Numbers games and word play games have always been the gaming staple of the general public, with everything from crosswords to sudoku puzzles appearing in newspapers and magazines for decades.- Online Games Number
However, since smart phones burst on the scene, people have become a lot more demanding of their gaming titles, expecting games that can be played in the palm of their hand, but also dazzle and challenge them, wherever they may happen to be.
Part of this new wave of online game are number crunching games, some of which directly stem from classic games of the past and some of which are completely original creations, just waiting to be tackled by players who love to be tantalised by number puzzles and problems.
Mobile games are now expanding what’s possible within a number cruncher, adding new gameplay elements from different genres of game
The Classics Re-Invented
While lots of sparkly new games hit app stores on a daily basis, there are some classic games of the past which have dazzled gamers for decades of even centuries and that continue to do so thanks to online gaming providers who share a passion for the longevity of such titles. Many of these are numbers-based games, the likes of which include roulette, sudoku, and dominoes. What makes such games so easy to transfer over into the digital realm is that their original gameplay dynamics throw up so many possibilities and outcomes, that no matter whether their new mobile iterations are graphically impressive or not, the games themselves hold up. Added to this there is the important connectivity element, allowing players from all over the world to compete against one another as well as being able to discuss the finer points of a roulette board layout or opening strategies in games of dominoes. Other number crunching classics that continue to do the rounds alongside roulette and dominoes include achi, which is an ancient game that originated in Ghana, and nurikabe, which comes from Japan and is recognised as one of the major influences behind games like Minesweeper.
Contemporary Number Block Games
Classics are always fun to return to, as nostalgia kicks in to remind players of where they were in their lives when they first played a game of roulette or dominoes. However, sometimes it is nice to break from tradition and try something completely new. (MM 120) To that end there are several inventive and oft-times ingenious number block-style games out there, which have either just burst on the scene or have been rocking it for years.
A good example of one that has been around for a while is 2048, a game that has gone on to spawn other number block games like Drop The Number, Fives, and Threes.
Number crunching games are now seen as great ways for people to learn as well as search out entertainment
Online Boardgames with Statistical Elements
Let’s face it, society tends to be divided: one half being completely useless at mental arithmetic and therefore choosing to let computers do the heavy number lifting for them, and the other half being those people who program computers to do the math in the first place. The closest that many of the former will get to solving complex math puzzles is in online boardgames where, unbeknownst to them, they are constantly grappling with things like probabilities.
Just as is the case with card games and tile games from days gone by, lots of boardgames have been turned into online phenomenon, with some contemporary ones solely existing on the online ether. Some of the best examples of such games are community led ones like Netrunner, which was discontinued by its original developers only to be resurrected by groups of players who wanted to keep improving the game. Then there are others like Forgotten Waters, which take players out onto the high seas.
Lots of games like these – all of which have some number crunching involved – can be found at sites such as Tabletopia, which is like an online treasure-trove for board game enthusiasts.
With more and more people being turned off to mental arithmetic, it is games like these that may ultimately get gamers to challenge themselves mathematically without even realising it’s happening.
