Linos: The Game of Twelve Stones

"From what I have observed among these games, I have gathered what I believe might be a set of rules for Linos. Many of today’s games seem to be its descendants. But my rules are at best a fabrication, a fiction. I have no proof that my guesses are correct." -Galiard Gaspar Ewen, Midsummer's Day, SL 1611

Linos is a classic-style abstract game from the Dew Point universe. James Ernest has challenged himself to make a game with minimal rules and simple pieces, with enough depth that it could still be an enduring (yet mysterious) pastime from a bygone era.

Linos is one of the mysteries from The Conscript, an epistolary novel by a naval officer of Skye. The game was once so popular that no one bothered to write down the rules, and now it survives only as random caches of twelve stones. The author, Galliard Gaspar Ewen, travels the world on many adventures, amassing a collection of games that lends just enough insight to take a wild guess at the mechanics of the original game.

You can buy Linos from our shop if you like, or you can make your own set of pieces. The plans are pretty simple!

• Rules for Linos, V 1.5 (11/10/25)

• How to Play Video

• Play online! Play Linos online in this simple 3D player by Hermit Crab Greg Whitehead

• Prologue to The Conscript, V 1.0 (7/26/23)

We are quite fond of this game, and we continue to seek out valuable feedback. Please let us know what you think, and also let us know if we should encourage James to show off some more chapters from The Conscript.