Questions tagged [board-games]
A board game is a game that involves counters or pieces moved or placed on a "board" according to a fixed set of rules.
116
questions
2
votes
1answer
71 views
Peg Solitaire variant: from 48 on an 8x8 board
Looking at David Ahl's Basic Computer Games, one of the programs that caught my eye was One Check.
It's like Peg Solitaire, which I've figured, but it's on an 8x8 board with the 4x4 inner bit hollowed ...
6
votes
3answers
449 views
Only kings and horses
This is the fourth entry in my decentralised or "Swiss" chess mini series. See bottom for a recap of the modified rules of Swiss chess.
Enough warm up! It is time for a proper Swiss chess ...
14
votes
5answers
1k views
Shooting them blanks (double optimization task)
I don't know the answer, I just state that this problem could be interesting.
Best estimate gets the tick.
"Battleships" game field (at least, in the USSR version I used to play) is a 10x10 ...
16
votes
1answer
1k views
But She Don't Care
Eve was visiting Alice and Carol's house and looking through the stuff on their side table, as she does. Eventually, Alice came back from the kitchen and Eve waved a piece of paper she had found in ...
11
votes
2answers
602 views
Advantage, Black!
In chess, the white player makes the first move. It is generally understood that this gives white a minor advantage, with a win rate of 52-56%.
In this initial position, white actually has checkmate ...
24
votes
1answer
459 views
Chain Puzzle: Tabletop Games #10 – Risky Finale
This is the tenth and final Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. Once this puzzle is solved, this Chain ...
6
votes
1answer
190 views
Plus-sized amoeba escapes
As an extension to @WhatsUp 's question here, the rules of which are included below, with the following differences:
In one of the squares, there lives an amoeba (marked as a circle in the following ...
21
votes
2answers
737 views
Amoebas escaping the prison
There is an infinite grid of squares.
In one of the squares, there lives an amoeba (marked as a circle in the following pictures).
Amoebas cannot move, but they can perform their unique action: an ...
18
votes
1answer
519 views
Chain Puzzle: Tabletop Games #09 - “The” Cryptic Movies
This is the ninth Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. The answer to this puzzle is a thematic word or ...
17
votes
1answer
458 views
Chain Puzzle: Tabletop Games #08 - Targui, or not Targui
This is the eighth Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. The answer to this puzzle is a thematic word or ...
15
votes
2answers
643 views
Chain Puzzle: Tabletop Games #06 - So Sorry
This is the sixth Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. The answer to this puzzle is a thematic word or ...
10
votes
1answer
476 views
Chain Puzzle: Tabletop Games #03 - Down and out in London
This is the third Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. The answer to this puzzle is a thematic word or ...
18
votes
1answer
527 views
Chain Puzzle: Tabletop Games #01 - Let's Play
This is the first Chain Puzzle in the Tabletop Games series, in which all puzzles are themed around board games, card games, tile games, and the like. The answer to this puzzle is a thematic word or ...
5
votes
2answers
185 views
7x7 Knight's tour: Minimal proof for universality on black squares
We already know that 7x7 board cannot have a closed Knight's tour, and it cannot start or end at a white square if R1C1 is black. But our knowledge about 7x7 Knight's tour is still limited. So here is ...
5
votes
1answer
181 views
Move chess pieces to flip starting position in center
The white pieces in the above position should maneuver themselves into the flipped starting position (i.e. king in e3). All pieces makes regular moves within the 4x4 center squares. By removing a pawn ...
7
votes
1answer
257 views
A Game of Black and White
Two people are playing a board game that involves dice. However, one of the players has rigged the dice so that they get the highest possible roll on every turn, while the other player gets a random ...
-4
votes
1answer
112 views
What number should be placed in that last slot? [closed]
I came across a very difficult puzzle.
What number should be placed in that last slot?
I only know 16 is not the correct answer, because 11 is before 10.
3
votes
2answers
205 views
An Eastern Jackpot
Normally I'm for 9
Exceptionally I'm for 13
To east, I am from heaven
To other directions, I am from earth
The brightest primary color
You either care about 1 and 9
Or entirely forget about numbers
...
18
votes
2answers
535 views
Where am I supposed to be tonight?
This is bad. Really bad.
We’ve only just met, and you don’t know me from Adam, but I really need your help – it’s a matter of national security.
I work for… well, let’s just say I work for the ...
1
vote
2answers
209 views
Intellectual numerical puzzle of different sizes
There is an intellectual puzzle 3x3, as in the photo:
You need to get an ordered set by moving the buttons through an empty area, like:
Question: Is a 4x4, 5x5, 6x6 game possible?
Sub-question: Does ...
4
votes
1answer
138 views
Homeworlds: Mercury in Retrograde
Consider the following position in a game of Binary Homeworlds.
...
31
votes
2answers
1k views
Alice and Bob invent a game
The rain was still falling in Wales, and Alice and Bob were terribly bored of having to stay inside the caravan. With just a deck of cards to entertain them they had played all of the card games in ...
5
votes
3answers
381 views
Playing the Square Chess
On an ordinary chess board (8x8) without any pieces on it as a starting position, two players will alternately place a pawn on any square (unoccupied) so that the first player that form a square (...
6
votes
3answers
258 views
Homeworlds: War Games
Here's my second Homeworlds problem! (My first was Homeworlds: Mini Doomsday Machine.)
...
7
votes
1answer
302 views
Homeworlds: Mini Doomsday Machine
Loosely inspired by Allumwandlung, here's my first attempt at a Binary Homeworlds problem in the same vein as Simple, Monopoly, Inheritance or Insurance Fraud, and Blastdoor.
...
27
votes
5answers
6k views
Shortest game of Monopoly
This video claims that the fastest game of monopoly involves 4 turns and 9 rolls of the dice. I am wondering if this is actually the shortest game or can we do better in theory? What is the ...
3
votes
2answers
186 views
Black War Heroes or Whites Save the Queens?
After Black Cavalry successfully captured White princesses,
White empire learns their Black opponent is hungry for more and wants White Twin Queens dead!
White will never let such a disaster happen ...
8
votes
4answers
1k views
What was the last move made in this game?
What was white's last move in the game shown below?
Note: This is a screenshot taken from an actual game and all moves made were legal.
ETA: The last move played by white was the last move of the ...
3
votes
1answer
168 views
What is the name of this game?
Around 15 years ago I remember playing on my computer with this game I loved. But it turns out I never knew its name and so, I can't find it anywhere now when I want to play it again.
So, I've had ...
10
votes
2answers
180 views
What is the minimum-sized Blokus board which can contain all pieces?
Rules:
Each player has the twelve pentominoes, five tetrominoes, two trominoes, one domino, and lone square. These may be flipped and rotated in any manner.
The board on which these are to be placed ...
14
votes
2answers
421 views
Gliding through an ice-maze
Two men are trapped in an icy cave. Nowhere to go, except for two small holes in the ice, heading down. Only by working together, they can get deeper into the cave, hopefully finding a way out. Will ...
14
votes
2answers
1k views
Twelve Labours - #02 Lernaean Hydration
This puzzle is part of the ‘Twelve Labours’ series. Previous instalments can be found here: Prologue | 01
His first labour now complete, Hercules made his way up the street to the storage depot for ...
9
votes
2answers
456 views
Minimum number of turns to capture all pieces in Checkers
On an 8x8 checkerboard, there are 12 red kings and 1 black king. The kings behave as they would in any normal game of checkers, being able to move in any diagonal direction one space and jump any ...
40
votes
2answers
1k views
Magic Maze Puzzle
Inspired by the board game, Magic Maze
Set-up:
Cut out each 4x4 tile, and the four small tokens (orange, yellow, green and purple), from the provided image below. Place tile 1 on a flat surface with ...
7
votes
2answers
517 views
Marbles on a Mancala Board
I would like to introduce an ancient African board game I've just invented.
Until someone comes up with a better name, it's called Marble Mancala.
The rules are pretty simple:
There are two ...
6
votes
1answer
254 views
Don't bully your cousin at Reversi
Title (only) inspired by Don't bully your little sister at chess
Prologue
Well, this happened when I played Reversi with my cousin a few days ago...
I, not being as nice as @Arnold ...
18
votes
1answer
1k views
A game of red and black
Two players, red and black, play a game. The outcome is as follows:
CCCBBABCDFBBDDE
Who won the game, and what game were they playing?
HINT:
3
votes
0answers
333 views
How to solve this specific situation in 2048?
In trying to develop and perfect my strategies, I've been playing 2048-undo.
This is what I got myself into:
Since this is not an uncommon situation and I still don't know how to properly get out of ...
10
votes
3answers
390 views
Black to play and win (Teeko)
$$\def\S#1{\phantom{\Space{18px}{22px}{0px}}\llap{#1}}
\begin{array}{|c|c|c|c|c|}\hline
\S{}&\S{}&\S{}&\S{}&\S{}\\\hline
\S{}&&&&\\\hline
\S{}&&X&O&X\\\...
-1
votes
1answer
56 views
Traversing a grid
I'm wondering if there's a way to check if every square of a board can be visited such that every time you move to a new square, it can't be in the same row, column, or diagonal as the previous square....
5
votes
1answer
247 views
What is the optimal way to play standard Battleship?
I've seen the questions on this site with modified Battleship, but I haven't seen one for the standard variation.
So - what is the optimal strategy to win this game?
17
votes
2answers
576 views
What is the optimal strategy for this triangular board game?
I saw a board game somewhere and I want to know the optimal strategy for it.
The game is played on a triangular board with 21 slots:
The two players, red and blue, take turns to put numbered circles ...
26
votes
3answers
2k views
Unfinished Snakes and Ladders
An entry for Fortnightly Topic Challenge #40, have fun with non-Chess puzzle! ;)
Three young children: Red, Green, and Blue; were playing a classic game of Snakes and Ladders, when suddenly their mom ...
7
votes
2answers
234 views
Retrograde Go Problem (Some Assembly Required)
An entry into the Fortnightly Topic Challenge #40.
In case you aren't familiar with the rules of go, the information in the basic rules section of the Wikipedia page should be enough to solve this ...
7
votes
5answers
280 views
Selecting the starting player [closed]
The board game is about to begin. And suddenly we realize that we need to decide the starting player. The dice procedure is tiresome. And we can't find our dice right now. Or any other artifact that ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
How many Dobble symbols are there? [closed]
The game of Dobble (will edit in a link later) involves a set of bespoke playing cards covered in symbols or small pictures - a dog, an arrow, a pencil, a tree etc.
Each card contains eight such ...
6
votes
1answer
279 views
Poker Chips on the board
You are in a casino and a weird game is happening where there is a grid-board $11$x$11$ and people are trying to put some chips on them. After hearing the rules you want to play it too, the rule is ...
6
votes
0answers
343 views
Best moves for a 7X7 4 queen board
There is a 7x7 board and 2 players, each having 2 queens. The queens can move just like the queens in chess, but cannot capture each other. At the beginning, the first player places both the queens on ...
4
votes
1answer
342 views
50 cm x 50 cm board filling with polygons
Comes up with this puzzle idea while watching the little kids play. Warning first of all - I don't have an answer for it so it might be a joint effort to find out the best answer. Here we go:
...
1
vote
1answer
533 views
Stepladder Puzzle 2: Edge surfing
Continuing the Stepladder Game puzzle series, here's
Stepladder Puzzle 2: Edge Surfing
If you haven't played the Stepladder Game* before, you should first take a look at the rules, which can be ...
