mindGames

an eclectic collection of games to pass the time and challenge the mind

Navigation

Board games

1check

Help

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.


TOP

Abalone

Help

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

Help

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.


TOP

ColoRama

Help

ColoRama is a 4-in-a-row clone with the same addictive quality. You are required to move and line up pieces in a row or a column of a grid. Grid size can be 6x6 to 10x0. Must make a 5 piece line in 10x10 and 9x9 grid, and a 4 piece line in 8x8, 7x7 and 6x6 grids.

Rules

  1. Click and dragdrop a piece to a new location on the grid, the destination location must be reachable with horizontal and vertical moves.
  2. A line must be a set of four or more similar pieces lined up vertically or horizontally
  3. Must make a 5 piece line in 10x10 and 9x9 grid, and a 4 piece line in 8x8, 7x7 and 6x6 grids
  4. After you make a move, a set of three pieces will be placed randomly on the board
  5. If you make a line, you get an extra move - three pieces will not be placed
  6. You must make a move within a minute, three pieces will be placed after the timeout
  7. Pieces in a line will be removed from the grid
  8. You will get a wild-card piece (white) if you make three or more lines before the timeout
  9. A wild-card piece can be combined with any other three or more similar pieces to make a line

Conquer

Help

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

Help

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.


TOP

Guesswhat

Help

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.


TOP

Hex

Help

A simple game, yet of surprising mathematical subtlety. Complete your chain before computer does.

Layout

Hex is played on a diamond-shaped board made up of hexagons. The number of hexagons may vary, but the board usually has 11 on each edge. Two top and bottom opposite sides of the diamond are labeled red, while the hexagons at the left side and right side are green. One player plays with green pieces while other with red. The players alternatively place one of their pieces on any one of the hexagons, provided the cell is not already occupied by another piece.

Aim

The objective of the Hex game is to complete an unbroken chain of green pieces between the left side and the right side. While red tries to complete a similar chain of red pieces between the top side and the bottom side.

The chain may freely twist and turn. The players continue placing their pieces until one of them has made a complete chain. The game cannot end in a draw, because one player can block the other only by completing its own chain. These rules are simple, yet HEX is a game of surprising mathematical subtlety.

How to play

In this computer game, computer always plays red. Green usually starts first unless overridden. Left-click in a cell to place a green place. If you wish computer to start first, right-click on any cell on the board.


TOP

Lls

Help

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.


TOP

Ludo

Help

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.


TOP

Makebridge

Help

MakeBridge is 2-player game. Try make a bridge from left to right. You play against the computer. Computer goes vertical.

Layout

Game is played on a 13x13 grid. Alternative cells in the grid are filled with X's and O's.

Aim

The object of the game is for the human player to connect O's and go from first column on left to last column on right. Computer goes from top to bottom by connecting X's. O's and X's must be connected in a chain without crossing other player's chain. Any two O's or any two X's may be connected anywhere on the board. First player to make a chain wins.


TOP

Masterm

Help

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.


TOP

Maze

Help

This program generates a maze for you to solve. Each maze generated has a unique layout and only one open path from start to finish.

Layout

A maze can be from 5 columns, 5 rows upto 26 columns and 18 rows.

Aim

You play with the computer. Try and beat the computer by going from the bottom of the maze to the top. The computer "monster" will move from top to bottom. To win you must avoid the monster and get to the top before the monster exits from the maze.


TOP

Moneydrain

Help

Line up the black boxes to form a drain and take your money down as fast as possible.

Layout

A 10x12 grid with 12 pieces to start (6 green and 6 red). Pieces move down into empty spaces.

Aim of the game

Move a row left or right to align empty spaces underneath. Try to move green pieces to row 12 as fast as possible. Computer plays against you.

How to play

Click left or right arrow to shift left or right a row with pieces. The game appears simple but needs considerable visual thinking and planning ahead.


TOP

Mutorere

Help

This game is played on a nine star board. There are ten circles on the board, one in the centre and nine around the centre circle. User player plays against the computer. Each player has four stones each. User has green and computer has red stones.

How to play

Each player takes alternate turns, moving one stone at each move. Rules for moving a stone are:

  1. Move sideways to an empty circle
  2. Move from centre to any empty circle
  3. Move to centre if centre is empty

The game is won by the player if the opponent cannot move any of its stones.


TOP

nCheckers

Help

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Moves: Pieces move as per standard Checkers rules.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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

TOP

Nim

Help

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.


TOP

RedOut

Help

You are required to clear the entire column above the red arrow. Grid is populated with horizontal (green) and vertical shapes (blue). Move these shapes around to get the red arrow up and out. Grid size is 6x6 to 20x20. 20,000 puzzles with solutions are provided with this program. Most puzzles are rather easy to solve but do require considerable visual thinking and planning.

How to Play

  1. Horizontal shapes move left or right only. Left click on a shape to move left, and right click to move right.
  2. Vertical shapes move up or down only. Left click on a shape to move up and right click to move down.
  3. You can also move mouse over a shape (no clicks) and click on an empty location to move the shape to the location clicked

Program Options

  1. Save and reload puzzles
  2. See solution with pause or no-pause
  3. Use one of 20,000 puzzles or let program create one at random
  4. Set display colour schemes
  5. 20,000 puzzles with solutions Download
  6. Set display colour schemes

tangrams

Help

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.


TOP