first player to extract 3 pearls wins. If a player runs out of legal moves, whoever has extracted the most pearls at that point wins.
Taking Turns
Golden thimbles move first — each player's color is randomly assigned at the start. On your turn, move any one of your thimbles one cell in any of the eight directions, identical to a king's move in chess.
Capturing and Stacking
Moving onto an opponent's thimble stacks the two pieces. After stacking, choose either to remove both thimbles from the board or to immobilize the opponent's thimble by leaving yours on top. When a thimble is removed and a pearl is revealed beneath it, cover that pearl immediately with one of your own thimbles to capture it.
FAQ
How many thimbles and pearls does each player start with?
Each player begins with 18 thimbles and 3 pearls. At the start, one pearl is secretly hidden under each of three chosen thimbles.
What happens when you stack your thimble on an opponent's?
After stacking, you choose: remove both thimbles from the board, or keep yours on top to immobilize the opponent's piece. If removing a thimble exposes a pearl, you can capture it by covering it with one of your own thimbles.
Which color moves first, and how is it decided?
Golden thimbles always move first. Each player's thimble color — golden or silver — is randomly assigned at the beginning of the game.
What triggers the end of the game if nobody extracts 3 pearls?
When a player has no legal moves remaining, the game ends immediately. The player who has extracted the most pearls at that point is declared the winner.
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