ACM TechNews

Games People Like to Play: Computer Picks Stayers

Queensland University of Technology (07/21/08)

Artificial intelligence research at Queensland University of Technology in Australia has lead to a computer program that invents highly absorbing, mentally challenging games that can be played either on a board or online. The program, called Ludi, uses the component rules of board games such as chess, draughts, and tic-tac-toe, and develops them into new games. Ludi then estimates how captivating the new games will be to players, according to Ph.D. candidate Cameron Browne. He says Ludi represents a new direction in combinatorial games research, as traditionally the field has focused on producing computer players that can compete, or even beat, the best human players instead of on the quality of the game. The best game created by Ludi so far, named Yavalath by the program, has all the elements of a high-quality game, and has been praised by an international group of serious game players. To win Yavalath, a player must place four pieces in a row without first placing three pieces next to each other. "The good thing about these new games is that many of them require novel and innovative strategies to be played well. Players are therefore often surprised at situations that emerge during play, which keeps the games interesting," says Browne.

http://www.news.qut.edu.au/cgi-bin/WebObjects/News.woa/wa/
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