Pond is a combinatorial abstract game similar to Tak and Go. Players place, move, and transform pieces on a square grid to create connected lines of matching symbols. Pieces are removed from the board and scored when matches are made.
Each piece is three-sided, and when transformed, pieces always advance through the three faces in the same order: Egg to Tadpole to Frog to Egg. Each face has unique movement rules. Because pieces can't transform in the backwards direction, players are never able to simply reverse their opponent's previous transformation.
One player uses light pieces, and the other dark. When matching pieces are removed from the board, each player scores their own pieces from the set, regardless of which player created the set. The ability to score for yourself and your opponent creates asymmetrical incentives in otherwise symmetrical board states.
Pond takes 2 minutes to learn and about 10 minutes to play. It can be played in the 4x4 "small" (小) pond for a shorter game with tight quarters, or in the 5x5 "big" (大) pond for a longer, more open game.
—description from the designer