Generic Abstract Games that are Compatible with the Piecepack

When compiling the TaxonomyOfPiecepackGames, it struck me that there were gaps in the types of games invented for the piecepack. I am not a games designer, so I wondered if I could fill some of these gaps using abstract games that already exist and can be played with the piecepack components. I went onto the largest repository of abstract games rules around, The World of Abstract Games and pulled out the following list of games

I was surprised at how difficult it was. There are three main limitations of the piecepack for this purpose:

• Six pieces per player
• Only boards with squares can be made, not hexes or other shapes.
• Only an even number of squares can exist on a side, up to 8x8.

Note that each category of games has a Definite section, which are games I am confident will be workable games, and a Maybe section, which are games that have serious problems, for instance being "solved" - they are included for completeness.

I have not yet had a chance to play all these games. Any that are promising, and I can get permission for, I will try to get included in the piecepack rulebook.

--IainCheyne

Kings and Soldiers

This section covers abstract board games with two set of pieces on each army, usually called the soldier and the King. These games are for two players and played in sequential turns.

Definite

• Boll's Game
• Brandubh
• Farook
• Ithaka
• Ski Jump

Maybe

• Dameta

Soldiers

This page presents games that are played with Go-type stones for two players and played in sequential turns.

Definite

• Awithlaknannai Mosona
• Breakthrough
• Dara
• Fire Drill
• Groups
• Huntsmen
• Jul-Gonu
• Krieg
• Orthokon

Setup for Breakthrough:

Maybe

• A Simple Game
• Dao
• Dawson's Chess
• Dodgem
• Hip
• Northcott
• Regio

Towers

This section covers abstract board games that can be played with stacking pieces. As in the previous sections, they are for two players and with sequential turns.

• Checkers
• Turkish Draughts

Setup for Turkish Draughts:

Comments

• Boards with odd number of squares can be formed by using the whole tile as a 'square'; e.g. a 5x5 board can be be made with a hole in the middle; or 8x3... In addition you can use the intersections instead of the squares and ignore the outside edges, e.g., using four tiles, grid side up, using the intersections and ignoring the edges gives a 3x3 board for games like tic-tac-toe.
• Small hex-type boards can be made in the same way; but staggering the alignment
• To increase the number of pieces per side; give each player 2 piecepack 'sets' (e.g. Arms and Moons; Crowns and Suns). This also works well when each player needs two distinct types of pieces. Pawns/Dice may also be used (total of 32 game pieces). If one player needs few pieces and the other needs more (like in Tablut) one player may use the coin faces while the other uses coin backs.
• Here is a list of games playable with a piecepack from Sid Sackson's book A Gamut of Games.