The Circle strategy

[Romain672]

Hi,
So this is a strategy I try to do, but it seems best with AI or with loooooooooots of training.
But it's really fun.

Here is how it plays:
1) Try to do a big empty middle area in the bottom or the top of the prisonner. In size about 4x4 or 4x8
If you need it, put your annoying tiles in that empty area, we don't care about the exits it has. Goal is to have no exit (or few 1 or 2) outside that area.

2) Close the outside (or keep one exit and one tile which can close it, it let you trash some tiles which have two exits).
Before closing it, you should try to close it in a way where you will be able to fill it completely:
a) you should have an odd number of tiles
b) you should have the same amount of 'white' and 'black' tiles in the chess board
c) a and b sometimes are still not enough, but that's situationnal (check color.jpg, there is 4differents 'forms', sometimes you can't do the arrangements you want)

3) Fill it
Your goal is to do empty area of 1x2 or 2x2, or hole with one exit where you can't put a tile incorrectly.
If you do a hole of like:
110
011
then you will be able to put a tile in the two middle one, and so lose.

4) Refresh your hand 10 times and win.

Warning. The skill cap is enormous. You will lose. A lot. That's normal. But I believe it could achieve 100% winrate like that.

https://boardgamearena.com/gamereview?table=118263940 (check this one)
https://boardgamearena.com/table?table=118213230
https://boardgamearena.com/table?table=118201579
https://boardgamearena.com/table?table=118222853
https://boardgamearena.com/table?table=118228728

[Romain672]

Does someone have the composition of the deck?
It would be very helpful for that strategy.

[kooolant]

Here's a list of all 69 tiles

https://imgur.com/a/drh5Zfu

[RicardoRix]

According to the rules, this strategy fails.
Are you doing this just for kicks?

[Romain672]

According to the rules, this strategy fails.
Are you doing this just for kicks?

Wait, which rule are you talking about?
I just checked the bug section and didn't saw what you were talking about.
And I checked the rules and 'If you can’t play, you can place your cards under the draw pile and take three new cards'. That's a strategy who tries to abuse that rule. (but since it's not a competitive game, and it's an hard one, I don't see the problem?)

[RicardoRix]

I'm talking about THE rules, not any possible implementation bugs.

On the very small rule page, the bottom right diagram.
There is a red-cross over the inner tunnel.

[N_Faker]

I'm talking about THE rules, not any possible implementation bugs.

On the very small rule page, the bottom right diagram.
There is a red-cross over the inner tunnel.

Single squares are always impossible to close. Two square size holes may still be filled if the necessary tile is still available.

[Romain672]

Yeah this strategy require you to put attention to a lot of others factors.

But while playing 'instinctly' will not make you progress much, this one has so many things going on, because you need to think per advance, that you can improve a lot.

3) Fill it
Your goal is to do empty area of 1x2 or 2x2, or hole with one exit where you can't put a tile incorrectly.
If you do a hole of like:
110
011
then you will be able to put a tile in the two middle one, and so lose.

This part is what you are talking about, once you have no exit in the outside, you should try to put holes of these sizes.
A 2x2 can't be stuck (if the deck is full and have <=4 exits).
A 1x2 can't be stuck (if the deck is full and have <=4 exits).
So if you manage to be in a situation with these hole you have won.

I didn't lied when I said this strategic was pretty hard to optimize.

[RicardoRix]

Single squares are always impossible to close. Two square size holes may still be filled if the necessary tile is still available.

Yes, so a single square with a tunnel will be a forced loss - as shown in the diagram.

If the hole was bigger then I guess there would be the ambiguity of someone saying - but I could still fill that space.

The point is, it's an inner tunnel that's not complete then you LOSE if it's not completed.

[N_Faker]

In general I also try to build an enclosing tunnel. As such at least forces an end, be it victory or loss, instead of endlessly expanding a tunnel hoping for the right draws.