Mark Steere Games

Game Index

Complete list of Mark Steere games.

Simple games for Konane board 4

GameYearDescription
NARROWS2026Rook captures.  Interconnect your groups with empty regions.
ROOM AND PILLAR2026Create tunnels, but no chambers.  Last move wins. Play online
UNANE2026Capture enemy stones and remove friendly stones.  Single group goal.
INVECTOR2026Capture enemy stones and move friendly stones.  Annihilation goal.

Dice abstracts 6

GameYearDescription
HERD2022Herding game.  Territory.
RUN BUSTER2025Pure Dice Abstract.  Form a full straight with six dice.
4202025Pure Dice Abstract.  No board, score pad, or apparatus.  Just dice.
JOKERBALL2025Dice Abstract.  Soccer goal.  Ball moves somewhat randomly.
STRATEGIC RESERVE2025Dice Abstract.  Fully deploy your checkers from your reserve to win.
DIABLO2022Dice Abstract.  Annihilation.

Card games 5

GameYearDescription
COINS2022Point trick.  Rock Paper Scissors element.
MOD FOUR2022Plain trick.  Modulo 4.
MOD TEN2022Shedding.  Modulo 10.
INSURANCE2022Banker.  Insure your bet.
INTUITION2025Mind reading.  Memory and probability.

Abstract games 57

GameYearDescription
ANAASH2021Stacking game.  Annihilation.
BAMBOO2021Game of clumps. Play online
BASIC2009Game of mixed stacks.
BLACK NARROWS2026Impartial game of interconnected empty points.  Only black stones are used. Play online
BLACKSTONE2024Simple game of blocking and annihilation.
BLAST RADIUS2024Nuclear blast annihilation.
BOUNCE2023Simple group forming game.
BYTE2005Passive stacks.  Claim 2 out of 3 stacks of 8 checkers.
CAGE2010Checkers variant.
CEPHALOPOD2006Dice are used as playing pieces.  Capture from within.
CHURN2024Full size game on tiny board.  Massive churn rate.
CLUSTERFUSS2023Related to Clobber.  Annihilation goal.
COLONNADE2010One dimensional board.
COLORFIELD2026Dot connection and enclosure.  Two colors of line segments. Play online
COPOLYMER2006Multiple cells claimed per turn.  Subtle strategy.
CROSSCUT2023Decisive in-a-row game.  Very rare class of game.
DIE2025Game of self annihilation.
DIFFUSION2006Original seed sowing mechanism.
DIPOLE2007Attacking game.  Game of annihilation for Checkers set.
DODO2021Super simple game. Play online
FENCES2021Pencil and paper game.
FLUME (square)2010Territory game.  Dots and Boxes family.
FLUME (hex hex)2010Territory game.  Dots and Boxes family.
GOPHER2021Super simple game.
GROUP2025Hexagonal board.  Form a group of size N or larger.  N is a function of board size.
HADRON2022Super simple game.
HEXOTIC2024Oust-class game.  Surround and capture.
ICEBREAKER2021A game of icebreakers.  Win by capturing the majority of icebergs.
IHEX2024Oust class game.  Form irregular hexagons, capturing minority.
I LIBERTY2026Impartial.  Every group must have at least as many liberties as stones.
IMPASSE2003Armies march through each other.  Win by desertion.
INCHWORM2021Game of inchworms.
JOSTLE2010Combinatorial game.  Last to move wins.
KING AND COURTESAN2022Army game.  Get your king into the enemy home square, or kill the enemy king.
KOBUDAI2021Gender bender.  Game of annihilation.
LIBERTY2026Partizan.  Your groups must have at least as many liberties as stones.
MAD BISHOPS2010Combinatorial game.  Game of annihilation.
MAD ROOKS2010Combinatorial game.  Game of annihilation.
MANHATTAN2021Game of consolidation.
MARVIN2012Stacking game.  Territory.
MONKEY QUEEN2011Stacking game.  Checkmate / annihilation.
MOSAIC2009Tile game.  Game of aggression and territory.
OUST (hex hex)2007Magnificent architecture.  Board starts empty and ends with only one color. Play online
OUST (square grid)2007Same as Oust (hex hex) but square grid.
PATHWAY2021Simple combinatorial.  Make a path.
PARASOL2024Overlapping sub-grids.  Majority occupation.
QUADRATURE1992My first game (1992).  Othello-like "squaring" mechanism.  Only MSG game in which draws can occur.
REDSTONE2012Go variant.  Red stones are used for capturing, but they cannot themselves be captured.
RIVE2010High churn rate.  Territory.
RUSH2007Multiple stones added per turn.  Fast paced game.
SAVAGE GO2023Go variant.  Multiple placements per turn.
SCRIBE2006Pattern forming.  No ties.  Form patterns on an array of 3x3 grids.
SILO2021Mixed stacks, one dimensional game.  Arrange all your checkers into a contiguous substack.
SUBSUME2024Monocolored loop formation.  Two-color game.
TAKE2024Free form Tanbo.  Grow root-like formations of stones.  Add new seeds.
TANBO1993Roots grow, get bounded, and die.  Annihilation goal.
ZOLA2021Simple, robust, strategic.  One of my very best games.

Connection games 29

GameYearDescription
ANCHOR 2D2008Triangular board with two triangular holes.  Form connections among board edges and hole edges.
ANCHOR 3D20083D board with three symmetrically arranged holes.  Form connections among hole edges.
ATOLL2008A game of perimeter islands.  Connect islands of your color.
BEGIRD2008Generalized form of Y.  Begird has 6 or more (multiples of 3) perimeter segments.
CONECT2024Conic surface.  Surround the apex of a cone.
CONECT WIDE CONE2024Wide cone board.  Print N Play.
CONECT NARROW CONE2024Narrow cone board.  Print N Play.
CORDON2023Cordoning game.  Cordon off more than half of the board.
CROSSWAY2007Square connection game.  No draws.  Eight directions of connectivity.
CUBE LARIAT2024Connection game played on cubic surface.  Draws are not possible.
GRAND HEX2009Hex with an added complication.  Still a very simple game.
FRACTAL2010FRACTAL BOARD Beautiful game.  Designed to minimize first move advantage.
GYRE2015Connection game.  Surround center.
HEX KB2009Inspired by Klein bottle.  Uses a "portal".
HEXAGONAL Y2023Y adapted to hexagonal board.  Ultra simple, fundamental geometric principle.
HY 22023Y adapted to hexagonal board.  Ultra simple, fundamental geometric principle.
HY 32023Y adapted to hexagonal board.  Ultra simple, fundamental geometric principle.
LARIAT2008World's simplest connection game.  Completes the HYL triad: Hex, Y, Lariat.  Pie rule recommended.
LOOPHOLE 2D2008Rhombus shaped board with two rhombus shaped holes.  Form connections between board edges and hole edges.
LOOPHOLE 3D20083D board with three symmetrically arranged square holes.  Form connections among hole edges.
MOBIUS2008Mobius strip.  Connections are formed between colored segments along the edge of a mobius strip.
NESTED Y2006Y superimposed on Y
PYRAMID PARTITION2024Fully three dimensional connection game.
PYRAMID Y2024Y board.  Projection of hexagonally tessellated pyramid.
SINGULARITY2024Surround a neutral corner stone.  Unusual design.
SUPER LARIAT2008Highly unusual geometry.  "Lasso" two of the three crystal shape spars with a double ended lariat of stones.
TRIPEN2013Trivalent, variable orientation cell division.  Unusual connection game.
TRIVOR2012Trivalent, variable orientation cell division.  Unusual connection game.
X2009Three player game.  Form an X shaped path, among other possibilities.

OOSCGs 18

Orthogonal Only Square Connection Games

GameYearDescription
CANDY NECKLACE2024SPO (single placement only).  Connection game science.
CATACLYSM2023Kills are massive and cataclysmic.
CLEAR PATH2026Never block opponent from winning, until you win.
CLEARCUT and HALFCUT2023Kill by forming crosscut with larger group.
CLUMP2023Clobber setup.  Form clumps by swapping.
CRISSCROSS2023Modified Reversi capture.
DIMPLED FOOTBALL2026Football dimpling chain reaction.
EDGECUT2026Crosscuts migrate outward.  They disintegrate upon contact with an edge.
FLIPSTOP2023Form crosscut, flip enemy checkers that don't form new crosscuts.
MINCUT2023No crosscuts formed.  Functionally similar to Crossway.
MINEFIELD2024SPO (single placement only).  Prohibited glyphs guarantee against draws.
NAKATTA2024SPO (single placement only).  The ultimate connection game design.
NAKATTA PRO2026SPO (single placement only).  Middle-earth between Nakatta and Minefield.
NAKED DIAGONAL2024SPO (single placement only).  Connection game science.
NECKLACE2024SPO (single placement only).  Loops are prohibited, which safeguards against crosscuts.
OOSCG-W2023Form crosscut, kill enemies, replace with friendlies anywhere.
SWAPTIMUM2023Form crosscut and swap to kill crosscut.
UNRAVEL2024Crosscut dissipation.

Miscellaneous games 2

GameYearDescription
BLOOD DIAMONDS2008Natural resource management game.  It has a theme, rolled dice, and was designed for online play.
OH COME ON !!2021Travel game.  Came to me in a dream.

Puzzles 1

GameYearDescription
3D MAZE2007Three dimensional maze.  I sold this maze to Games World of Puzzles Magazine in February, 2007.  So it's not available for reprint or resale.  Just showing here for reference.