Area control
Mechanics where winning depends on controlling zones, hexes, or board regions.
Games
Top Cap
Simple is not a flaw
I hesitated a long time before writing about this game — next to heavyweights like TZAAR or DVONN it looks almost too simple. Honestly, even the brisk tactics of Cat-a-comb can feel baroque beside it. Yet Top Cap fits this blog’s theme perfectly: a pure deterministic abstract with perfect information. Extreme simplicity here is not a weakness — it is the main virtue.
Cat-a-comb
Speed tactics in a tin can
Cat-a-Comb proves even a pocket abstract can run deep: area control, opening tempo, fights over three-high towers, and sharp tactical traps.