/ 
Game-Sternhalma-0.01
/ sternhalma

NAME

sternhalma - the race across a six-pointed star, in a terminal

SYNOPSIS

sternhalma
sternhalma --seats 3 --level 4
sternhalma --seats 4 --people 2
sternhalma --seats 6 --bots all
sternhalma --load saved.txt
sternhalma --seats 3 --bots 1,2 --pipe < moves.txt

DESCRIPTION

Plays sternhalma, which most English speakers call Chinese checkers, for two, three, four or six seats, each played by a person at the keyboard or by the program. See Game::Sternhalma::Terminal for how it is played and Game::Sternhalma for the rules.

Given none of the options that set up a game, and a terminal whose keys it can read, it begins by asking for them.

OPTIONS

--seats n

2 (the default), 3, 4 or 6.

--pieces n

10 (the default), or 15 for two or three seats.

--people n

How many play at the keyboard, as the seats from 0 up; 1 by default. The program plays the rest.

--bots list

The seats the program plays, instead of --people: seat numbers joined by commas, as 1,2, or none, or all to watch the program play itself.

--level n

1 to 4. 3 by default. Level 1 moves any piece forward at random; each level above it looks further.

--seed n

Which of its equally good moves the program makes.

--load file

Carry on with a game written by the save command.

--pipe

For a program at the other end: a move a line in, and a line out for each, ok or the reason it was refused, with the position. See "pipe" in Game::Sternhalma::Terminal.

--no-colour

Draw the board in letters and dots. --no-color is the same, and so is setting NO_COLOR in the environment.

--no-pick

Type moves instead of choosing them with the arrow keys.

--no-unicode

Full stops for the holes, keeping the colour.

--version, --help

Say so and stop.

EXIT STATUS

0 when the game was left in the ordinary way, 2 when the options were wrong or a file could not be loaded.

AUTHOR

LNATION <email@lnation.org>

LICENSE AND COPYRIGHT

This software is Copyright (c) 2026 by LNATION <email@lnation.org>.

This is free software, licensed under:

The Artistic License 2.0 (GPL Compatible)