PlayingGamesToLearnMathematics

JohnGoughDeakinUniversity(retired,2012)
jagough49@gmail.com
[FromJudyMousely&MaryRice(ed.s)Mathematics:ofPrimaryImportance.Brunswick:
MathematicalAssociationofVictoria,1993:Proceedingsofthe30thAnnualConferenceof
theMAV,LaTrobeUniversity,2,3December1993;pp.218221.]
Abstract
Thewordgame,appliedtomathematicsgames,isoftenpoorlyunderstoodordefined.It
getsconfusedwithpuzzles,andworksheetsorotheractivitiesthatarerecreational.
However,itcanbeusefultoadoptacleardefinition:a(mathematics)gameinvolves
mathematicsormathematicalthinking,hastwoormoreplayerswhotaketurns,and
requiressomeplayerchoiceandinteraction.Thisisdistinctfromoneplayergamelike
activitiesthataremoreclearlylabelledaspuzzles,anddifferentfromluckracesand
dressedupworksheets.
Introduction
Wetakeforgrantedtheideasthatmathematicsgamesarefun,apainlesswayoflearning
numberfactswithoutdrilling,andthatanythingapparentlyactiveisbetterthanapageofa
textbook,ablackboardfullof"sums",oramorningofchantingtablesandmental
arithmetic.Buteverythingwetakeforgrantedshouldbecarefully,criticallyconsidered.
Justbecauseabookorarticlecallssomemathematicsactivitya"game"doesn'tnecessarily
makeitso.Noteverysocalled"mathematicsgame"actuallyinvolvesrealmathematics.
Howcanwetellthedifference?
Whatmakesa"game"reallybea"game"?Ihavediscussedthisbeforeinseveralarticlesin
PrimeNumber(with,surprisingly,noreaderfeedback!isthereanyoneouttherewho
readsandusesthesethings?),aswellasmybookwithTomHill,andwillonlysummarise
here.
A"game"isaplayingandthinkingactivitywhichsatisfiesthefollowingconditions:
(a)itinvolvesmorethanone"player";
(b)playerstaketurnstoplay;
(c)playersinteractwitheachother,thatis,whatoneplayerdoesinaturnwilleffect
insomewaywhatthesubsequentplayerorplayerscandoinfollowing
turns;and
(d)althoughtheremaybesomeamountofluck(suchasadiceroll,oradealingof
cards),thereshouldalsobesomeroomforaplayertochoosehowtoplay.
Whatdoesthismean?Rubik'sCube,jigsawpuzzles,pegsolitaireandcardpatience,for
example,arenot"games"becausetheyinvolveonlyoneplayer,andhencelackplayer

interaction.Theycanbecalled"activities"or"puzzles".BingoandTattslottoarenot
games,becausethereisnoplayerinteraction,and,inthecaseofBingo,nothingbutluckin
thenumberstheplayershaveontheirBingocards,andnoplayerchoiceaboutwhattodo
asthenumbersarecalled.
Other"matching"activities,suchasCoinEquivalentsBingo,orAnalogandDigitalClock
Dominosare(usually)notgames,becausetheydependontheluckofthecall,orofthe
dominodraw.(Howeverthestandardgameofdominoes,withscoring,isasuperbgame
withconsiderablescopeforplayerchoiceandskill!Tryit!)Infacttheyarevirtuallyno
morethana"dressedupworksheet"(matcheachiteminthefirstrowwithaniteminthe
secondrow),acollectionof"sums",firsttofinish"wins"butnotagame.Snakesand
Laddersisnotagamebecauseitistotalluck,hasnoplayerchoiceandnoplayer
interaction,unlike,say,Backgammon,whichisanelaborationofSnakesandLadders.
TablesFootyandPacmanArithmetic,andthelike,arenotgamesbecauseplayersdonot
taketurnsanddonotinteract,theymerelyracetoanswereachquestionfirst.
Iamnotsuggestinganyofthesenongamesarenotworthwhileactivitiesforoccasional
challenge,recreationorpractice,simplythattheydonotdeservetobecalled"games",and
shouldberecognisedas"luckraces","dressedupworksheets",andthelike.Alsotheydo
nothavetheappealofarealgame,suchastheclassicgames(whichincludeMonopoly,
Scrabble,chess,draughts,dominoes,backgammon,orMastermind).Childrenwillnot
choosetoplaythemforfunoutsideofaclassroom.Weshouldhopethat,whenweoffer
childrenthechancetoplayagameinamathematicsclass,itissufficientlygoodasagame
thatchildrenwouldchoosetoplayitathomeoratlunchtime.Andalsohopethatithas
someidentifiablemathematicscontentthatcouldbefittedcomfortablyintotheScopeand
SequencechartatthebackofTheMathematicsFramework:P10(1988,96101)orinto
the"nutshell"descriptorsoftheMathematicsProfilesHandbook:NumberandSpace
(1992).Chess,forexample,certainlyisagame,andisalsomathematicalbecauseit
includesproblemsolving,strategicthinking,andspatialthinking,albeitverygenerally.
Separatelyfromanymathematicaljustification,chesscouldalsobeeducationallyjustified
intermsoflifeskills,personaldevelopment,andrecreationstudies.
Thefollowingmathematicsgamesareofferedasexamplesofactivitiesthataregenuinely
games,andthatgenuinelyinvolveovertlymathematicalthinkingaspartoftheiressential
play,includinglogicalreasoning,arithmetic,probability,spatialthinkingand,allofthem,
problemsolvingandstrategicthinking.
COLORCOUNTRIES
adaptedfromJ.J.delGrande(1973,p89)andGough(1978,p122).
Thisisanimtypegameofsuccessiveeliminationofpossibilities,combinedwithspatial
thinking.ItwasdevelopedfromtheclassicFourColorMapColoringProblemgivena

mapofcountries,canitbecoloredusingonlyfourcolors,sothatnocountrieswhichshare
adjacentboundarieshavethesamecolor?Tryit.
Numberofplayers:2
Equipment:pencilandpaper,threepencilsofdifferentcolors,orcountersofthree
differentcolors.
Settingup:drawa4x4or5x5squaregrid.
Playing:Playerstaketurnstocoloranemptycellinthegridaccordingtotherules:
1.nosquaressidebysidemaybethesamecolor.
2.squareswhicharediagonallyadjacentmayhavethesamecolor.
Thewinneristheplayerwhoislastabletomove.
Scoring:Thewinnerscores1foreachcellwhichcannotbecolored.Thefirst playerto
scoreatotalof20winsthewholematch.
Variations:Ofcoursethiscanbeplayedinblackandwhite,writingA,BorCinsteadof
coloringwiththreedifferentcolors.Tryusingdifferentplayingboards,suchasatriangular,
hexagonal,orbrickwallpattern.Alternatively,insteadofcoloringgridcells,colorcell
edges,withtherulethatnotwojoinededgescanbethesamecolor.Alternatively,colorthe
verticesofthegrid,withtherulethatnotwoverticesjoinedbyacommonedgemayhave
thesamecolor.Alternatively,usecoloredcubes,stackingthemfaceagainstfaceona3x3
basegrid,withtherulethatnotwoadjacentcubesmayhavethesamecolor,andnomore
thanthreecubescanbestackedontopofeachother.Forallofthesevariations,thereisalso
amisereversion,inwhichthefirstplayerwhoisunabletomovedoesnotlose(astherule
stands)butinsteadisthewinner.
GUESSWHICH
adaptedfromD11(LL)inMeirovitzandJacobs(1987,p24).
Thisisaverysimpleattributeandlogicgame,similartothepopulargameGuessWho,
commerciallypublishedbyMiltonBraddley.Noticethatinsuchlogicgames,where
playerstaketurnstotrytodeduceanotherplayer'ssecret(comparethiswithBattleshipsor
Mastermind)thereisaspecialkindofquestionandanswerplayerinteractionthatis
differentfromchesslikegames.
NumberofPlayers:2,onecalledtheHider,andtheothercalledtheFinder.
Equipment:apackofcards,possiblysimplified(e.g.Acesto6sinfoursuits).
SettingUp:TheHidershufflesthecardsanddealsthemfaceup,neatly,
forexample,ina6x4array.
TheHiderthensecretlychoosesoneofthesecards,andsecretlynotesthis.
Playing:TheFinderasksquestionswhichcanonlybeanswered"Yes"or"No", tryingto
findoutwhichistheHider'ssecretlychosencard.
Scoring:TheHiderscoresthenumberofquestionsneededfortheFinderto
correctlyidentifythesecretlychosencard.Thenplayersexchangeroles.
AfterbothplayershavehadanequalnumberofturnsbeingHiderandFinder,
theplayerwiththehighestscorewinsthewholematch.

Variations:Insteadofapackofcards,useasetofdominoes,orasetofattributeblocks,or
anysetofobjects(farmanimals,zooanimals,dinosaurs,dogbiscuits,pasta)whose
attributesunambiguouslyvarycolor,number,shape,size,texture,thickness,material.
Insteadofusingonlyonepackofcards,usetwopacksofcards;thenplayersactasFinder
forthemselvesaswellasHiderfortheotherplayer:firsttocorrectlyidentifytheother
player'ssecretly"hidden"cardisthewinner.
SPLITTER
adaptedfrom"Acey,Twoesy"inMathematicsCourseAdvice(Primary)(1992)Upper
ChanceandData,UnitOne,page5,itselfanadaptationofthepopulargamblingcardgame
variouslyknown,withslightlydifferinghouserules,as"AceyDeucey","InBetween",
"AceDeuce"or"Yablon"(e.g.TheWaytoPlayBantamBooks,1975,p250).
Incidentally,becauseoftheseriousnessofaddictivegamblingbehaviour,thegambling
originsofthisandothergamesshouldbeconcealed,andgamblingofanysortshouldbe
activelydiscouragedinschools.Wheregamblingtypegamesareusedinmathematics
classesthisshouldonlybeforthestudyofprobabilityandstrategy.Gamessuchaspoker,
orblackjack(alsoknownasTwentyOneandPontoon),whoseonlyplayinginterestderives
fromgamblingmaybesubjectedtoprobabalisticanalysisbutshouldnotbeplayed.
NumberofPlayers:2ormore.
Equipment:1,2or3dice;pencilandpapertoscore.
Playing:Playerstaketurns.
Ineachturnaplayerrollstwodice(orrollsonedie,twice),andnotesthe
result.The
playerscoresthedifferencebetweenthetwonumbers(e.g.rollinga2anda5,theplayer
scores3points),or1ifthenumbersarethesame.
Theplayermayalsochoosetorollathirddie,andwillscoreabonusof10pointsifthis
number"splits"orisinbetweenthefirsttwonumbers.Howevertheplayerscoresnothing
inthisroundifthethirddiedoesnot"split"betweenthefirsttwodicerolls.Thefirstplayer
toreachatotalscoreof100wins.
Variations:Noticethatthereisnoplayerinteractionwiththesedicerolls,exceptin
decidingwhetherornottoriskgettingthebonuspointsfor"splitting"inordertobeatan
opponent'sscore.Comparethiswiththecardversion"Acey,Twoesy",whereseeingwhich
cardshavebeendrawnbyanopponentcaneffectwhataplayerchoosestodo.Trythe
variationofaplayerlosing10pointsifanattempted"split"fails.Investigatethefrequency
withwhichthescoringdifferencesbetweenthefirsttwodiceoccur.Tryadaptingthesame
gametouseasetofdoublesixdominoes.
WHOLLYFRACTIONS
Numberofplayers:2ormore.
Equipment:anumberpackofcards(anordinarypack,withnoroyaltycards)
pencilandpapertoscore,afractionwallcharttocheck,andacalculator

tosettledisputes.
Settingup:shufflethepack,anddealeachplayerfourcardsfacedown,anddealfourcards
faceupbetweentheplayers.
Playing:Playerstaketurns.
Ineachturnaplayertriestomakepairsofcardssothateachpairrepresentsafraction,and
thesetoffractionsaddsupto1.Theplayermayuseanycardinhisorherhand,in
combinationwithanycardthatisfaceuponthetable.
Whenaplayermakesafractionorsetoffractionstotalling1,theplayerscoresasmany
pointsasthenumberofcardstheplayerhasused.
E.g.anymatchedpairofcardsrepresents1,butwillonlyscore2points.
Alternatively,2,3,5,10canrepresent2/4and5/10whichaddsto1andwillscore4points
becauseitusesfourcards.
Thentheplayerisdealtfournewcards,andplayresumes.
Ifaplayerisunabletomakeafractionorsetoffractionsthattotals1,the
player
drawsonemorecardfromtheremainingstockofundealtcards,
andtheplayer'sturnends.
Whennofurtherplaycantakeplace,orallthecardsinthemiddlehavebeenused,orall
theremainingcardshavebeendealt,andnoonecanmakeasettotalling1,allthecardsare
shuffled,andanewdealbegins.
Thefirstplayertoreachatotalscoreof50winsthewholegame.
Variations:Allowsubtractionaswellasadditiontoreachatotalof1.Forexample,1,4,8
and10,canmake10/81/4whichtotals1.Toavoidplayerscontinuallyresortingtotrivial
play,forbidanyscoringformatchedpairs.Toencourageadventurousthinking,addone
bonuspointforeachdifferentdenominatorinthesetoffractionsusedtoscore.Toextend
therangeoffractions,letJ=11,Q=12,K=13.
References
delGrande,J.J.,(1973,p89).Math,Book2.Windsor,Melbourne:LloydO'Neill.
Gough,J.(1978)GamesandPuzzlesVinculum15(4)121122.
Gough,J.,(1990).MathematicsGames.PrimeNumber,5(4)2223.
Gough,J.,(1991).MathematicsGamesThatReallyTeachMathematics.PrimeNumber,6
(1)36.
Gough,J.,(1991).SomeMathematicsGamesandCommentsAboutUsingGames.Prime
Number,6(2)1722.
Hill,T.,andGough,J.,(1992).WorkitOutWithMathematicsGames.Melbourne:Oxford
UniversityPress.
Meirovitz,M.,Jacobs,P.I.,(1987).BrainMuscleBuilders:GamestoIncreaseYour
NaturalIntelligence.Princeton,N.J.:HawkerBrownlow/Trillium.