Board game

Board game #

In order to follow this course, you will need to play one of the two following video games:

These two games have nearly identical mechanics. So by default, we will refer to them as a unique game (e.g. when we write “this game” or “our board game”).

Why this game #

Turn-based board games (like chess, go, checkers, etc.) are traditionally a good playground to learn the basics of algorithmic thinking.

Disclaimer. The course is not about video game development, but general-purpose programming. This game is only used as didactic support.

Precisely, this game will serve two purposes:

  • we will use it as a running example throughout the lectures, and
  • students can choose to implement (their own version of) this game as their group project.

By default, we will focus on the two player variant, where both players play by the same rules. These two players may be humans and/or bots.

How long to play #

Students only need to play long enough to understand the basic mechanics of the game.

1.5 to 2 hours should be sufficient.

Warning. In both games, mechanics are introduced gradually, so it is difficult to get a full overview by playing less than 1.5 hours.

Which game to choose #

Might and Magic clash of heroes (MMCoH) #

This game was initially released in 2009 for Nintendo DS. It has then been ported to PC and several consoles, as well as Android and iOS.

A free demo was available on Steam until July 2023. The game has been re-released since, by another editor. As a side-effect, the demo is not available on Steam anymore.

The Android and iOS versions have also been removed from the Google Play store and App store respectively.

Advantages.

  • The mechanics of this game may be easier to understand (in a short amount of time).
  • The default mode is the (symmetric) 2 player mode (player vs bot or player vs player) that we will work on.

Drawbacks.

  • The touch-screen interface on Android and iOS is arguably dated.

Legend of Solgard #

This game was released in 2016 for Android and iOS. It is still available on the Google Play store and the App store.

It is free to play, with optional microtransactions (via so-called loot boxes).

Warning. For this course, no transaction is needed.

Advantages.

  • Animations can be sped up.
  • The touch-screen interface is more modern than the one of MMCoH for Android and iOS.

Drawbacks.

  • Progression is based on a (complex) system of virtual currencies, which adds noise to the interface.
  • The game can only be played (for free) a limited amount of time per day (approximately 45 min).
  • The default mode is not the (symmetric) 2 players mode that we will work on (it requires more playtime to be unlocked). So an extra effort of imagination may be needed.