This program is written in Java, and requires the latest version of Java (version 6) to run. If you have any relatively recent version of Java on your computer (version 4 or higher), then when you download this program by clicking on the icon below, it will automatically download the latest version of Java for you if you don't already have it (that might take a while). If you don't have any version of Java installed, or if the version you have installed is very old, then you'll need to install Java manually before you can download the Hill 218 program. You can do that by going to http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp and selecting the download link for the Java Runtime Environment-- as of this writing, that link is called Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 6 Update 3, but that changes as they release new versions.
When the "Hill 218" program is downloaded for the first time, it will install a shortcut on your desktop, which will look just like the icon below. From then on, when you click on the icon from your desktop, it will automatically go check to see if there's a new version of the "Hill 218" program available. If there is, it will download it for you and then run; if there isn't, then it will just run the version you already have. So, your copy of "Hill 218" will always be up to date!
As of version 1.0, this program has been successfully run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, Linux, and the most recent version of the Mac OS.
When you start the program, you have your choice to play against the computer, or to play over a Local Area Network. You cannot play over the internet. To play against the computer, choose either "computer (normal)" or "computer (easy)" as your opponent. To play against a friend on a local network, one of you must choose to be the "host", and the other must choose to be the "client". The host should start first, and the program will tell you what IP address and port the client will need to type in order to connect.
The rules for the card-based version of this game are included; select the "rules" menu once you have started a game in order to read them. The rules have not been changed to reflect differences necessitated by computer play (for example, they instruct you to "flip" your Air Strike card when you use it, which is not necessary when playing the computer version), but I believe those changes are self-evident and don't need to be documented.
Enjoy!
Click the above icon to install "Hill 218" on your desktop.