List of abstract strategy games

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An abstract strategy game is a board, card or other game where game play does not simulate a real world theme, and a player's decisions affect the outcome. Many abstract strategy games are also combinatorial, i.e. they provide perfect information, and rely on neither physical dexterity nor random elements such as rolling dice or drawing cards or tiles. Some board games which do not rely on the removal or movement of pieces can also be played as pen-and-paper games.

N-in-a-row games involve placing and/or moving pieces on a game board attempting to create a layout of N pieces in a straight line (often N=3, but not always). Positional games^[1] involve only playing pieces, with no movement or captures afterwards. Many of these positional games can also be played as paper and pencil games, and these are marked †. (Generally, 3D games are difficult to play on paper.)

Positional "N-in-a-row" games

Non-positional "N-in-a-row" games, i.e. games with movements and/or captures

Blockade games^[2][3] primarily involve moving your pieces, following the game rules, so as to block your opponent from having any move they can make. In symmetric blockade games, both players have the same number of pieces with the same movement capabilities. In asymmetric blockade games, players have different numbers of pieces with different movement capabilities—usually one player having a single piece of greater movement range and the other player having multiple pieces of lesser movement capabilities.

Symmetric blockade games

Asymmetric blockade games

A connection game is a type of abstract strategy game in which players attempt to complete a specific type of connection with their pieces. This could involve forming a path between two or more goals, completing a closed loop, or connecting all of one's pieces so they are adjacent to each other.^[4] Those marked † can also be played as paper and pencil games.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2023)

Annihilation games have as a central goal the idea of capturing or eliminating all of the opponent's pieces before they can capture yours. The rules for how a capture is accomplished vary greatly. A classic example of this category is checkers. Two of the most common forms of capture are jump (one piece jumps an opponent's piece) and custodial (one piece is surrounded by two or more opponent pieces). Both "capture and remove from the board" games and "capture and convert to one of your pieces" games are included in this list.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2023)

These games involve some aspect of counting, especially to determine the relative outcomes of various alternatives at points along the way. Classic examples of this category include the various Mancala games.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2023)

Positional games allow no captures, but require some arrangement of pieces that constitutes a "win". This is a broad category that includes, as sub-categories, both the "All-in-a-row" games and the "Blockade" games. Only the positional games that do not fit into those two categories are included in this list.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (November 2023)

In "hunting" games, one player's pieces are "hunting" the other player's pieces, so that one player is trying to capture the second player's pieces, while the second player is trying to avoid captures, arranging their pieces to surround the hunters, to be protected from the hunters, etc. A classic example of this category is Fox and Geese. These games tend to have the hunter playing a "capture" game while the prey is playing a "positional" game.

These games include hidden information or setup, random elements (e.g. rolling dice or drawing cards or tiles) or simultaneous movement.

• Axis & Allies
• Diplomacy
• Risk

Those marked † can also be played as paper and pencil games.

Bibliography

• D. Hefetz, M. Krivelevich, M. Stojaković and T. Szabó: Positional Games, Oberwolfach Seminars, Vol. 44, Birkhäuser Basel, 2014.
• Michaelsen, Peter, (2014) "Haretavl – Hare and Hounds as a board game", in Sport und Spiel bei den Germanen, M. Teichert, pp. 197–216
• Popova, Assia, (1974). "Analyse formelle et classification des jeux de calculs mongols" in Études Mongoles 5, pp. 7–60.