Net Coverage is a game played on a 13x19 grid. On each turn, a player places a cube net on the board.

How to Play:

1) The "starting points" (labeled 'S') are the center edges of the 13-unit sides of the board. Each player's first net must be adjacent to his respective starting point.

2) Each subsequent net placed must be adjacent to at least one other net the player has played.

3) Play alternates between the two players until one player cannot make another play. The other player continues to play until she, too, can no longer play. Then the game is over. In the example below, turns 1 through 13 happen first, then player two plays O, player one plays A, two plays P, one plays B, two plays Q, one plays C, and since player two has no more moves, player one continues by playing D through N.

4) The player who goes first is trying to create a board where at least 70% (or at least 173) of the squares are occupied by either player's nets. The player who goes second is trying to create a board where at least 30% (or at least 74) of the squares are NOT occupied be either player's nets.

S

13

Q

12

2

11

A

O

P

6

4

5

7

B

10

I

L

C

8

3

K

J

D

H

H

9

1

G

E

N

M

F

s

In the above example, after 13 moves (1 through 13), the two players have "claimed" their areas of the board. Then, the first player tried to place as many nets as possible on her side, and the second player tried to place as few nets as possible on his side. Once the second player plays O, P, and Q, he has no more moves, so the first player continues playing until she has no more moves. Since the game board above has 180/247 or 72.9% filled, which is greater than 70%, Player 1 wins.

What is the optimal strategy for this game? Would you rather be player 1 or player 2?

Irrespective of who goes first, it seems that whoever can take control of the centre of the board will be the winner.

I make that observation upon the first few moves.  The 4th play has been in the wrong direction which has allowed Green to close off a large percentage of the surface to the right.

Had a shape identical to "P" and with the same orientation been played at the end of "2" Green's thrust is seemingly somewhat weakened.

Posted by brianjn on 2012-02-02 19:08:14