How I invented games, and why not - an essay by game designer Christian Freeling.
Between 1979 and 1986 I invented some fourty abstract games, most of which can be found in the ArenA and the Pit. Dameo, HanniBall, YvY and Symple(x) are exceptions. Dameo's invention in 2000, after an incubation period of fifteen years, took two minutes. The invention of HanniBall and YvY in 2009 and Symple and Lhexus in 2010 were 'live' occurences decribed in a late arrival and a final whisper respectively.
Looking back now, from a safe distance, and with the benefit of hindsight, I'd like to clarify how and why I invented these games, and more specifically why not...
posted by Wolfdog
on May 11, 2011 -
5 comments
Elves Under Hoof (direct link to a zipped file of four PDFs) is a free print-and-play solitaire game from
Dan Verssen. From the rules:
Victory: You win when the last elf is dead. You achieve a Prancing Victory if you have 5 or more surviving reindeer. You get a Spoiled Meat Victory if you have 2 or less surviving reindeer. You lose if all your reindeer are killed and left to rot in the snow. It is included, naturally, in the
Games involving Elf Death list at BoardGameGeek.
posted by Wolfdog
on Dec 20, 2008 -
4 comments
Rocks 'n' Diamonds for some Friday puzzle-game fun. Described as "in the tradition of" Boulderdash and Sokoban, it's actually a superset of both, and you can waste tons of time playing all the old familiar levels or
tons of others. (It's a quick download, for linux/os x/the other thing.)
posted by Wolfdog
on Mar 28, 2008 -
12 comments
Kurnik is a (free) online game site - bridge, chess, go, hex, that sort of thing - that's been established for years but only recently launched an English-language version. It seems notable among the many
many many online game sites for lightweight, clean, ad-free design. The games are java-based.
posted by Wolfdog
on Aug 6, 2005 -
6 comments
Phutball (
Rules,
Java Applet), aka
Philosophers' Football or
ConwayGo is a deceptively simple 2-player game you can play on a Go board, or any rectangular grid.
(It may be simple, but finding the right move is [PDF] NP Complete.)
posted by Wolfdog
on Aug 2, 2005 -
7 comments
Bunnock - a game of skill, accuracy... and horse bones. Register your team for the world championship!
posted by Wolfdog
on Jun 10, 2005 -
6 comments
