Tapatan is a two-player abstract strategy game

Abstract strategy game

An abstract strategy game is a strategy game, aiming to minimise luck, and without a theme. Almost all abstract strategy games will conform to the strictest definition of: a board or card game, in which there is no hidden information, no non-deterministic elements , in which two players or teams...

 from the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

. It is related to tic-tac-toe

Tic-tac-toe

Tic-tac-toe, also called wick wack woe and noughts and crosses , is a pencil-and-paper game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The X player usually goes first...

, but even more related to Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes

Nine Holes

- Goal :To create a 3 in-a-row of one's pieces either horizontally or vertically. Diagonals do not count.- Equipment :A 3 x 3 peg board is preferable. Each player has 3 pieces. One plays the black pieces, and the other plays the white pieces, however, any two colors or distinguishable objects...

, Achi

Achi (game)

Achi is a two-player abstract strategy game from Ghana. It is related to tic-tac-toe, but even more related to Tapatan, Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes, Tant Fant, Shisima, and Dara, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. It is an alignment game.There are two versions to...

, Tant Fant

Tant Fant

Tant Fant is a two-player abstract strategy game from India. It is related to tic-tac-toe, but even more related to Tapatan, Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes, Achi, Shisima, and Dara, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. It is an alignment game.Tant Fant uses the same...

, Shisima

Shisima

Shisima is a two-player abstract strategy game from Kenya. It is related to tic-tac-toe, but even more related to Tapatan, Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes, Achi, Tant Fant, and Dara, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. Unlike those other games, Shisima uses an octagonal...

, and Dara

Dara

-2011 uprising:The city of Daraa was the starting point of the 2011 uprising against the regime lead by Bashar Al-Assad. It all started when 15 children from the same family were arrested in early March 2011 for writing an anti regime slogan on the wall of their school. The children's ages ranged...

, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. It is an alignment game.

Tapatan is identical to the 3 piece version of Achi.

Equipment

A 3 x 3 board is used. Three horizontal lines form the three rows. Three vertical lines form the three columns. Two diagonal lines connect the two opposite corners of the board. Each player has 3 pieces. One plays the black pieces, and the other plays the white pieces, however, any two colors or distinguishable objects will suffice.

The board is easily drawn on the ground or paper.

Rules and Game Play

1. The board is empty in the beginning.

2. Players decide what colors to play, and who will start first.

3. Drop phase: Each player drops one piece per turn on any vacant space on the board. Players alternate their turns. Pieces cannot move until all three pieces have been dropped.

4. Move phase: After each player's three pieces have been dropped on the board, each piece can move one space at a time following the pattern on the board. Only one piece can be moved per turn.

5. Players can create the 3 in-a-row at either the drop phase or move phase, and win the game.

6. HOUSE RULES: These are rules that you and the other player can agree upon. They are not standard for the game.

a) A stalemate where one player cannot make a move is cause for a draw of the game, or a loss to that player.

b) Repeating a position three times can be cause for a draw.

Analysis

Analysis has shown that the first player wins with perfect play.

There are 1,680 ways for each player to drop each of their 3 pieces on the board. It is truly a complex game.

Related Games

Nine Holes

Nine Holes

- Goal :To create a 3 in-a-row of one's pieces either horizontally or vertically. Diagonals do not count.- Equipment :A 3 x 3 peg board is preferable. Each player has 3 pieces. One plays the black pieces, and the other plays the white pieces, however, any two colors or distinguishable objects...

, Three Men's Morris, Achi

Achi (game)

Achi is a two-player abstract strategy game from Ghana. It is related to tic-tac-toe, but even more related to Tapatan, Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes, Tant Fant, Shisima, and Dara, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. It is an alignment game.There are two versions to...

, Tant Fant

Tant Fant

Tant Fant is a two-player abstract strategy game from India. It is related to tic-tac-toe, but even more related to Tapatan, Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes, Achi, Shisima, and Dara, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. It is an alignment game.Tant Fant uses the same...

, Shisima

Shisima

Shisima is a two-player abstract strategy game from Kenya. It is related to tic-tac-toe, but even more related to Tapatan, Three Men's Morris, Nine Holes, Achi, Tant Fant, and Dara, because pieces are moved on the board to create the 3 in-a-row. Unlike those other games, Shisima uses an octagonal...

, Dara (game)

Dara (game)

Dara is a two-player abstract strategy board game from Nigeria specifically played by the Dakarkari people. In the Haussa language, the game is called Doki which means horse. It is a clever alignment game related to tic-tac-toe. However, it is far more complex. The game was invented sometime in the...

, tic-tac-toe

Tic-tac-toe

Tic-tac-toe, also called wick wack woe and noughts and crosses , is a pencil-and-paper game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The X player usually goes first...

External links

• http://www.gamesmuseum.uwaterloo.ca/VirtualExhibits/rowgames/tapatan.html
• http://achi.appspot.com/