In an orthogonal connection game, Black is trying to form an orthogonally (horizontally and/or vertically) interconnected path of black stones connecting the top edge of the board to the bottom edge. White is trying to connect the left and right edges.
DESIGN CHALLENGES
1. Deadlocks. A deadlock occurs when Black blocks White from forming a winning path, while White simultaneously blocks Black from forming a winning path. Neither player can win, and it ends in a draw. You have to invent a mechanism that prevents deadlocks.
2. Cycles. A cycle occurs when, after a number of turns, the same position is repeated. A cycle of moves can go on endlessly. The design has to prevent cycles. [Some designers aren't as concerned about cycles as I am. If a cycle is unlikely to occur, that's good enough for them. For me, it's not good enough. It's a matter of aesthetics. Cycles must not be possible, even if players would have to cooperate to create a cycle.]
3. Robustness. Basically, there should be a level playing field throughout play. Player 1 should not have a noticeable advantage just by moving first. Or if the pie rule* is used, which should be a part of almost every connection game, Player 2 should not have a noticeable advantage. Even if the beginning is well balanced, imbalance can develop during play. First to claim the center cell might have a huge advantage. First to kill might have a huge advantage. First to execute a chain reaction (one move sets you up for another move, which sets you up for yet another move... all in one turn) might have a huge advantage. First to achieve such-and-such might have a huge advantage. There could be a simple algorithm which Player 1 can use to automatically win. Games must be robust.
4. Aesthetics. The aesthetics of the rule set is actually more important to me than the gameplay that emerges from it. I'm somewhat unique in this regard. Most designers are more concerned about the gameplay than I am. Luckily, with my approach, some of my games have turned out to be decent. I have a long list of design Dos and Don'ts that I won't attempt to enumerate here. Other designers have expressed outrage over this. But my "rules" were never intended for anyone but me. I never tried to impose them on anyone, or "browbeat" anyone.
Three of my most beautiful OCGs (Orthogonal Connection Games) are Minefield, Necklace, and Edgecut.
MINEFIELD (in beta)
There are three glyphs that you're never allowed to form. They're very small patterns comprised of stones of both colors and unoccupied points.
https://www.marksteeregames.com/Minefield_rules.pdf
NECKLACE (coming soon to alpha)
Orthogonally interconnected regions of empty points must always include an edge point.
https://www.marksteeregames.com/Necklace_rules.pdf
EDGECUT (coming soon to alpha)
This one is a little more complicated.
Crosscut: 2x2 area with two diagonally adjacent black stones and two diagonally adjacent white stones.
The board starts out filled with a checkerboard pattern of stones. Or in other words, filled with crosscuts.
On your turn, kill a crosscut by swapping two orthogonally adjacent stones within it - in such a way that the crosscut propagates outward, away from the center - one swap per turn. Crosscuts disintegrate at board edges. Once enough crosscuts have been eliminated, a winning path will form.
https://www.marksteeregames.com/Edgecut_rules.pdf
*Pie rule: Black moves first. White, on his first turn, has the option of switching colors and becoming Black, claiming the first move as his own, instead of making a move.
DESIGN CHALLENGES
1. Deadlocks. A deadlock occurs when Black blocks White from forming a winning path, while White simultaneously blocks Black from forming a winning path. Neither player can win, and it ends in a draw. You have to invent a mechanism that prevents deadlocks.
2. Cycles. A cycle occurs when, after a number of turns, the same position is repeated. A cycle of moves can go on endlessly. The design has to prevent cycles. [Some designers aren't as concerned about cycles as I am. If a cycle is unlikely to occur, that's good enough for them. For me, it's not good enough. It's a matter of aesthetics. Cycles must not be possible, even if players would have to cooperate to create a cycle.]
3. Robustness. Basically, there should be a level playing field throughout play. Player 1 should not have a noticeable advantage just by moving first. Or if the pie rule* is used, which should be a part of almost every connection game, Player 2 should not have a noticeable advantage. Even if the beginning is well balanced, imbalance can develop during play. First to claim the center cell might have a huge advantage. First to kill might have a huge advantage. First to execute a chain reaction (one move sets you up for another move, which sets you up for yet another move... all in one turn) might have a huge advantage. First to achieve such-and-such might have a huge advantage. There could be a simple algorithm which Player 1 can use to automatically win. Games must be robust.
4. Aesthetics. The aesthetics of the rule set is actually more important to me than the gameplay that emerges from it. I'm somewhat unique in this regard. Most designers are more concerned about the gameplay than I am. Luckily, with my approach, some of my games have turned out to be decent. I have a long list of design Dos and Don'ts that I won't attempt to enumerate here. Other designers have expressed outrage over this. But my "rules" were never intended for anyone but me. I never tried to impose them on anyone, or "browbeat" anyone.
Three of my most beautiful OCGs (Orthogonal Connection Games) are Minefield, Necklace, and Edgecut.
MINEFIELD (in beta)
There are three glyphs that you're never allowed to form. They're very small patterns comprised of stones of both colors and unoccupied points.
https://www.marksteeregames.com/Minefield_rules.pdf
NECKLACE (coming soon to alpha)
Orthogonally interconnected regions of empty points must always include an edge point.
https://www.marksteeregames.com/Necklace_rules.pdf
EDGECUT (coming soon to alpha)
This one is a little more complicated.
Crosscut: 2x2 area with two diagonally adjacent black stones and two diagonally adjacent white stones.
The board starts out filled with a checkerboard pattern of stones. Or in other words, filled with crosscuts.
On your turn, kill a crosscut by swapping two orthogonally adjacent stones within it - in such a way that the crosscut propagates outward, away from the center - one swap per turn. Crosscuts disintegrate at board edges. Once enough crosscuts have been eliminated, a winning path will form.
https://www.marksteeregames.com/Edgecut_rules.pdf
*Pie rule: Black moves first. White, on his first turn, has the option of switching colors and becoming Black, claiming the first move as his own, instead of making a move.