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As civilization advanced and societies evolved, so too did strategy board games. New inventions such as printing technology in the 15th century allowed for mass production of game sets, making them more accessible to people from various social classes. Games like backgammon and mancala became popular
161:
There is an intimate relationship between such games and puzzles: every board position presents the player with the puzzle, What is the best move?, which in theory could be solved by logic alone. A good abstract game can therefore be thought of as a "family" of potentially interesting logic puzzles,
432:
As for the qualitative aspects, ranking abstract strategy games according to their interest, complexity, or strategy levels is a daunting task and subject to extreme subjectivity. In terms of measuring how finite a mathematical field each of the three top contenders represents, it is estimated that
138:, have the players build the starting position in a separate initial phase which itself conforms strictly to combinatorial game principles. Most players, however, would consider that although one is then starting each game from a different position, the game itself contains no luck element. Indeed,
185:
Many games which are abstract in nature historically might have developed from thematic games, such as representation of military tactics. In turn, it is common to see thematic version of such games; for example, chess is considered an abstract game, but many thematic versions, such as
104:, could be considered abstract strategy games, despite having a luck or bluffing element.) A smaller category of abstract strategy games manages to incorporate hidden information without using any random elements; the best known example is
293:
was the earliest chess variant to allow captured pieces to be returned to the board by the capturing player. This drop rule is speculated to have been invented in the 15th century and possibly connected to the practice of 15th century
125:
Some abstract strategy games have multiple starting positions of which it is required that one be randomly determined. For a game to be one of skill, a starting position needs to be chosen by impartial means. Some games, such as
87:
Combinatorial games have no randomizers such as dice, no simultaneous movement, nor hidden information. Some games that do have these elements are sometimes classified as abstract strategy games. (Games such as
383:
in 1883, each denouncing the other as a fraud. The game gained considerable popularity in
England at the end of the nineteenth century. The game's first reliable mention is on 21 August 1886 edition of
113:
Traditional abstract strategy games are often treated as a separate game category, hence the term 'abstract games' is often used for competitions that exclude them and can be thought of as referring to
453:
in 2008 to try to find the best abstract strategy games all-rounder. The MSO event saw a change in format in 2011 restricting the competition to players' five best events, and was renamed the
174:, no non-deterministic elements (such as shuffled cards or dice rolls), no simultaneous or hidden movement or setup, and (usually) two players or teams take a finite number of alternating
162:
and the play consists of each player posing such a puzzle to the other. Good players are the ones who find the most difficult puzzles to present to their opponents.
118:
abstract strategy games. Two examples are the IAGO World Tour (2007–2010) and the
Abstract Games World Championship held annually since 2008 as part of the
409:
saw the player go back to Europe during the time just before The Great War, to build alliances with other players, as to secure his safety and victory.
1169:
1043:
1022:
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421:. Abstract strategy games with hidden information, bluffing, or simultaneous move elements are better served by Von Neumann–Morgenstern
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of 10 possible games, whereas chess has approximately 10. As for Go, the possible legal game positions range in the magnitude of 10.
600:
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1111:
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Chinese scholars in antiquity. The earliest written reference to the game is generally recognized as the historical annal
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1443:
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153:
As J. Mark
Thompson wrote in his article "Defining the Abstract", play is sometimes said to resemble a series of
1448:
405:
saw the player try to conquer the world from other players after claiming land at the start of the game, while
675:
279:, represented by the pieces that would evolve into the modern pawn, knight, bishop, and rook, respectively.
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There are also many abstract video games, which include open ended solutions to problems, one example is
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847:
554:
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199:, a game which you must deliver a set amount of shapes, but it is entirely up to you how to do so.
119:
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dating from 3000 BC, found by
British archaeologist Sir Leonard Woolley in the 1920s. In the
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and related games are nearly so but feature a recognizable theme of ancient warfare; and
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Englishmen Lewis
Waterman and John W. Mollett both claim to have invented the game of
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checkerboards, found with their pieces in burial chambers, and the game was played by
1319:
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1143:"Redefining the abstract", by Cesco Reale in Abstract Games Magazine 23, Spring 2022
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is borderline since it is deterministic, loosely based on 19th-century
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is a pure abstract strategy game since it fulfills all three criteria;
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during this time, showcasing different styles of strategic gameplay.
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280–550), where its early form in the 6th century was known as
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is among the oldest known games to still be widely played today.
226:
828:
Hodges, George, ed. (1980). "Shogi history & the variants".
676:"Abstract strategy games and other genres out of scope of IAGO"
393:
After the end of World War 2, these games became more complex.
154:
128:
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Analysis of "pure" abstract strategy games is the subject of
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678:. International Abstract Games Organisation. Archived from
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switching loyalties when captured instead of being killed.
74:
877:(Illustrated ed.). Pearson Education. p. 333.
1114:. Mind Sports Olympiad. August 28, 2011. Archived from
346:
also mentions it. The game was later imported into the
310:
1046:. University of Massachusetts Amherst. Archived from
425:, while those with a component of luck may require
985:
798:Bodlaender, Hans L.; Duniho, Fergus (1996-09-09).
1435:
1071:who patented the Waterman fountain pen in 1884.
901:The sports and pastimes of the people of England
797:
166:Many abstract strategy games also happen to be "
915:
913:
911:
283:was played on an 8×8 uncheckered board, called
144:randomization of the starting position in chess
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752:
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233:is believed to have originated in northwest
150:player dependence on thinking at the board.
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1177:
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550:List of world championships in mind sports
1016:
864:
651:
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455:Modern Abstract Games World Championship
206:
73:
18:
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429:incorporated into either of the above.
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1044:"Warring States Project Chronology #2"
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944:
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603:. Mind Sports Olympiad. Archived from
66:, and features concealed information.
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1133:The University of Alberta Games Group
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839:
595:
593:
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628:"The birth of Fischer Random Chess"
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342:, as being of Egyptian origin, and
13:
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749:Robinson & Estes (1996), p. 34
619:
590:
14:
1460:
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992:Burton, Watson (April 15, 1992).
848:"History of Strategy Board Games"
846:Richardson, Teresa (2023-08-21).
451:Abstract Games World Championship
945:Tilley, Arthur (November 1892).
518:
507:
496:
485:
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157:the players pose to each other:
46:), and in which each player has
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1025:from the original on 2023-03-29
1010:
938:
821:
810:from the original on 2019-03-24
780:. Jean-Louis Cazaux. 2005-07-25
770:
761:
652:Thompson, J. Mark (July 2000).
626:van Reem, Eric (May 31, 2001).
545:List of abstract strategy games
743:
734:
710:
686:
23:The abstract strategy game of
1:
996:. Columbia University Press.
927:. 17 February 1916. p. 1
832:. No. 27. pp. 9–13.
718:"Save 65% on shapez on Steam"
565:
412:
329:mentioned a game, πεττεία or
242:
69:
50:about the game. For example,
440:
401:were released in the 1950s.
7:
1365:Collectible miniatures game
1355:Constructible strategy game
528:
10:
1465:
1423:Tabletop role-playing game
1088:. Beppi.it. Archived from
1082:"Brief history of Othello"
362:was considered one of the
202:
1380:
1328:
1280:
1186:
1138:David Eppstein's CGT page
963:10.1017/S0009840X00186433
502:David M. Pearce (England)
491:David M. Pearce (England)
480:David M. Pearce (England)
469:David M. Pearce (England)
419:combinatorial game theory
256:
1300:Dedicated deck card game
1017:Fairbairn, John (1995).
16:Mental skill based games
1444:Abstract strategy games
925:The Ellensburgh Capital
898:Strutt, Joseph (1801).
804:The Chess Variant Pages
800:"Shogi: Japanese Chess"
654:"Defining the Abstract"
632:The Chess Variant Pages
560:World Mind Sports Games
38:that has minimal or no
1338:Abstract strategy game
1206:Cooperative board game
904:. London. p. 255.
871:Oxland, Kevin (2004).
722:store.steampowered.com
524:Andres Kuusk (Estonia)
513:Andres Kuusk (Estonia)
223:
190:-themed chess, exist.
164:
84:
32:abstract strategy game
27:
1449:Games of mental skill
1418:Social deduction game
1413:Paper-and-pencil game
1290:Collectible card game
1226:Cross and circle game
1067:Note: He was not the
1019:"Go In Ancient China"
947:"Ludus Latrunculorum"
376:(c. 4th century BC).
305:A board resembling a
210:
172:no hidden information
159:
77:
22:
1211:Deduction board game
1196:Adventure board game
951:The Classical Review
555:Mind Sports Olympiad
447:Mind Sports Olympiad
435:game-tree complexity
175:
120:Mind Sports Olympiad
1305:Shedding-type games
874:Gameplay and design
740:Leibs (2004), p. 92
698:sf-encyclopedia.com
682:on August 18, 2011.
656:. The Games Journal
387:The Saturday Review
364:four essential arts
353:ludus latrunculorum
309:board was found in
48:perfect information
1295:Deck-building game
1238:Running-fight game
1112:"MSO XV Pentamind"
921:"Lure of checkers"
767:Bird (1893), p. 63
427:probability theory
224:
170:"; i.e., there is
85:
64:Napoleonic warfare
28:
1431:
1430:
1320:Trick-taking game
1118:on July 22, 2012.
1003:978-0-231-06715-7
884:978-0-321-20467-7
852:The Gamers Guides
694:"SFE: Board Game"
607:on March 25, 2012
317:are specimens of
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1315:Tarot card games
1258:Chinese dominoes
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580:"Abstract_Games"
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535:Connection games
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399:Diplomacy (game)
366:of the cultured
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319:ancient Egyptian
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1403:Icehouse pieces
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1360:Miniatures game
1343:Connection game
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1248:Tile-based game
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540:Game complexity
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449:first held the
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433:checkers has a
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350:under the name
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40:narrative theme
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1179:Tabletop games
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1127:External links
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1092:on 16 May 2009
1086:Othello Museum
1073:
1069:Lewis Waterman
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957:(8): 335–336.
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1050:on 2007-12-19
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584:BoardGameGeek
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36:strategy game
34:is a type of
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1116:the original
1106:
1094:. Retrieved
1090:the original
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1063:
1052:. Retrieved
1048:the original
1038:
1027:. Retrieved
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929:. Retrieved
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736:
725:. Retrieved
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701:. Retrieved
697:
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680:the original
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658:. Retrieved
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605:the original
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368:aristocratic
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323:Queen Hatasu
304:
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239:Gupta Empire
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146:in order to
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31:
29:
1243:Tables game
1233:Legacy game
778:"Ashtapada"
423:game theory
395:Risk (game)
335: [
296:mercenaries
94:, Octiles,
1438:Categories
1348:Tafl games
1265:Train game
1188:Board game
1054:2007-11-30
1029:2007-11-02
931:2009-04-16
857:2024-05-25
814:2012-03-08
784:2013-07-16
727:2024-05-23
703:2022-08-21
566:References
413:Comparison
281:Chaturanga
248:chaturaṅga
220:board game
218:playing a
97:Can't Stop
70:Definition
44:randomness
1408:Piecepack
1388:Dice game
1282:Card game
1221:Race game
1201:Amerigame
1096:4 January
979:246880710
971:0009-840X
441:Champions
407:Diplomacy
373:Zuo Zhuan
286:ashtāpada
277:chariotry
273:elephants
237:, in the
188:Star Wars
142:promoted
78:The game
1398:Megagame
1310:Patience
1253:Dominoes
1216:Eurogame
1023:Archived
808:Archived
660:July 27,
637:July 27,
611:July 27,
529:See also
307:Draughts
265:infantry
263: –
253:Sanskrit
212:Achilles
148:increase
107:Stratego
102:Sequence
91:Continuo
81:Stratego
60:Stratego
1372:Wargame
1181:by type
381:Reversi
332:Petteia
269:cavalry
257:चतुरङ्ग
227:Mancala
203:History
155:puzzles
1000:
977:
969:
881:
516:2013:
505:2012:
494:2011:
483:2010:
472:2009:
461:2008:
275:, and
196:Shapez
129:Arimaa
116:modern
100:, and
1381:Other
975:S2CID
830:Shogi
344:Homer
339:]
327:Plato
291:Shogi
235:India
231:Chess
178:turns
135:DVONN
56:chess
1270:18XX
1098:2015
998:ISBN
967:ISSN
879:ISBN
662:2017
639:2017
613:2017
445:The
403:Risk
397:and
216:Ajax
214:and
132:and
959:doi
30:An
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910:^
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360:Go
337:el
325:.
311:Ur
289:.
271:,
267:,
255::
243:c.
182:.
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52:Go
25:Go
1171:e
1164:t
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