Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Which Abstract Games are Fun?

I recently read a great post from Nick Bentley, a connoisseur of abstract board games.  In it, he argues about concretely defining the properties that make a ruleset fun.

Unlike standard board games, abstract games are usually lacking in a tie-together theme.  This can be a barrier to enjoyment for some because players are not immersing themselves the role of a megalomaniac field general or a real-estate cartel in Atlantic City.

What, then, is so attractive about abstract games?  Nick references an article by J. Mark Thompson about what properties of good abstract games.  Nick then adds his own property, speciousness, a False Clarity about good strategies.  From Nick's post:
The greatest games pull this trick over and over – just when you think you’ve learned everything, the scales fall from your eyes yet again, and yet again you realize the game isn’t quite what you thought it was. And then, even after you know better, you’re sometimes tempted to make suboptimal moves because they just feel so right.
This goes beyond a standard of computational hardness and connects with a more psychological aspect. 

My inclination is that speciousness is more common with partisan games than impartial.  Hmmm.  Go enjoy Nick's full explanation to see some examples and follow his thoughts.

6 comments:

  1. Woohoo! Glad you enjoyed my little essay. Consider it recompense for all the nice stuff I've learned at this blog.

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    1. I've been enjoying your posts on the abstract games reddit. Thanks for all of those!

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    2. My pleasure. I really hope that subreddit becomes better known because reddit is my favorite platform for discussion.

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  2. What a great list! They may not be impartial but nearly all of these games are symmetric (save Tafl). As a mathematician I appreciate the symmetry, but as a board gamer I prefer asymmetry!

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    1. Craig, I believe you're talking about Nick's list of iOS-friendly games, is that right? :)

      http://nickbentleygames.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/abstract-games-iphone-ipad-ios/

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  3. That of a excellent listing! They are certainly not self-sufficient however the majority of these game titles tend to be symmetric (preserve Tafl). As a mathematician My partner and i appreciate the proportion, speculate a new aboard game lover I favor asymmetry!

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