Which number games use boards or counters?

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Several number games and puzzles involve the use of boards or counters to facilitate play, often focusing on strategic alignment or configuration.12

  • Nim and Mancala: In the game of Nim, players use counters (or objects) divided into piles, removing them according to specific rules to be the last to move. Similarly, mancala games involve distributing counters like seeds or pebbles into rows of holes.1
  • Alignment Puzzles: Lucas’ Puzzle requires players to move counters across a row of squares to reach a specific configuration.2
  • Grid and Board Games:
    • Ticktacktoe: Various versions are played on diagrams (such as 3 × 3 or 4 × 4 grids) using counters.2
    • Nine Men’s Morris: This game is played on a board consisting of three concentric squares and eight transversals.2
    • Hex: Played on a diamond-shaped board of tessellated hexagons, players place counters to form an unbroken chain between opposite sides.2