Links for the H.M. in the database
Arimma: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/4616
Abalone: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/526
Akron: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/10889
Accasta: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/9060
Anchor: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/23235

Abalone is interesting for new players, but not very deep. The traditional initial setup is seriously broken: I have yet to find a player or AI that can beat me with that setup. (I have found people who understand the same thing I do, and those games always end a tie). I ended up "state champion" by doing nothing but pulling the cheese tactic off over and over again.

The scattered setup is more interesting, but really doesn't feel like abalone anymore. Because of that, I wouldn't really say it would qualify as "best". Amazons on the other hand is very interesting and deep.

I would like to add as an honorable mention AXIOM : very original, interesting and fun !

I also agree that Amazon gets the vote instead of Abalone, for all of the reasons mentioned above. Good work.

Just back looking at this great list.

While my picks are still Arimaa and Abalone, but realized Axiom was missed.

What about Blokus?

Nick, I don't deny that backgammon is one of the world's great games, but the luck factor leaves it off this list.

I would add Breakthrough and Batalo as honorable mentions.

If multiplayer games are allowed, I'd go with Bughouse Chess. http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/14188
If not, Billabong is very good with two http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/464

Hey, dont' forget BLITZ (aka Claim) !

Links for the H.M. in the database
Camelot: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/5251
Cannon: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/8553
Chase: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/316
Croda: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/19843

There are quite a lot of draws at high levels, but not "most" games. It often depends on the tournament format. In discussing this with devoted chess fans, it doesn't bother them much. They see draws as part of the strategy of the game, or part of an overall strategy to win a tournament. Calling chess, a game that is still increasing in popularity and enjoying the support of many players of genius, "broken" is not supportable.

No honorable mention for Checkers?

I'm frankly a little bit shocked that Checkers (on now checking out the BGG entry: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/2083) is so lowly rated (4.8/10).

Perhaps checkers deserves an H.M. because so many people have played it for so many years. I've enjoyed quite a few games of checkers myself. But I think that the games that did get H.M.s are much better games than checkers. Checkers is okay between weak players, like myself, but when the players get good at it, it becomes a draw-fest. Without the gimmick of balloted openings, two checkers experts can play all week and achieve nothing but draws. The best games stay interesting even when the players become experts.

I totally agree with chess

HM for me include the drastically under rated Checkers 2000, Camelot, Chase, Croda and Cannon

No Honorable Mention for Dominoes?

Again I'd go for a better known paper and pencil game Dots and Boxes. There is even a book about it.

The Geek doesn't actually have a "Dots and Boxes" entry but I found a number of Dots and boxes games have been produced and started a Geek List for them. I hva e a couple of games to enter into the Geek yet....

Give Dicefest a try!

It's really better with three or four, but is playable with two. I'm working on an updated version of the board rules, and might publish a small run.

Haven't tried Dicefest yet, but it does look worth trying.

I think Dots and Boxes is okay for this list, but it's in the Nim family of games, and I'm not a fan of those. And in general, I usually don't like games with shared pieces.

Link for the H.M. in the database
Epaminondas: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/7338

Here we agree completely, except on an historical detail. I think that Emergo was originally conceived on the square grid, but the hexagonal version became more popular for a while, until it was discovered that the shadow piece can be just a bit too powerful. Or something like that. I'm sure there are some historical notes on Christiaan Freeling's site. The square grid version is an excellent game. Abbott's Epaminondas (developed from his earlier game, Crossings) is also excellent.

I vote for Entrapment - whatever happened to this game? http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/12533

Thank you for the very good suggestion, Steven. Entrapment clearly deserves an H.M. There's a very nice Zillions of Games implementation for it, also.

Um, thanks. I think I wrote the zillions implementation.

Exxit might be newcomer worth a look here

Links for the H.M. in the database
Fanorona: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/4386
Fibonacci: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/695

A fine game. The rules also appears in Sackson's A Gamut of Games.

I would have voted for Fanorona here, and would have included Fox & Geese, if only for historical popularity.

Fox & Geese http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/10213

I would add Fire and Ice as an honorable mention. It has a nice, quirky movement mechanic that makes the game fun.

Fire and Ice, especially if you join 7 sets together
http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/4643

Fire & Ice is my choice for 'F'

Links for the H.M. in the database
Gipf: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/527
Gonnect: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/12146
Gogol: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/3437

There are more people who play Monopoly than Puerto Rico worldwide.

Gg

Go would also have been my choice, but I would also have included Freeling's Glass Bead Game and Leroy's Gyges among the honorable mentions.

Glass Bead Game http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/23869
Gyges http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/10527

There are a lot of good "G" abstracts.

Yes, I agree that Glass Bead Game and Gyges are worthy H.M.s

Go, Gyges, GIPF, in that order.

Hive probably does deserve an H.M., even though I've heard that one of the pieces (the spider?) may be underpowered and doesn't fit the system well. But I haven't played it, so I don't have an opinion about that issue.

Over the past six weeks I've probably played more than 100 Havannah games so I was happy to see you list Havannah.

Before looking at your H entry, I felt certain you would have listed Hex instead, because of its reputation and sheer simplicity. The Hex ruleset is somewhat easier, Hex is probably more elegant, but Havannah is more fun! Of course, that's just my current opinion, but right now I simply can't get enough of Havannah. (I can't recall having as much fun after my first 100 games of Hex!) Havannah is very deep and I'm still learning with each game I play.

Have to disagree. I've only played a few games of Havannah, but I think Hex is more fun. Also, putting Havannah ahead of Hex is a bit like putting Super Monopoly Simpsons edition ahead of the Landlord's Game.

Ok, that was a bit cruel, but you get my point, I hope... Hex is the original connection game, and more or less clever variants don't usually add all that much. Havannah sacrifices Hex's simplicity, elegance and complementary property (reaching your goal and permanently blocking the opponent's goal is the same thing - seems trivial, but Havannah's lack of this means races occur) in return for slightly more tactical diversity.

Not that it's not worth playing, but it can't be number one for me. Variations on Hex can be a fun diversion, but they can't replace it.

another vote for Hive. its one of the most simple yet interesting games i've played in a long while.

...

Have to buzz in for Hive on "H"

What about Ingenious?

I strongly disagree with you here. Impasse is a game of almost pure tempo, and it quickly loses interest. Likewise, Ingenious has that (very small) luck element that probably disqualifies it for this list. I would have included the following instead, with the nod going to IceTowers for multi-player and Ido for two-player:

Icehouse http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/225
IceTowers http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/9386
Ido http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/2235
Input http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/1291

I don't like the real-time nature of Icehouse and Ice Towers, and Input looks hopelessly opaque to me (although I admit I haven't played it). Ido looks visually interesting, though I don't know if the rules are as interesting as the Mondrian-like board and pieces. I'll have to look into it more. The pickings are a bit slim in the "I"s.

I haven't played Impasse, but I have played Ido, and it certainly meets the criteria. Ido is a very rather novel game.

Thin pickings for I; however, Interplay http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3932 has seen most play round these parts.

Good point, Steve. I forgot about Interplay, even though I have two pocket sets sitting somewhere in my closet!

Links for the H.M. in the database
Kuba: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/1337
Kinger: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/3015
King's Court: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/5157

I like very much the good old KENDO, especially with 4 players.

What about Kensington.

Kendo is a great little game for 'K' recognition

What about J?

Links for the H.M. in the database
Lotus: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/2348
Lilypad: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/20497

Also in Gamut. And playable online at www.littlegolem.net

I agree. Lines of Action is a classic and a clear winner here.

Playable realtime at http://www.boardspace.net and http://www.ludoteka.com/

LoA. No competition.

LOA yes, but HMs to Laska, and la trel

Mastermind.

Hidden, sure.

But still abstract and strategic.

You should also check out Mentalis. An excellent little game of bluff and cunning. Such a shame it is now out of print.

Thanks, but Mentalis is disqualified from this particular list because of hidden information.

What strategy is in Mastermind? Strategy can involve deduction, but deduction is generally a separate animal.

Link for the H.M. in the database
Neo Chess: http://boardgamegeek.com/game/10500

I agree, Neutron is a good choice here. I might also include Navia Dratp among the honorable mentions, and Nine Men's Morris for historical significance.

Navia Dratp http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/10819
Nine Men's Morris http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/3886

Nine-Men's Morris is a possible H.M. I believe it has been solved and proven to be a draw, though I can't swear to this. Navia Drapt as a shogi variant deserves consideration, but I'm biased against it because of its theme and art. Can't stand those fantasy miniatures. I'd probably like the game if there was a stripped-down unthemed shogi-like version.

Yes, Nine Men's Morris has been solved using computer brute force searches. But I don't think your average human would choose to memorize the solution, even if they could.

Neutron does have a slight first player advantage...I would recommend CoNeutron as a better game.