- SOS (game)
SOS is a (usually two-player)
game played with paper and pencil, typically played by children. It is similar totic-tac-toe but with more complexity.Before play begins, a grid of "n" × "n" squares (with "n" being 3 or more) is drawn. The first player to move (which can be chosen by, e.g., a coin toss) writes either S or O in one of the squares, whereupon it becomes the second player's turn. The second player has the option of writing an S or O in an empty square.
The object of the game is for each player to attempt to create (on their turn) the straight sequence S-O-S among connected squares (either diagonally, horizontally, or vertically), and to create as many such sequences as they can.
If a player succeeds in creating an SOS, that player immediately takes another turn, and continues to do so until no SOS can be created on their turn. Otherwise turns alternate between players after each move.
Keeping track of who made which SOSs can be done by, e.g., one player circling their SOSs and the other player drawing a line through theirs.
Once the grid has been filled up, the winner is the player who made the most SOSs. If the grid is filled up and the number of SOSs for each player is the same, then the game is a draw. If the grid is filled up and no SOS has been made, then the game is again a draw.
Formal classification of SOS
SOS is a
game of skill and anabstract strategy game . It is also a combinatorial game (when played with two players). In terms ofgame theory , it is azero-sum ,sequential game withperfect information .ee also
*
Paper and pencil game External links
* [http://access.mmhs.ca/compsci/SOSApplet.html "The SOS Game".] A
Java applet for playing SOS against a computer player on the website of Milliken Mills High School, Markham, Ontario, Canada.
* [http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hlm/math310/main.pdf "An Assortment of Combinatorial Games,"] pg. 8, at Prof. Hugh L. Montgomery's University of Michigan website. [http://www-personal.umich.edu/~hlm/math310/main.ps Also available] inPostScript format.
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