How to Play Isolation

Isolation is a 1970s board game of shrinking ground: two pawns, a board that disappears one square at a time, and a loser who runs out of places to stand.

The rules

1. The board is 7×7. Blue's pawn starts in the middle of the bottom edge, Red's in the middle of the top edge. Blue moves first.
2. On your turn, step your pawn one square in any of the eight directions onto a remaining square that is empty.
3. Then remove one remaining square that has no pawn on it. Removed squares are gone for the rest of the game.
4. Pawns cannot step onto removed squares or onto the other pawn.
5. The player who cannot step at the start of their turn loses.

Playing on kawu

Tap a dot to step there, then tap the square to remove; the dashed diamonds show what may be removed. The line under the board counts the squares left and each pawn's available steps. Hint shows the hard computer's move. Play either colour against three levels, or two players on one device. Undo is allowed.

Next: Isolation strategy.

Last updated 2026-10-21