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Small boards, deep games

Bigger isn't deeper. Some of the most interesting games ever designed live on boards you can cover with one hand — and some sprawling three-hour epics offer fewer real decisions than a good ten-minute duel.

This shelf explains why: what “state space” means in plain language, the crucial difference between depth and complexity, why constraints create tension, and why the small-board formula happens to fit a phone screen — and a commuter's schedule — so well.

Articles on this shelf

• How can a 6×6 board be deep?

  Thirty-six squares sounds tiny. The numbers say otherwise — and the feel of playing says even more.

• State spaces for beginners: counting the games inside a game

  How many possible positions does a game hold? Gentle math, astonishing answers, no equations required.

• Depth vs. complexity: they're not the same thing

  Complexity is what you must remember; depth is what you get to discover. Great games maximize the ratio.

• The beauty of constraints: why less space means more tension

  Small boards force contact. Why tight quarters produce sharper games than open plains ever do.

• Five tiny games with oceans of depth

  Pocket-sized rulesets that repay years of study — a tour of small classics and what makes each one deep.

• Why small boards are perfect for phones

  One glance, one thumb, one free minute: how small-board design and mobile play were made for each other.

While you wait for the next article: Oustwit is free for Android and iOS, and the rules take a minute to learn.