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These games require the Microsoft VB6 runtimes to be installed beforehand.
1check
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
The purpose of this game is to remove maximum number of pieces from the board.
Layout
48 pieces are laid out along the border of an 8x8 square.
Aim
Remove pieces like in a normal checkers game. Move diagonally jumping over a piece into an empty square removing a piece in this process. Only one piece may be removed in one move. It is fairly easy to remove 30 to 39 pieces. It is challenging to remove 40 to 44 and a substantial achievement to remove 45 to 47.
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Abalone
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
Two-player, strategy game Abalone was invented in 1990 by Laurent Levi and Michel Lalet. The concept of the game is based on the popular Japanese Sumo wrestling.
Layout
The board is a hexagonal field representing the Sumo arena. There are 4 interlaced different size hexagons, where the most exterior hexagon has 5 circular locations at each side. In the middle there is a single location. As a total, there are 61 circular board locations. Each player has fourteen pieces that can rest in these locations. In initial game position Green pieces are at the top three rows, and Red is at bottom three rows.
Start
Starting from the initial configuration, each player takes a turn. During a turn, a player can shift one, two, or three pieces together in any of the six directions, provided that there is an adjacent space, i.e., in line or broadside. Furthermore, whenever a player has a numerical superiority in a line (three to two, three to one, or two to one), during a turn the player is allowed to push the opposing marbles with an inline move.
Aim
Players take turns "pushing" 1, 2 or 3 linearly connected pieces, attempting to push their opponents' pieces off the board. First player to push 6 of their opponent's pieces off the board wins. One of the players can be the computer.
For detailed instructions and strategies for play see numerous Abalone sites on the Web.
Awari
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
This is an ancient game from Africa. Try to capture opponents pieces. Requires visual thinking and some math skills.
Layout
This game is played between two players with a number of beads in 12 boxes, 6 boxes on your side (at the bottom) and 6 boxes on computer's (side at the top). There are two banks as well, one for you on the right, and one for the computer on the left.
Start
At the start of each game you can select the number of beads in each box. Left click on a box or use TAB and RETURN key to select a box. Right click on a box view how beads will be distributed if that box were to selected for play.
Aim
The purpose of the game is to move maximum number of beads into your bank. You make your move by taking all the beads from a box on your side and deposit one bead at a time in each box anti-clockwise. If the last bead is put in your bank you get an extra move. Also if the last bead is put in an empty box then you take all the beads in the opposite box. The game ends when all the boxes on your or computer side have been emptied. The player with most beads in the bank wins.
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Boxes
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version 1.0
Updated 18 June 2010
Occupy a square by placing bars on each side of a square in the grid. Some sides are fixed already. You play against the computer.
How to Play
- Left click on an open side to occupy, right click to clear
- Game is over when all squares have been occupied
- Player with most squares wins
Main features of this program are:
- Four to 20 square grid
- Select display colour schemes
Chickens
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version 1.0
Updated 1 December 2013
Move your chicken around inner or outer circle anti-clockwise. If a chicken lands on START position, the player moves one of its five small chickens to home. Game continues each player moving around inner or outer circle until all its five small chickens go home. Player to get all chickens home first wins. This is a two player game. A player can be computer or human.
How to Play
How to play this game:- The board is setup with two sets of five small chickens ready to go home. Two player chickens, one green and one red, wait at the bottom of the board.
- You can select which player goes first, Green or Red
- Click DiceThrow button to throw two dice at the start of game
- A player who gets a six or two of same numbers starts its move
- First move is by the numbers thrown in the opening move; a number other than six or one of the two pairs. Like with 6x4 you move by 4 position from the START location, and with 3x3 you move by 3.
- After the opening move you select inner or outer circle to move
- All moves are anticlockwise
- You move forward or backward if your chicken lands on a bonus or a penalty location
- One of your small chickens go home when you land on the START location (does not apply to the first starting move)
- If your chicken is not on any circle and one of your small chicken is at home, you can sacrifice a chicken to get to start location. Right click on the DiceRoll button for this option.
- You win the game when all your five small chickens go home
Conquer
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version 1.0
Updated 3 March 2006
In this classic game of military strategy, you battle to conquer a Map of Areas and Regions. To win you must eliminate your opponent by occupying every Area in the Map. The first player to do so wins the game.
The computer simulates the Conquer game for two or three players. A number of Maps are provided, however any other suitable map may also be used. A companion program for making new maps is available free on request.
Dodge
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
Try moving all your pieces across the board from bottom to top. Computer plays left to right.
Layout
On a square board, 3 to 7 pieces are placed at the bottom and n the left column. You play with the pieces at the bottom row and the computer plays with the pieces in the left column.
Start
On a square board, 3 to 7 pieces are placed each at bottom row and left row.
Aim
The purpose of this game is to move all your pieces to the opposite side of the board. The winner is the player whose pieces have all been moved to the opposite side. The players go in turn moving one of its pieces to an adjacent empty position. You can move Up, Right, or Left. There are no diagonal moves, no jumps or captures. If your pieces leave no place for computer to move, you lose.
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Dudo
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version 1.0
Updated 15 January 2012
Dudo is a board game similar to Ludo. Get all your for pieces to home cell and win the game. Board size is 7x7 to 17x17 (odd number only). You play against the computer. Rules of the game are:
Rules of the Game
- Two to four players play, each player has four pieces
- The game starts with an empty board, size 7x7 to 17x17. Default board size is 9x9.
- Each play throws a dice on its turn; a throw of 6 must be followed by another throw, player loses its turn if two sixes are thrown
- Must throw one six for the opening move
- Opening move is then the non-six throw
- Each player has one designated opening cell as one of the four corners; marked as S
- Player moves by the dice numbers thrown
- Move must be up, down, left or right from the current location of the piece
- If a 6 and another number is thrown; the move is in two steps. A piece can go UDLR by 6 and then another UDLR by the second number
- You lose your turn if any of your pieces cannot move to a cell inside the board
- Following restrictions apply to a move
- Can move one piece in one turn
- Cannot jump over a cell with two opponent piece in the cell
- Opponent piece is captured and returned to start if your piece lands exactly on an opponent piece
- A piece is captured if it lands on a cell marked X
- A piece reaches home when it lands on the Home (H) cell in the centre of the board
- A player wins when all its four pieces have reached Home
- Game ends when any of the players reaches home
How to Play
- Select board size
- Select each player type (computer or human)
- Click Start to start the game
- Dice are thrown by the computer for each player
- Computer makes its move automatically
- For human player:
- Left click on a piece to move; program will indicate possible valid destinations where piece can move to
- Right click on a destination cell of choice
- Piece will be moved to the cell selected
Program Features
- Board size 7x7 to 17x17
- Player colours and piece shapes
- Pause interval for computer player
- Grid colours
Guesswhat
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version 1.2
Updated 9 August 2004
This is a two-player guessing game. Each player takes turns trying to guess the other player's choice. You can play against the computer.
Layout
At the start of the game, the screen displays a set of objects, usually 16 to 20. These objects look alike but differ in certain characteristics. Computer and the player selects one object from the ones displayed.
Aim
The object of the game is for you to guess what computer has selected and for the computer to guess you choice.
How to play
You have to find out computer's choice before the computer guesses yours. You eliminate potential candidates by asking questions about object characteristics. For example, when "persons" are displayed you may ask whether a person is a male or female. Depending on yes or no answer, you can eliminate a group of objects on the screen. Once you have eliminated all the objects but one, then you know what computer had selected. Computer and you take turns asking questions. You start first.
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Hnefatafl
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Version 1.0
Updated 3 June 2011
Hnefatafl [NhEHV-eh-TAH-Full] or "King's table or board" played by the Vikings. The game is played on a square board with some squares having opposing sets of gaming pieces. The object of the game is for the defending King to escape from the encircling attacking pieces. If the King reaches one of the corner squares then the defenders win, but if all possible escape routes are blocked then the attacker wins.
How to Play
Players take it in turns moving any one of their pieces either horizontally or vertically around the board. Pieces are taken (removed from play) by having one of your pieces on either side of an opponent's piece, thus eliminating it. The King can only be taken by having attacking pieces to all four sides. The corner squares count as opponent's pieces for the purpose of taking pieces, thus a piece that is next to a corner square needs only to have an opponent's piece placed next to it (opposite the corner square) to be taken.User plays as a defender player 1 while computer plays the attacker pieces. Use following commands to move user pieces:
- Left click on a piece and then left click again on an empty square to move the piece. Do not click and drag.
- A move must be valid
- Right click on a piece to see highlighted squares where the piece can move to
Program Features
- Variable grid size 7x7 to 13x13
- Edit grids with user defined layout patterns
- Save and reload games
- Save and reload patterns
- Unlimited undos
- Save and replay event log of moves in a game
- User defined colours or symbols for pieces
- Select different display colour schemes
Lls
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
In this game there are two L's. You have green L, the computer has red L. The purpose of this game is to position your L in a manner that the opponent is not able to move its L to another position. There are also two blue boxes that you can place on any empty position after you have placed your L. Use Blue Boxes to block opponents choices for moving the L.
This game requires considerable visual thinking and it is rather hard to beat the computer.
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Ludo
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
The rules are as follows (English version): a game for 2, 3 or 4 players
Layout
Game has one playboard, 1 dice, 16 counters (4 sets of colors).
Four Player squares are on the left four quadrants. home bases are in the middle. Computer program has a play log on the left top showing dice thrown and actual play. Bottom right hand has a count of dice thrown for each player. Bottom line is the command line for making moves for human players.
Aim
Players in turn, race each other around the circuit to be the first to get all of their counters to the home base. When counters are knocked off they are returned to the starting square.
How to play
Each player picks a set of counters and places them in the Starting Squares of the same color. Take it in turns to throw. You must throw a 6 before you can move a piece onto the track. Every time you throw a 6 you get another throw and you can move any one counter to the number shown on the dice.
If your Counter lands on one of your opponent's they are knocked off and returned. If one of your counters lands on top of your counters this forms a block. Your block cannot be passed by any of the opponent's pieces. When a counter goes all the way round the board it can enter the h column. To land in the home triangle you must throw the exact number. The winner is the first player to get all four counters into the home triangle.
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MakeaSquare
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version 1.0
Updated 22 September 2012
Assemble a square from its component shapes. All shapes must join together with no gaps. Puzzle size is 4x4 to 25x25 square.
How to Play
Normally one would print and cut component shapes, then assemble a square by manually positioning the shapes together. Pieces can also be assembled on screen:- Leftclick and drag a piece to a location
- Rightclick on a piece to rotate
- Join shapes together to make a square
- Click ? button to get a hint
- Click Showsolution button to see a solution
- Can edit and create user defined shapes, upto 30 shapes per square. Click Edit button to edit.
Program Features
Main features of this program are:- 4x4 to 25x25 size puzzles
- Create new puzzles
- Create your own shapes
- Solve onscreen
- Print puzzles, one per page
- Set display colour schemes
- Use one of 20,000 ready made puzzles 2.1Mb
Masterm
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version 1.0
Updated 21 July 2004
Welcome to the ancient game of Master Mind. This version of the game is played with a set of maximum 16 colours.
Aim
The purpose of the game is to deduce the arrangement of a selection of colours and their positions. The computer selects a row of colours from a set. You are then required to pick colours from this set and position them in a row. The computer matches your row with the one selected. The number of correct colours selected and the number of correct colours in correct positions are shown. You repeat this process until you deduce all the colours and their positions correctly.
How to play
To pick a colour place mouse on the colour, press left-button and drag the colour to the desired position and release left-button to place. Default number of colors to guess is 6 in 4 positions. You can change these numbers for a variety of game difficulties.
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Mathello
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version 1.0
Updated 19 March 2010
Mathello is a variation of Othello (also known as Reversi) board game with a mathematical twist. Othello rules apply but game strategy needs more thinking. You play against the computer.
- Each player places the disc so that the there is a disc of its colour at each end of an opponent's row of discs. Opponents discs are then flipped over to the player colour.
- A player must outflank the opponents disc(s) in order to move. If player cannot move then player loses its turn and opponent moves.
- A disc may outflank any number of opposing discs in any direction: horizontal, vertical, diagonal, forward or backward. It is possible to flip in up to 8 directions at once.
- The game is over when the board is entirely filled with discs, or when it is not possible for either player to move (i.e., out flank an opponent's row and flip an opponent's disc), or when the board is filled (or partially filled) with all one color.
- At this point, discs are counted up. The player with the most discs is the winner.
- In Mathello each disc has a value - optionally 1 to 4. With a disc value of 1, Mathello is exactly same as Othello.
- In Mathello a disc can outflank discs of same value only
- Grid size of 5x5 to 12x12
- Select Disc values (1 to 4). Disc value of 1 will of course be a standard Othello game.
- Manual or Auto play for one or both players
- Pause before computer moves
- Select Player Disc colours
- Rectangular or circular discs
- Start with a randomly filled board
- Save and Load games
- Select foreground and background colours of numbers and grid lines
- Program keeps a log of all moves made and points scored
maThjong
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version 1.0
Updated 24 January 2008
Mahjong (also spelled mahjongg) is a Chinese board game involving skill, strategy, and calculation, as well as a certain degree of luck. There are many variations of this game but basic objective is to build complete suits, usually of threes, from a given set of tiles. MaThjong is Mahjong with a mathematical flavor.
Basic rules of this variant are:
- The board consists of a number of tiles. Exact number depends on the size of the board, larger board will have more tiles.
- Tiles are stacked on each other, except those at the edges of the board
- Each tile has a randomly selected number. Maximum number depends on the size of the board, larger board will have a longer range of numbers.
- You are required to remove tiles from the board by selecting three tiles at a time
- A selected tiles must be open, that is there is no tile on top of it
- Numbers on three tiles MUST be related mathematically (sum, product etc) as specified in the rules of the game
- Three matching tiles will be removed from the board. Any tiles directly beneath will be opened.
- You play against a given time. More time is given for larger boards.
- You continue removing tiles until: timer has expired; board has 2 or less tiles or you decide to end the game
- Scoring is done when you play within a given time limit. You can play without any time limit - no scores are kept in this mode.
- Grid size from 3 to 16
- Tiles shapes: square flat, square raised, square rounded, circular or octagonal
- Try to beat the clock with maximum score or play without time limit
- Get hints or let computer solve a grid
- Different colour schemes
nCheckers
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version 1.0
Updated 23 January 2007
nCheckers is a Checkers game with a twist. Ideal for mathematically minded, with plenty of time to spare. Following are the variations in nCheckers game as compared with the standard Checkers:
- Board: Size can be 6x6, 8x8, 10x10, or 12x12. Each piece has a random value associated with it. For example an 8x8 board will have 12 pieces per player with values -6 to -1 and 1 to +6.
- Moves: Pieces move as per standard Checkers rules.
- Scoring: Each player starts with a score of 100. When a piece is captured, the value of the captured piece is added to the player score.
- End Game: The game ends when a player pieces are unable to move or a player is left with no pieces. At the end of a game, values of remaining pieces of each player are added to its score. Player with the higher score wins. Therefore, a player may have no pieces left but may still win.
- Strategies: Standard Checkers strategies will not work in nCheckers. Some hints for winning are: capture positive value pieces; sacrifice negative value pieces; try to transform negative value pieces to Kings; and try to block opponent pieces when you have a superior score
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Nim
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version 1.1
Updated 21 July 2004
Nim means "to take away". This game is played between two players, the computer and yourself. A number of disks are placed in three piles. Computer randomly places upto 16 disks in each of these piles. The game then begins.
Aim
You and the computer take turns and remove disks from a pile. You select a pile on your turn and remove one or more disks from it. Computer does the same on its turn. Remember that in any move disks from only one pile may be removed. You cannot skip a move. You always start first.
The player who picks up the last disk loses.
How to play
In order to remove disks place mouse cursor on the disk pile at appropriate position and click. You can change the number of piles and the number of disks in a pile. Press "Size" option first. Then click left/right mouse button on the pile size to set the number of disks.
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PentoMinos
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version 1.0
Updated 27 July 2007
A pentomino is a geometric shape formed by adjoining five squares with one another edge to edge. There are twelve unique ways to do this (not counting rotations and reflections). Those twelve pieces (or blocks) are pictured here and make up the "classic" set of pentominoes. Traditionally each piece is named using the letter of the alphabet which most closely resembles its shape. Each of the twelve pentominoes (or blocks) by rotation or flip, can be tiled to make a shape, and a lot of fun with pentominoes revolves around filling or building given shapes. These make interesting puzzles. This program helps you solve existing PentoMinos puzzles as well as compile new ones.
Main features of this program are:
- Create new puzzles manually from a pattern
- Solve existing puzzles manually
- Thumbnail view of all puzzles in a file
- Save newly compiled puzzles
- Print puzzles and their solutions
- 250 puzzles with solutions
tangrams
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version 1.1
Updated 25 May 2006
This is an ancient Chinese game of "Seven Tans" called tangrams. Making tangrams demands considerable imagination, visual thinking and patience.
Layout
A Tangram is made of seven parts of a square that has been divided into 2 large triangle blocks, 1 medium triangle, 2 small triangles, 1 square, and 1 parallelogram block.
Aim
The purpose of this game is make a given pattern with different combination of the seven blocks of the square.
Rules
You may rotate and flip each block and put them alongside each other. A block however may not overlap another. All seven blocks must be used, and no block(s) should be left isolated. You are provided with the tangram to make on the right hand side windows. The left hand side window has the seven blocks which you move with the left mouse button or rotate with the right mouse button to construct the required tangram.
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Threeinrow
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version 1.0
Updated 22 September 2012
Three-in-row, also known as Nine Men's Morris is an ancient Egyptian game, before 1400 B.C. Game boards have been found carved in ancient Egyptian Temples, and carved on the decks of Viking Ships, and carved onto bench seats in Westminster Abbey in England. This game is played by two players, in three stages. Objective of the game is to take your opponent's playing pieces until only two pieces are left.
Program Features
Main features of this program are:- Five, seven or nine pieces to start a game
- Optionally allow diagonal rows as well; like a row in positions 1,9,17 or 7,15,23 or 3,11,19 or 5,13,21
- Let computer play both players
- Auto play a turn
- Set display colour schemes