Battleships

Players take turns in trying to guess the locations of the other player's ships on a grid.
Description
Each player draws two 10 x 10 grids, labelled along the sides with letters and numbers. On the
lefthand grid the player secretly draws rectangles representing their fleet of ships!
The fleet
Each player's fleet consists of the following ships!
1 x "ircraft carrier # s$uares
1 x %attleship & s$uares
1 x 'ruiser ( s$uares
) x *estroyers ) s$uares each
) x +ubmarines 1 s$uare each
Each ship occupies a number of ad,acent s$uares on the grid, hori-ontally or .ertically.
Play
*uring play the players take turns is making a shot at the opponent, by calling out the
coordinates of a s$uare /eg *#0. 1he opponent responds with 2hit2 if it hits a ship or 2miss2 if it
misses. 3f the player has hit the last remaining s$uare of a ship the opponent must announce the
name of the ship4 eg 25ou sank my battleship2.
*uring play each player should record their opponent's shots on the lefthand grid, and their
shots on the righthand grid as 262 for a hit and 2O2 for a miss!
1he first player to lose all their ships loses the game.

Go-Moku
Players take turns in marking s$uares on a grid. 1he first player to get fi.e s$uares in a row wins.
Description
1he game is played on a large piece of s$uared paper, at least 1# x 1#. 1he players take turns in
marking a s$uare with their symbol /eg O and 60. 1he first player to get fi.e s$uares in a row,
hori-ontally, .ertically, or diagonally, wins.
Example
1he following example shows a typical game won by the first player, O!

Word Square
Players create word s$uares with the same letters, and the one who creates the s$uare containing
the most words wins.
Description
Each player draws a & x & grid which they keep concealed from the other player.
1hey then take turns in naming a letter. "s each letter is named each player must write it
immediately into one of the cells in their grid! Players can choose any letter they like, and letters
can be repeated.
7hen the grid is full the players count up the number of words they ha.e made reading across,
down, or diagonally, and the one with the highest score /out of a possible 100 wins.
One interesting aspect of the game is that you can either choose letters that help you complete
words, or you can try to thwart your opponent's words.
Example
1he following s$uare scores the player 8 points for the words!
'"9*, 1O++, 'O"1, 93P+, *O1+, and ':P+!

Domineerin
1he players take turns linking pairs of dots on a grid. 1he first player unable to mo.e loses.
Description
1he game is played on a matrix of dots.
1he players take turns in linking a pair of ad,acent dots. 1he first player, %lue, always makes a
.ertical link, and the other player, 9ed, always makes a hori-ontal link. ;o dot can be linked
more than once.
1he first player unable to mo.e loses.
Example
3n the following game 9ed is unable to mo.e, and so loses!

!D "ouhts and #rosses
Players take turns in marking s$uares on a & x & x & grid. 1he first player to get four s$uares in a
row wins.
Description
1o make the board draw four & x & grids stacked .ertically, representing a & x & x & cube. 3t is
easier to .isualise the cube if you draw the grids in perspecti.e.
1he players take turns in drawing their symbol, O or 6, in one of the cells. 1he first player to
make a line of four cells in any direction wins. 7inning lines can be hori-ontal, .ertical,
diagonal within one grid, .ertical between grids, diagonal between grids, or diagonal in all three
dimensions.
Example
3n the following game O started, and won by making the line shown highlighted!

#ountdo$n
Players compete to find the longest word from a set of < letters.
Description
1he players take turns in choosing letters until < letters ha.e been named. 1hey then try to
construct a word using ,ust those letters. 1he player who has found the longest word wins.
Example
=or example, if the players chose the letters!
>7E915:3O
the players might find >:E95 and E>:315, E>:315 being the winner.

Gale
Players take turns in linking dots on o.erlapping grids. 1he first player to draw a continuous
chain linking their ends of the board wins.
Description
1o create the board first draw a rectangular array of & x # blue dots. 1hen draw an o.erlapping
array of # x & red dots!
1he players take turns in linking two ad,acent dots of their own colour. ;o two links may cross.
1he first player to form a chain of links across the board, from top to bottom /blue0 or left to
right /red0, wins.
1he game can be played with larger o.erlapping arrays of n x n?1 dots. 1he game cannot be a
draw because, to block their opponent, a player must themsel.es form a continuous chain.
Example
=or example, in the following game blue wins by forming a chain from top to bottom!
%istory
@ale, also known as %ridgit, was in.ented by the mathematician *a.id @ale.
3t was described in 21he +econd +cientific "merican %ook Of Aathematical Pu--les and
*i.ersions2, Aartin @ardner, 1he :ni.ersity of 'hicago Press, 1<81.

Dots and Boxes
Players take turns in drawing lines between dots on a grid. 1he player who completes the most
boxes wins.
Description
1he game is played starting with a rectangular array of dots.
1he two players take turns to ,oin two ad,acent dots with a hori-ontal or .ertical line. 3f a player
completes the fourth side of a box they initial that box and must draw another line.
7hen all the boxes ha.e been completed the winner is the player who has initialled the most
boxes.
1he game is more complex than it initially appears, and e.en on a &x& grid there is plenty of
opportunity for skilful play.
Example
1he following game on a (x( grid is won by %lue, who scores ( against 9ed's one!

Scram&led Word 'adder (ace
Each player chooses a word with the same number of letters. %oth players then try to make a
scrambled word ladder between the two words. 1he player with the shortest ladder wins.
Description
" scrambled word ladder is a se$uence of words linked by either of the following steps!
'hange one letter to make another word.
+cramble the order of the letters to make another word.
One player chooses a starting word, and the other player then chooses an ending word of the
same length. %oth players then try to find a scrambled word ladder between the two chosen
words. 1he player with shortest ladder wins. 3f neither player can find a ladder the game is a
draw.
Example
=or example, if one player chose 73;E and the other player chose %EE9 a possible scrambled
word ladder could be as follows!
)ariations
1o make the game more exciting impose a time limit of fi.e minutes.

Sprouts
1he players take turns in ,oining dots according to simple rules, until one player cannot make a
mo.e.
Description
+tart by drawing two or more spots on a piece of paper.
Players then take turns to make a mo.e, according to the following rules!
*raw a cur.e ,oining two spots, or a single spot to itself. 1he cur.e must not pass through
another spot.
*raw a spot on the new cur.e.
;o more than three lines can emerge from any spot.
1he last player to be able to mo.e wins.
1he game is remarkably complicated, and e.en starting with two spots leads to an interesting
game.
Example
3n the following sample game with two spots %lue has the first mo.e, and 9ed wins after &
mo.es because %lue has no mo.e!
%istory
+prouts was in.ented by the mathematicians A. +. Paterson and B. C. 'onway, and was analysed
in 7inning 7ays, "cademic Press, 1<D).

"ouhts and #rosses
Players take turns in marking s$uares on a ( x ( grid. 1he first player to get three s$uares in a
row wins.
Description
1his game, also called 1icktacktoe in the :+", is probably the best known pencil and paper
game.
1he game is played on a ( x ( grid, typically created by drawing a E on a piece of paper. One
player is 'O' and the other is '6'. Players take turns in drawing their symbol in one of the
positions on the grid. 1he first player to make a line of three of their symbol hori-ontally,
.ertically, or diagonally wins.
3f both players play perfectly the outcome is always a draw, but with inexperienced players the
game is ,ust complex enough to make the game interesting.
Example
=or example, the following game shows how the first player can force a win by starting in the
centre s$uare if the second player is foolish enough to reply on the edge!

*unction Game
One player tries to guess the other player's mathematical rule.
Description
1he 'hooser thinks of a rule that con.erts one number into another /a mathematician would call
this a 2function20. 1he @uesser then tries to guess the rule by testing it with different numbers.
=or example, if the 'hooser thought of the rule 2double it and add one2, the game might proceed
as follows!
@uesser! 212 'hooser! 2(2
@uesser! 2)2 'hooser! 2#2
@uesser! 2102 'hooser! 2)12
@uesser! 21002 'hooser2 2)012
@uesser! 23 think it's double and add one2 'hooser! 2'orrectF2
1he rule can be anything you like, but sometimes the @uesser may ha.e to guide the 'hooser in
the right direction4 for example! 21ry something larger2, or 21ry a negati.e number2.
Examples
Cere are some other suggested rules!
1he number of letters in the word for the number /8 G (0.
100 minus the number s$uared /< G 1<0.
1he number re.ersed /1H G H10
%eads Bodies and 'es
Players take turns in drawing a head, a body, and a pair of legs, without letting the other
player see them. 1he point of the game is the fun of seeing the resulting pictures.
Description
Each player starts with a small piece of paper half of "& or :+ Ietter is about right.
Each player begins by drawing a head in the top third of the sheet, and then folds o.er the
paper so ,ust the neck is showing!
1he players then exchange pieces of paper, taking care not to let the other player see their
drawing.
Each player then draws a body in the centre third of the paper, ,oining the neck lines, and
folds o.er the paper so ,ust the legs are showing!
"gain, the players exchange pieces of paper.
=inally, each player draws legs and feet, ,oining the leg lines, and folds the paper so
nothing is .isible.
=inally, after exchanging again, each player opens their piece of paper to re.eal the whole
drawing!
)ariations
"n amusing addition is to add an extra stage in which each player folds the page to lea.e
a blank strip at the bottom of the paper.
"fter exchanging, each player writes a name for the drawing in the blank space.

Word Bulls + #o$s
Players take turns in trying to guess each other's word.
Description
One player, the 'hooser, thinks of a fourletter word and the other player, the @uesser, tries to
guess it.
"t each turn the @uesser tries a fourletter word, and the 'hooser says how close it is to the
answer by gi.ing!
1he number of %ulls letters correct in the right position.
1he number of 'ows letters correct but in the wrong position.
1he @uesser tries to guess the answer in the fewest number of turns.
3f either word has repeated letters the rule is that each letter can only count towards the score
once, and %ulls are counted before 'ows.
Example
=or example, if the 'hooser has thought of the word IOJE the replies for some guesses are as
follows!
@uess! =3+C 9eply! 0 %ulls, 0 'ows.
@uess! J"3; 9eply! 0 %ulls, 1 'ow.
@uess! I";E 9eply! ) %ulls, 0 'ows.
@uess! J3IE 9eply! 1 %ull, ) 'ows.
@uess! IOJE 9eply! & %ulls, 0 'owsF

"um&er Bulls + #o$s
Players take turns in trying to guess each other's number.
Description
One player, the 'hooser, thinks of a fourdigit number and the other player, the @uesser, tries to
guess it.
"t each turn the @uesser tries a four digit number, and the 'hooser says how close it is to the
answer by gi.ing!
1he number of %ulls digits correct in the right position.
1he number of 'ows digits correct but in the wrong position.
1he @uesser tries to guess the answer in the fewest number of turns.
3f either number has repeated digits the rule is that each digit can only count towards the score
once, and %ulls are counted before 'ows.
Example
=or example, if the 'hooser has thought of the number )H&# the replies for some guesses are as
follows!
@uess! 1(D< 9eply! 0 %ulls, 0 'ows.
@uess! 1)(& 9eply! 0 %ulls, ) 'ows.
@uess! 1H#< 9eply! 1 %ull, 1 'ow.
@uess! 1HD# 9eply! ) %ulls, 0 'ows.
@uess! )H&# 9eply! & %ullsF

Pictionary
One player has to get the other players to guess a word by drawing a picture.
Description
1he players should be in two teams. One team secretly thinks of a common phrase and whispers
it to one member of the other team, chosen as the artist.
1he artist then has to get the other members of their own team to guess the phrase by drawing a
picture. 1hey are not allowed to gi.e clues by talking, or drawing letters or symbols.
)ariations
One .ariation is for the artist to draw the picture with their eyes closed.
" commercial .ersion of this game has been marketed in the :K