Dodgem

Dodgem
Starting position for 3×3 Dodgem

Dodgem is a simple abstract strategy game invented by Colin Vout and described in the book Winning Ways. It is played on an n×n board with n-1 cars for each player—two cars each on a 3×3 board is enough for an interesting game, but larger sizes are also possible.

Play

The board is initially set up with n-1 blue cars along the left edge and n-1 red cars along the bottom edge, the bottom left square remaining empty. Turns alternate: player 1 ("Left")'s turn is to move any one of the blue cars one space forwards (right) or sideways (up or down). Player 2 ("Right")'s turn is to move any one of the red cars one space forwards (up) or sideways (left or right).

Cars may not move onto occupied spaces. They may leave the board, but only by a forward move. A car which leaves the board is out of the game.

The winner is the player who first has no legal move on their turn because all their cars are either off the board or blocked in by their opponent.

Theory

The 3×3 game can be completely analyzed (strongly solved) and is a win for the first player—a table showing who wins from every possible position is given on p. 686 (1st edition pagination) of Winning Ways, and given this information it is easy to read off a winning strategy.

David desJardins showed in 1996 (thread from rec.games.abstract) that the 4×4 and 5×5 games never end with perfect play—both players get stuck shuffling their cars from side to side to prevent the other from winning. He conjectures that this is true for all larger boards.

See also


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • dodgem — UK [ˈdɒdʒəm] / US [ˈdɑdʒəm] or dodgem car UK / US noun Word forms dodgem : singular dodgem plural dodgems British 1) [countable] a small electric car at a funfair, that you drive and use for deliberately hitting other cars 2) the dodgems [plural] …   English dictionary

  • Dodgem — n. a small low powered electrically powered vehicle driven on a special platform where there are many others to be dodged. Syn: bumper car. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • dodgem — ☆ dodgem [däj′əm ] n. [< Dodgem, a trademark < DODG(E) + (TH)EM] an amusement park ride consisting of small, electrically powered vehicles, whose drivers move them about erratically within an enclosed area, frequently bumping one another …   English World dictionary

  • dodgem — ► NOUN ▪ a small electrically powered car with rubber bumpers, driven within an enclosure at a funfair with the aim of bumping other such cars. ORIGIN US proprietary name (as Dodg em), from dodge them …   English terms dictionary

  • dodgem — [[t]dɒ̱ʤəm[/t]] dodgems N COUNT: usu pl A dodgem or dodgem car is a small electric car with a wide rubber strip all round. People drive dodgems around a special area at an amusement park and sometimes crash into each other for fun. [mainly BRIT,… …   English dictionary

  • dodgem — noun Date: 1945 chiefly British bumper car called also dodgem car …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • dodgem — (also dodgem car) noun a small electrically powered car driven within an enclosure at a funfair, with the aim of bumping other such cars and avoiding being bumped by them. Origin 1920s: US proprietary name (as Dodg em), from the phr. dodge them …   English new terms dictionary

  • dodgem — /ˈdɒdʒəm/ (say dojuhm) noun a small, low powered, electrically powered vehicle driven on a special rink at carnivals, shows, etc., for the amusement of bumping other dodgems. Also, dodgem car. {dodge + em, i.e. dodge them (other cars) …  

  • Dodgem Logic — is a bimonthly underground magazine edited and published by Alan Moore. The first issue appeared in December 2009, and there have been eight issues published as of Spring 2011. Each issue features comics, stories, and articles by Moore, including …   Wikipedia

  • dodgem car — variant UK US Main entry: dodgem * * * dodg|em «DOJ uhm», noun, or dodgem car, any one of various small cars ridden for entertainment in rinks at amusement parks or fairs: »It was as meaningless as watching a crowd of dodgem cars bumping and… …   Useful english dictionary

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