Qubic

Qubic is a board game for two players. It represents an expansion of four in a row or Noughts and Crosses dar. to three dimensions, it is a two-person strategy game with complete information.

Aim of the game

The aim of the game is to arrange four tokens in a 4 × 4 × 4 cube on a straight line. A row may extend vertically, horizontally or diagonally. When the diagonals there are surfaces and space diagonals. This three-dimensional multiple diagonals are always possible, so you have to play very carefully in order not to overlook one.

Variants

The similar game Sogo is realized mostly by 16 rods, which are arranged vertically in a 4 × 4 square. The balls fall to the bottom plate, or to the underlying ball. Qubic however consists of superposed layers of glass or transparent plastic, which are arranged on a framework of rods over one another.

There are also a large number of variants, a plurality of apply the principle in a row on the other three-dimensional body as a 4 × 4 × 4- cube.

Both Qubic and Sogo were programmed in manifold forms as a computer game.

History

1961 brought the Crestline Manufacturing Company the game Checkline: The classic space tic- tac-toe game out. Due to the futuristic appearance, it was also used in several episodes of the television show Star Trek. Qubic then appeared in 1962 Qubic Games in the U.S. and in 1965 Parker Brothers. Developed in 1978 Carol Shaw 3D Tic Tac Toe for the game console Atari 2600.

Game Theory resolution

Game theory Qubic has been completely solved by Oren Patashnik in 1980 by exhaustive search. Patashnik proved that with optimal play, the player who makes the first train always wins. In 1992, Allis and Schoo also the constructive proof by writing a Qubic program that always wins when it took the first train.

The variant in which by the balls fall down is game theory solved.

Similar games

• Four wins 2D
• Sogo
• Mill 3D is played on the same board. Only the latter is always filled up to the end. The winner, who could form the most mills ( four stones in a row). In this game, the second player can always force a draw by mimicking the moves of his opponent, he along one of the vertical planes of symmetry.