World of Abstract Games Database

The following table mainly features minimalist abstract games: typically using limited material types and regular, grid-based boards. It focuses primarily on modern designs from the 21st century. Over the coming years, Sagme's blog will continue to publish weekly posts on older abstract games, which will gradually be added to this collection.

The columns are sortable. The next search box allows users to select rows having (or not having) certain strings, and also to include data ranges. For eg, "8x8 >1999 <2005 !BGG" will select all games played on a 8x8 grid between [2000,2004] not indexed at BGG (BoardGameGeek).

• block - prevent the opponent's goal
• capture - remove part of the adversary army
• connection - connect two or more board areas
• dispersal - separate all pieces
• elimination - remove all enemy pieces
• looping - pieces must form a closed path
• mancala - sowing game
• moku - make a N in-a-row
• pattern - achieve some non-moku shape
• position - reach a particular board position
• promotion - promote to something
• repetition - (avoid) repeat the board position
• royal - checkmate/capture a royal piece
• stalemate - be the last to move
• score - collect points or max some criteria
• territory - area control
• traversal - all pieces in a designated area
• unification - group all pieces

• approach - capture by moving close
• asymmetric - players have different armies/strength
• auction - there's an initial bid phase to decide color
• ball - special neutral stone that's transported, catch-the-flag games
• bounce - pieces bounce at the edge or in other pieces
• budget - players decide where to spend their turn budget
• chain-reaction - an action might provoke more similar actions
• choice - adversary can restrict player's choices
• colorN - needs N piece colors (default is two colors of one/two types)
• connect - use connection concepts
• custodian - capture pieces in-between
• dagger - player has the option of extra move(s)
• demotion - pieces can be downgraded
• dice - use dice as pieces
• drop - pieces can be placed on the board
• enclosure - surround something
• exchange-capture - jump a friend and lands an enemy capturing it
• explode - pieces explode and destroy neighbors
• gravity - game uses or simulates weight and/or fall of pieces
• group - groups of connected pieces have relevance
• group-move - pieces of the same group move together
• grow - pieces grow from/to a pattern
• intrusion - capture pieces at left/right (inverse of custodian)
• jump - other jumps
• long-jump - jump more than one piece in line
• los - uses line-of-sight or orthogonal empty path
• ko - no repeated position rule is included
• magnetic - attract/repulse pieces
• merge - two or more pieces merge into one
• momentum - movement is transferred between pieces
• move - pieces move
• multiple-drop - drops can be repeated in the same turn
• multiple-move - moves can be repeated in the same turn
• multiple-jump - jumps can be repeated in the same turn
• neutral - use neutral pieces
• own-capture - possible to capture friendly pieces
• phalanx - a line of pieces can move together
• pie - balancing rule is included
• pivot - move by orbiting pieces, use of pivots
• polyominoes - use polyominoes pieces
• promotion - pieces can be upgraded
• pull - pieces(s) can pull
• push - pieces(s) can push
• push-off - pieces can be pushed off the board
• range - move/capture range depends on some criteria
• remove - remove some pattern of pieces from the board
• replacement - capture by replacement
• reserve - number of pieces off-board has a relevant role
• reposition - pieces are taken and placed somewhere else
• rotate - pieces are able to rotate
• setup - has a initial setup phase
• share - (some) pieces are shared
• shift - row/column is able to shift
• shoot - capture by line-of-sight
• short-jump - checkers-like jump with enemy capture
• slide - pieces slide over a line of empty cells
• sow - stacks or group of pieces are sowed Mancala-like
• split - a piece splits into two or more
• stack - pieces can be stacked
• swap - two or more pieces swap position
• tiles - use tile-like pieces
• wall - use wall pieces
• whistling - capture by passing by
• withdrawal - capture by moving away
• + [non-minimalist abstract game, i.e., does not fit WAG's criteria]