Abstract Strategy Game

An Abstract Strategy Game is a strategy game that typically has minimal element of chance, minimal thematic elements, and minimal requirement for background knowledge beyond the game rules themselves.

• Context:
  • It can typically require Pure Strategic Thinking through abstract strategy game rule application.
  • It can typically feature Deterministic Gameplay through abstract strategy game state progression.
  • It can typically provide Complete Information through abstract strategy game position visibility.
  • It can typically emphasize Pattern Recognition through abstract strategy game position analysis.
  • It can typically test Planning Ability through abstract strategy game move sequencing.
  • It can typically reward Spatial Reasoning through abstract strategy game piece positioning.
  • ...
  • It can often involve Turn-Based Structure through abstract strategy game alternating moves.
  • It can often feature Zero-Sum Outcome where abstract strategy game victory for one player means abstract strategy game defeat for the other.
  • It can often utilize Simple Game Components such as abstract strategy game board, abstract strategy game pieces, or abstract strategy game tiles.
  • It can often eliminate External Randomizers like abstract strategy game dice or abstract strategy game cards.
  • It can often maintain Elegant Rule Design with abstract strategy game minimal complexity.
  • ...
  • It can range from being a Full-Information Abstract Strategy Game to being a Partial-Information Abstract Strategy Game, depending on its abstract strategy game information visibility.
  • It can range from being a Perfect-Information Abstract Strategy Game to being an Imperfect-Information Abstract Strategy Game, depending on its abstract strategy game hidden element.
  • It can range from being a Simple Abstract Strategy Game to being a Complex Abstract Strategy Game, depending on its abstract strategy game rule complexity.
  • It can range from being a Traditional Abstract Strategy Game to being a Modern Abstract Strategy Game, depending on its abstract strategy game historical origin.
  • It can range from being a Solved Abstract Strategy Game to being an Unsolved Abstract Strategy Game, depending on its abstract strategy game theoretical analysis.
  • It can range from being a Symmetrical Abstract Strategy Game to being an Asymmetrical Abstract Strategy Game, depending on its abstract strategy game starting position fairness.
  • ...
  • It can be played by a Strategy Game Player with abstract strategy game skill.
  • It can be analyzed using Game Theory to understand abstract strategy game optimal strategy.
  • It can foster Cognitive Development through abstract strategy game mental challenge.
  • It can provide Educational Value through abstract strategy game problem-solving practice.
  • It can preserve Cultural Heritage through abstract strategy game traditional practice.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Classical Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
    • Ancient Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
      • Go (Game) for territorial control abstract strategy game.
      • Mancala for seed distribution abstract strategy game.
      • Nine Men's Morris for piece alignment abstract strategy game.
    • Traditional Chess-Family Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
      • Chess for piece capture abstract strategy game with differentiated movement.
      • Xiangqi (Chinese Chess) for positional abstract strategy game with river division.
      • Shogi (Japanese Chess) for piece drop abstract strategy game.
    • Checkers-Family Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
      • International Draughts for diagonal movement abstract strategy game.
      • Turkish Draughts for orthogonal movement abstract strategy game.
      • Alquerque for diagonal jumping abstract strategy game.
  • Modern Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
    • Commercial Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
      • Reversi/Othello for disc flipping abstract strategy game.
      • Connect Four for vertical alignment abstract strategy game.
      • Blokus for territory claiming abstract strategy game.
    • Designer Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
      • Hex for connection forming abstract strategy game.
      • DVONN for stack building abstract strategy game.
      • Hive for piece surrounding abstract strategy game.
  • Grid-Based Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
    • Dots and Boxes for perimeter completion abstract strategy game.
    • Gomoku for line formation abstract strategy game.
    • Amazons for movement restriction abstract strategy game.
  • Combinatorial Abstract Strategy Games, such as:
    • Nim for pile reduction abstract strategy game.
    • Sprouts for node connection abstract strategy game.
    • Hackenbush for graph theory abstract strategy game.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Thematic Strategy Games, such as Settlers of Catan or Twilight Struggle, which incorporate extensive thematic elements and require background knowledge of historical context or setting.
  • Card Games, such as Poker or Bridge, which feature inherent randomness through card shuffling and hidden information.
  • Dice-Based Games, such as Backgammon or Yahtzee, which rely heavily on element of chance through dice rolling.
  • Word Games, such as Scrabble, which require linguistic knowledge beyond pure abstract strategy.
  • Resource Management Games, such as Puerto Rico, which emphasize economic system understanding rather than pure abstract reasoning.
  • War Games, such as Risk, which include both thematic representation and chance elements.
• See: Perfect Information Game, Board Game, Tile-Based Game, Nine Men's Morris, Puzzle, Combinatorial Game Theory, Game Tree Complexity.

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References

2014

• (Wikipedia, 2014) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/abstract_strategy_game Retrieved:2014-11-29.
  • An abstract strategy game is a strategy game that minimizes luck and does not rely on a theme. Almost all abstract strategy games will conform to the strictest definition of: a gameboard, card, or tile game in which there is no hidden information, no non-deterministic elements (such as shuffled cards or dice rolls), and (usually) two players or teams taking a finite number of alternating turns. Many of the world's classic board games, including chess, Nine Men's Morris, checkers and draughts, Go, xiangqi, shogi, Reversi, and most mancala variants, fit into this category. Play is sometimes said to resemble a series of puzzles the players pose to each other. As J. Mark Thompson wrote in his article "Defining the Abstract":

    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, 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.

• (Wikipedia, 2014) ⇒ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_abstract_strategy_games Retrieved:2014-11-29.
  • An abstract strategy game is a board, card or other game with perfect information, no chance or physical skill, and (usually) two players or teams. Some board games which do not involve the removal of taken pieces can be played as pen-and-paper games.

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