Inspiration  

 The Knight's Odyssey draws inspiration from Homer's Greek epic poem and narrates the journey of a character akin to Odysseus, endeavoring to return home following the Trojan War. Similar to Odysseus, the knight encounters various challenges that extend his quest by a decade. However, through unwavering perseverance and loyalty to his family, he ultimately triumphs over the obstacles and achieves a homecoming. The Knight's Odyssey mirrors the theme of overcoming numerous challenges on the journey back home.

The Game Rules Are Simple !      

 
1.) The Knight BEGINS at a designated starting spot and must make its LAST move to a designated ending spot.

2.) Each of the Knight’s moves is conducted in the same manner as a regular knight’s move on a chess board. The Knight can move up or down 2 spaces and then right or left 1 space or move left or right 2 spaces and then up or down 1 space. The combination of the 3 spaces is conducted in a single Knight’s move.

3.) The Knight MUST land on each square EXACTLY one time. If a Knight lands on a square that it has previously visited then the Knight’s Odyssey game challenge will end. GAME OVER!

4.) The total game time for the 5x5 Knights Odyssey game challenge is about 3 minutes and 12 seconds which is approximately 8 seconds per move.

5.) Each move that a Knight makes must be conducted within 8 seconds. If the time reaches 8 seconds and a move has not been made then the game challenge will end. GAME OVER!

6.) The Knight must collect all of the shields and must capture ALL of the Medusas on the 5x5 chess board. The Knight must utilize its shield to protect it from Medusa attacks.

7.) The Knight will have the opportunity to increase the power of its shield throughout the Knights Odyssey game challenge by collecting shields along its path. Each shield collected increases the Knight’s shield power by 1. Each Medusa attack that is blocked by the shield will reduce the Knight’s shield power by 1.

8.) If a Knight has NO shield power to protect it from a Medusa’s attack then a Medusa’s attack will end the game challenge. GAME OVER!

9.) There may be “Magic” squares on the board that will provide clues for solving the game challenge. The numbers on the “Magic” square show the exact step that the Knight must land on that square. If Knight is too late or to early then the Knight will not be able to reach the end square successfully. GAME OVER!

10.) At the end of the Knight’s journey, the Knight must have NO shield power on its last step in order to WIN and to have successfully completed the game challenge! If a Knight has any shield power left then the Knight will have failed in its journey to successfully solve the Knights Odyssey game challenge.

The Knight's Odyssey Characters

The Knight can move from one square to another square in a “1, 2, 1,” “L” shaped pattern ONLY. The number under the Knight icon, in the Status Bar, indicates the current step that the Knight is on. The Knight’s journey will always start with step “1” which is where the Knight begins and will increment for each move made. The goal is for Knight to reach the “Castle” representing the “final square” that the Knight must land on. However, before reaching the Castle, the Knight must land on every other square exactly one time.

The Medusa moves like a queen and can attack horizontally, vertically, or diagonally any number of spaces. The number underneath the Medusa icon, in the status bar, indicates the exact step that the Knight must take in order to capture the Medusa. If the Knight’s captures the Medusa too early or late then the Knight will not be able to successfully capture the Medusa. 

In order for the Knight to protect itself from the direct attack of the Medusa, the Knight must have shield power. The number under the Shield icon, in the status bar, indicates the strength of the Knight’s shield. The Knight can increase or maintain its shield power by landing on a square that possesses a shield. Each attack by a Medusa will lower the Knight’s shield power by 1. If the Knight’s shield power is “0” when a Medusa attacks then the Knight’s journey will end. In order to successfully solve the Knight’s Odyssey, the Knight CAN NOT enter the Castle with any shield strength, it must be at “0”  

The "Magic Square" offers a significant clue, serving as a "BIG CLUE" that discloses the precise time and location the Knight must reach to successfully solve the challenge. Should the Knight arrive either too early or too late at that designated location, the Knight will be unable to successfully complete the Knight's Odyssey Challenge.

Game Play Identifiers

The following describes the various game attributes that affects the overall level of difficulty.                        

Indicates that each square is hot and that you only have a few seconds to sit on it.  During the last 3 seconds a warning clock will appear counting down the time remaining to make your next move.  You must keep moving and plan your next move quickly.                  

Indicates that the puzzle has a limited amout of time to be completed.  A clock will be displayed counting down the remaining time.  Once the time has elapsed the game will end.                        

Indicates if the current square that the knight is on will be removed once the Knight is sent to another square. Like a breadcrumb or footprint to help prevent landing on the same square twice.  When this indicator is not displayed then the squares will not be removed and you then must remember the squares that that has landed on to prevent landing on the same square more than once.