Christmas is synonymous with family, meals, gifts and, at least in my family, cards and board games. The latter is a trend that seems increasingly common, given the data of a sector that does not stop growing – an estimated 20% since the pandemic – and that covers all ages and is an ideal gift with more and more options.
What they don't know at home is that this year I am prepared. I have an ace up my sleeve: I've asked the AI for help to beat them at those board and card games. Of course, first of all, I had to know what we were going to play.
I know that if it were up to my cousin – who is a gamer – we would spend hours with modern games, perhaps a magical legacy like CharterStone – if you don't know what they are, they are games that have a certain duration and are very special – or some complex challenger resource management game—Terraforming Mars style—. But the whole family will be here, it will be easier.
Leaving aside new titles of all themes – there are more and more quality with up to 60 companies in the country developing them plus self-published options – such as horror games, escape rooms at home or strange Kickstarter bets, the traditional never fails.
I'm sure at first we'll play the classic cards, you know, cinquillo, liar, donkey, traditional games, but maybe some modern ones like Virus. How do I finally win them over, Artificial Intelligence?
Board game rule conflicts solved by Artificial Intelligence
Before we get into it, there was a statement from AI that made me wonder something. Rules. Conflicts with the rules that hinder strategies. How to solve this? A brief look at the GPTstore gave me a solution: someone had already thought of this.
GameTime is a ChatGPT version that explains and resolves conflicts in rules, and teaches you how to place the board, among other things. Interesting, AI offered us more than just strategies. Let's go with the cards. For this I used Ace of Cards, another version trained precisely for this. This he told me:
AI strategies to win in classic and modern card games
Cinquillo
- Observe the cards played: Pay attention to the cards that are being played. This will help you understand what cards your opponents have and what cards are no longer in play.
- Hold key cards: If you have cards that are key to continuing sequences (such as a 6 or 4 when the 5 is already in play), consider holding them until you can get the most out of them. This can lock your opponents out temporarily.
- Manage the pace of the game: Controlling the pace can be crucial. If you have the advantage, try to speed up the game by placing your cards quickly. If you are behind, try to slow down the game to give yourself more opportunities to place your cards.
- Adapt to the situation: If you find yourself with a lot of high or low cards, adjust your strategy. For example, if you have a lot of high cards, try to get rid of the low cards first to avoid getting stuck at the end.
Virus
Virus is that game that became so fashionable in 2021—you know about creating a human body with cards—and that was the most notable Spanish board game success. It continues to release editions, and when the older ones retire, the little ones will want to play it. If you don't know him, it will be the perfect Christmas gift.
It has already sold more than 1 million units and has spread to 20 countries. As stated in Insiderits creators, Domingo Cabrero, Carlos López and Santi Santisteban, started as a group of friends with a passion for games and ended up creating a phenomenon. It is a good example of the trend in the sector, but I want to win, let's see what the AI tells me:
- Build Full Bodies Fast: Your goal is to build a complete and healthy human body. Try to complete your organs as quickly as possible, paying attention to which cards you have and which ones you need.
- Attack strategically: Use viruses and medicines to attack your opponents in a way that prevents them from completing their bodies. If an opponent is close to winning, focus your efforts on him.
- Defend yourself wisely: Save treatment cards, such as vaccines or medicines, to defend against your opponents' attacks. It is important to balance attack and defense.
- Observe your opponents: Pay attention to the cards they pick up and the strategies they seem to be using. This can give you clues as to what cards they need and how you can best hinder them.
- Use wildcards wisely: Wild cards can be very useful. Use them to quickly complete bodies or to save a difficult situation. But remember, they are also valuable to your opponents, so consider using them to block their plays.
As you can see, there was a lot to apply in card games, but the best of all is that the AI itself allows you to ask about specific situations or focus on specific phases or aspects of the game.
You can get much more out of their advice. Also indicating what the players are like. With her you have a complete advisor. What will happen to board games?
AI strategies to beat Catan
Pixabay
Oriol Comas, director of the Dau Barcelona festival and board game expert, pointed out on RTVE that the appearance of the game Catán in the 90s revolutionized the sector, changing the dynamics of board games towards greater narrative and collaboration between players.
Whether or not. It is a classic. Vale is a little behind other modern proposals such as Everdell, Evergreen or Roots with new mechanics – they are other great gifts if you still don't know what to buy – and an increasingly special design. Let's look at some of the AI strategies:
- Initial settlement selection:Choose locations with diversified numbers on the dice (5, 6, 8, 9) to have more opportunities to obtain resources. Prioritize resources that are scarce on the board. Place your settlements near useful ports.
- Resource balance:Make sure you have access to all the resources, or at least the most important ones. This will give you flexibility to build and negotiate.
- Expansion strategy:Build towards valuable locations, such as junctions with good numbers or resources you are missing. Consider blocking your opponents' advance.
- Effective use of trade:Negotiate shrewdly. Don't be afraid to ask for more than you offer if you think the other player desperately needs what you have. Use ports to exchange resources efficiently.
AI is integrated into board games
Walmart
But it's not all strategy and rules, recent innovations show how AI is being integrated into classic board games. For example, Mattel has updated its iconic game Pictionary with artificial intelligence, where players are tasked with having an AI guess their drawings, using Google's Quick, Draw!
Likewise, Chinese company SenseTime has launched SenseRobot Go, an AI-powered tabletop robot for the game of Go, offering interactive and personalized support for players. ¿Will there come a time when instead of asking the AI for help I have to win it over?