SETO Rulebook
The Board & Pieces
The Piece Placement
The Piece Placement
The Board /SETO is played on a four-by-four board called the Main Play Area (MPA). Each player has eight playing pieces: four square-shaped and four circle-shaped, each bearing a Triangle, Circle, Square, or X symbol. Pieces
The Piece Placement
The Piece Placement
The Piece Placement
Players take turns placing their pieces in the designated starting positions. White places its square and circle pieces first, followed by Red, creating the standard SETO starting layout.
The Piece Movement
The Piece Placement
The Piece Movement
Every playing piece moves according to its symbol—Triangle, Circle, Square, or X. Master each movement to gain a strategic advantage.
The 20 Patterns
The Opening & the Key
The Piece Movement
SETO includes twenty scoring patterns. Eighteen require four pieces of the same shape—either all squares or all circles. Luna and Stella require all eight pieces, combining both shapes.
The Opening & the Key
The Opening & the Key
The Opening & the Key
The last piece moved to complete a scoring pattern is designated as the Ace. The remaining participating pieces are collectively designated as the Relay.
The Score
The Opening & the Key
The Opening & the Key
Move your playing pieces according to their movement symbols, form scoring patterns, earn points, and prevent your opponent from doing the same.
The Break
The Return
The Return
Break: After a player scores a pattern, the opponent must move one of the three Relay pieces to any available square. The Ace cannot be moved. After the break, the opponent takes their turn.
The Return
The Return
The Return
A Return occurs when a Key or any piece positioned outside the board re-enters the 4×4 Main Play Area. There are three types of Return: Return by Vacancy, Return by Pattern.and Return by Jump.
The Switch
The Return
The Switch
The Switch allows a player to switch the positions of two pieces of the same color and movement symbol, but with different shapes. Each movement symbol may perform one Switch per game.
The Vault
The Ace & the Relay
The Switch
The Vault is a one-time special move that allows a Triangle or Square piece to jump over one opposing piece. Each player may use it only once per game.
The Ace & the Relay
The Ace & the Relay
The Ace & the Relay
The last piece moved to complete a scoring pattern is designated as the Ace. The remaining participating pieces are collectively designated as the Relay.
Orbit
The Ace & the Relay
The Ace & the Relay
Orbit allows a player to move an outside piece around the perimeter of the Main Play Area to improve its position for a future return. After using Orbit, the player must make one normal move inside the Main Play Area before using Orbit again.