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From: "rhino" <No.offline.contact.please@anonymous.com>
Newsgroups: alt.games
Subject: What is the name of this game?
Date: Fri, 23 May 2008 09:36:31 -0400
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I'm trying to determine the name of a game I used to play in high school,
umpteen years ago, so that I can learn more about it. If anyone can help me
identify this game, I would appreciate it.
It's a pencil-and-paper game. On a handy piece of paper, you draw a grid of
dots, typically 10 dots across and 10 dots down. You end up with this (I've
used lowercase o's rather than dots so that you can see them better):
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
The game has two players who alternate. On each turn, a player connects two
adjacent dots, either horizontally or vertically (never diagonally) with a
horizontal or vertical line. For example:
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o---o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
--or--
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
|
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
The next player's move can be anywhere in the grid at all; it does not need
to be adjacent to the previous player's move.
Player's score one point for each square they can fully enclose, where a
square is always defined strictly as being the distance between two adjacent
dots on each side. The key strategy then is to force your opponent to draw
the 3rd side of the square so that you can draw the 4th side and get the
point. In addition to getting a point for each square that you can fully
enclose, you get one additional move, taken immediately upon enclosing the
square. The additional move follows the exact rules of normal moves: it must
be a horizontal line drawn between two adjacent horizontal dots or a
vertical line drawn between two adjacent vertical dots.
For example, given this:
o o o o o o o o o o
o o---o---o---o o o o o o
| |
o o o o o o o o o o
| |
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
If my move was where you see the equal signs:
o o o o o o o o o o
o o---o---o---o o o o o o
| |
o o o o o o o o o o
| |
o o==o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
Your move could be (where 'U' represents you, or rather your initial)
o o o o o o o o o o
o o---o---o---o o o o o o
| |
o o---o o o o o o o o
| U |
o o==o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
Followed immediately (in the same turn) by:
o o o o o o o o o o
o o---o---o---o o o o o o
| U | |
o o---o o o o o o o o
| U |
o o==o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o o
Thus, you got two points as a result of my drawing the third side of a box
and you still have one more move to make before I get my turn.
That's the gist of the game, at least the way I play it. I imagine there are
several variations.
Can anyone tell me the name of this game?
--
Rhino
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