This page is based on the Official Trench Rules by Rui Alípio Monteiro.

Concept

• Trench is a two-player abstract strategy game inspired by World War I trench warfare, notably on the Western Front.
• Each player commands an army of military units, navigating a diamond-shaped battlefield divided by a dangerous central trench line.
• The mission: outmanoeuvre the enemy and claim control of the field through tactical combat.

Goal of the game

• A player wins by strategically defeating their opponent’s army.
• Through careful movement and combat, the player will gain the upper hand by capturing enemy units and earning points.

The Board and Setup

• The board is 8x8 diamond-shaped*.
• The board is divided by a trench line, separating both armies.
• Each army starts in formation, mirroring each other across the trench.

Digital (Square) board orientation

Classic (Diamond) board orientation

*Note: for the digital version, there is also the option of orientating the board like a square, in order to use the maximum amount of space available on the screen.

The Units and Movement Directions

Rank	Maximum No. of Steps (No. of Points)	No. of Units (per player)	Movement Directions (Description)	Movement Directions Digital (Square) Orientation	Movement Directions Classic (Diamond) Orientation
Soldier	1	6	Columns and Rows
Sergeant	2	4	Columns and Rows Diagonal forward
Captain	3	3	Columns and Rows Diagonals forward and backwards
Colonel	4	2	Columns and Rows All diagonals (except backwards!)
General	5	1	All directions

• Each player controls a total of 16 units.
• All units can move along the columns and rows (both ways). These are the only directions the soldiers can move.
• Units cannot jump over other units.

Movement Overlays per Unit

Caption: selected player unit (in blue); possible moves (in green)

Rank	Movement Directions Digital (Square) Orientation	Movement Directions Classic (Diamond) Orientation
Soldier
Sergeant
Captain
Colonel
General

Player Turns

• Players take turns moving one unit at a time.
• Black plays first.
• Units move only in one direction per turn (ex.: a unit cannot zig-zag).
• Units may move, per turn, any number of squares, up to its maximum allowed (ex.: a captain can move 1, 2, or 3 squares).
  • Note that the maximum number of steps a unit may move equals to the number of points you gain from capturing such unit.
• A player's turn ends after a move or a capture.
• A player cannot pass their turn.

Capturing Units

• A player captures an enemy unit by moving their unit onto the enemy unit's square.
• Only one capture per turn — unless you're exiting the trench (see The Trench Line).
• Captured units are removed from the board.

The Trench Line

Colonels and Generals can move along the trench (since those are the only units that can move sideways).

Advantages

• Units can capture multiple units when exiting the trench and moving forward, and can keep moving even after capturing.

The Black General is selected and can move to all directions. In some directions, it can capture multiple enemy units.

Selected player unit (in blue); possible moves (in green); possible captures (in red)

• A unit in the trench is protected from frontal and trench attacks — an enemy unit cannot capture it by advancing from its own side, nor can it capture another unit if both are in the trench.

The White General is selected and can only move to 7 directions, because the Black General is in the trench, blocking the path one direction.

Selected player unit (in blue); possible moves (in green)

Disadvantages

• A unit in the trench can be captured from behind — if a player has a unit on the enemy's side, it can move backwards and capture an enemy unit that is inside the trench.

The White General is selected and can move backwards into the trench and capture the Black General.

Selected player unit (in blue); possible moves (in green); possible captures (in red)

• A unit in the trench cannot move backward to capture a unit in its own friendly territory.

The Black General is selected and cannot capture backwards when exiting the trench.

Selected player unit (in blue); possible moves (in green); possible captures (in red)

End of the game

• The first player to capture an opponent's pieces worth 25 points wins.
• If 50 consecutive moves are made without any capture (25 moves for each player), the final score determines the player winner.