Ishido: The Way of Stones

Publishing International

Industry	Video game development
Key people	Michael Feinberg (design lead), Ian Gilman (programmer), Michael Sandige (programmer), Brad Fregger (producer), Brodie Lockard (graphics)
Products	Ishido: The Way of Stones

Ishido: The Way of Stones is a puzzle video game released in 1990, developed by Publishing International and distributed by Accolade. The design was led by Michael Feinberg, with programming handled by Ian Gilman and Michael Sandige. Brad Fregger served as producer, while Brodie Lockard—famed for creating Shanghai—contributed to the graphics.

Gameplay

The game board consists of 96 squares and includes 72 stones, each stone characterized by two features: one color selected from six possibilities and one symbol also from six options, resulting in 36 distinct combinations. Players aim to place every stone on the board so that adjacent stones share either the same color or symbol. A notable strategic element is the 4-way placement, where a single stone touches four others that all match in both color and symbol.

Players can choose from six different themed stone collections, five unique board layouts, and enjoy various Oriental-inspired sound effects.

Release history

Originally slated for a 1989 launch by Epyx but postponed, the first limited edition was produced by Publishing International. This version was sold in a handcrafted walnut box designed for Macintosh computers at a price of $495. In 1990, Accolade released the initial mass-market edition for Macintosh, which was subsequently ported to DOS, Amiga, Game Boy, and Sega Genesis platforms. Additional versions appeared on the Famicom Disk System (1990) and Atari Lynx (1991). A related adaptation named Stones was included in the Microsoft Entertainment Pack.

The Sega Genesis edition became notable due to its involvement in the Sega v. Accolade copyright lawsuit.

In 1992, ASCII introduced a physical board game version in Japan.

Reception

The Macintosh version of Ishido received acclaim from Compute!, which described it as "addictive ... a peaceful encounter with an Oriental flavor." The New York Times referred to it as "one of those deceptively simple games, like Go, that gradually reveal their subtleties ... most engrossing." Computer Gaming World emphasized its depth and attractive VGA visuals, noting its appeal to both beginners and seasoned strategy enthusiasts. The Atari Lynx port earned a perfect score of 5 out of 5 stars in Dragon issue #181. Entertainment Weekly awarded it a B+ rating.

Ishido received a 'Five Mice' rating from MacUser, which hailed it as a "flawless" strategy title following the "a minute to learn, a lifetime to master" philosophy, though it criticized the high price of the limited edition. According to PC Magazine, the game is easy to pick up yet offers enough challenge for prolonged engagement. In 1995, the reissued version earned 4 out of 5 mice from MacUser. Additionally, Macworld honored the Macintosh edition as Best Brain Teaser of 1990, commending its strategic complexity, captivating graphics, and customizable game pieces; it was also inducted into their Macintosh Game Hall of Fame.

Oracle and legend

Embedded within Ishido is an oracle mechanism inspired by the ancient Chinese text I Ching (Book of Changes). Players may ask a question and then contemplate it while playing; when they achieve a '4-way' match, an algorithm modeled on the traditional yarrow stalk method produces an answer.

Michael Feinberg created an original translation of the I Ching specifically for this game, synthesizing interpretations from Wilhelm/Baynes and Anthony.

The package included a 20-page booklet titled "The Legend of Ishido," which narrates a fictional tale about a Taoist monk who discovered the game in China during 1989. Despite being invented lore, many players believed that Ishido was an ancient game recently uncovered.

External links

• Ian Gilman's page for Ishido
• Ishido: The Way of Stones on MobyGames
• Birrell.org web edition