Games
This page delves into the games which form the competition. As well as how they are scored.
Scoring
This section outlines how scoring works within the competition, including which agents play the games, and aspects of the score.
Agents
When a game is played through TAG, the game is played multiple times by agent of differing skill. The agents are as follows:
| Agent | Summary |
|---|---|
| Elite | An elite MCTS with parameters optimised by NTBEA |
| Good | An MCTS agent with the same parameters as the elite agent but half the time budget (64ms vs 128ms) |
| OSLA | A naive agent which greedily selects its move without thinking further ahead |
| Random | An agent which randomly selects its move |
Scoring Criteria
Each of these agents will play an equal number of matches against each other, creating a matchup matrix (of win-rates). It is important to note that there are no same agent matchups (e.g. OSLA vs OSLA). This matrix is the primary method of scoring, with each game having a target matrix, and entries getting a better score as their win-rates move closer to it. Additionaly, they is a target win-rate for the first player of the game, this is to model first player advantage, and is also used to calculate the final score. Dominion, Exploding Kittens, and Cant Stop, are played with 2 players. Seven Wonders is played with 4 players.
Each game can (but not necessarily will) have a different target matrix and first player advantage. Seven Wonders does not have a first player advantage score due to its simultaneous turns.
These target matrixs were chosen by running 100 different sets of parameters per game, and measuring the varience in win-rates. The targets themselves follow the idea that better players shouldy beat worse players in games of skill, while also accounting for the impact of stochasticity.
Each game is played multiple times per matchup to account for stochasticity within the game.
Leaderboard
Each game has a maximum score of 1000. As your parameters get win-rates close to the target matrix, (and reduce first turn advtange), the higher the score will be. The leaderboard score is the average score of each game within the competition.
Dominion
Dominion is a strategic deck-building card game where players compete to create the most efficient deck and earn victory points. Starting with a basic set of resource cards, players acquire new cards from a shared market, optimizing actions and resources to outpace opponents. The game ends when specific card piles are depleted, and the player with the most victory points wins. Dominion’s variety of card combinations ensures high replayability and dynamic gameplay.
Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Type | Accepted Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| HAND_SIZE | How many cards players can hold in their hand | Integer | 3, 5, 7, 10 |
| PILES_EXHAUSED_FOR_GAME_END | How many card piles can be empty before the game ends | Integer | 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 |
| KINGDOM_CARDS_OF_EACH_TYPE | How many kingdom cards each pile will contain | Integer | 5, 10, 15, 20 |
| CURSE_CARDS_PER_PLAYER | How many curse cards are included in the game per player | Integer | 5, 10, 15, 20 |
| STARTING_COPPER | How much copper each player starts with | Integer | 3, 5, 7, 10, 15 |
| STARTING_ESTATES | How many estates each player starrs with | Integer | 1, 3, 5, 7, 10 |
| COPPER_SUPPLY | How many copper cards are available to buy | Integer | 10, 20, 32, 40, 50 |
| SILVER_SUPPLY | How many silver cards are available to buy | Integer | 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 |
| GOLD_SUPPLY | How many gold cards are available to buy | Integer | 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 |
| CARDS | Which kingdom cards to include in the game | List of Strings | 10 Unique Card Names |
Cards
Valid card names are:
- CELLAR
- CHAPEL
- MOAT
- HARBINGER
- MERCHANT
- VASSAL
- VILLAGE
- WORKSHOP
- BUREAUCRAT
- GARDENS
- MILITIA
- MONEYLENDER
- POACHER
- REMODEL
- SMITHY
- THRONE_ROOM
- BANDIT
- COUNCIL_ROOM
- FESTIVAL
- LABORATORY
- LIBRARY
- MARKET
- MINE
- SENTRY
- WITCH
- ARTISAN
Exploding Kittens
Exploding Kittens is a party game where players try to avoid drawing the exploding kitten. A card which makes you lose if you draw it. There are various other cards in the deck to help or hinder your abillity to stay alive.
Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Type | Accepted Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| nCardsPerPlayer | How many cards players can hold in their hand | Integer | 3,5,7,10,15 |
| nopeOwnCards | Are players able to ‘nope’ their own cards | Boolean | true, false |
| ATTACK_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| SKIP_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| FAVOR_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| SHUFFLE_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| SEETHEFUTURE_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| TACOCAT_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| MELONCAT_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| BEARDCAT_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| RAINBOWCAT_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| FURRYCAT_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| NOPE_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
| DEFUSE_count | How many of this card is in the deck. | Integer | 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10 |
7 Wonders
7 Wonders is a simultaneous-turn card game, where 3 - 7 players compete to gain the most victory points in a fixed amount of turns. Known for its strageic depth and classical antiquity aesthetic, it plays quite differentl to the other games in the competition.
Parameters
The below parameters refer to ‘low’ ‘medium’ and ‘high’ buildings, this refers to how many resources are produced by them in the base rules. For example, Clay Pit would be a low production building, while Arsenal would be a high military building.
| Parameter | Description | Type | Accepted Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| nCostNeighbourResource | The cost of borrowing a neigbours resource for construction | Integer | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| nCostDiscountedResource | The cost of borrowing a neighbours resource if you have an appropriate commerce building | Integer | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| nCoinsDiscard | How many coins you get for discarding a card | Integer | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| startingCoins | How many coins you start the game with | Integer | 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| rawMaterialLow | How many raw materials (e.g., clay) you get with a low production building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| rawMaterialHigh | How many raw materials (e.g., clay) you get with a high production building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| manufacturedMaterial | How many manufactured materials (e.g., glass) you get with a production building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| victoryLow | How many victory points are gained by buidling a low civic building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| victoryMed | How many victory points are gained by buidling a medium civic building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| victoryHigh | How many victory points are gained by buidling a high civic building | Integer | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| victoryVeryHigh | How many victory points are gained by buidling a very high civic building | Integer | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| victoryPantheon | How many victory points are gained by buidling a pantheon | Integer | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| victoryPalace | How many victory points are gained by buidling a palace | Integer | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| tavernMoney | How much money is recieved for building the tarven | Integer | 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| wildcardProduction | How many resources are produced by a wildcard building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| commercialMultiplierLow | The multiplier of a low commerical building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| commercialMultiplierMed | The multiplier of a medium commerical building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| commercialMultiplierHigh | The multiplier of a high commerical building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| militaryLow | How much strength is gained building a low military building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| militaryMed | How much strength is gained building a medium military building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| militaryHigh | How much strength is gained building a high military building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| scienceCompass | How many compasses are gained when building an appropriate science building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| scienceTablet | How many tablets are gained when building an appropriate science building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| scienceCog | How many cogs are gained when building an appropriate science building | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| guildMultiplierLow | The multiplier from a low guild | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| guildMultiplierMed | The multiplier from a medium guild | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| builderMultiplier | The multipler from the builders guild | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| decoratorVictoryPoints | How many victory points gained for having a complete wonder and the decorators guild | Integer | 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
| wonders | Which wonders to include in the game | List of strings | 4 - 7 Unique wonder names |
Wonders
Valid wonder names are:
- TheColossusOfRhodes
- TheLighthouseOfAlexandria
- TheTempleOfArtemisInEphesus
- TheHangingGardensOfBabylon
- TheStatueOfZeusInOlympia
- TheMausoleumOfHalicarnassus
- ThePyramidsOfGiza
Can’t Stop
Can’t Stop is a dice rolling push your luck game, where you repeatedly make dice rolls to progress your tokens positions on the board, but if you run out of moves to make, you go bust wiping any gains you made that turn.
| Parameter | Description | Type | Accepted Values |
|---|---|---|---|
| TWO_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 2nd column | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| THREE_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 3rd column | Integer | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| FOUR_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 4th column | Integer | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| FIVE_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 5th column | Integer | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| SIX_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 6th column | Integer | 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
| SEVEN_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 7th column | Integer | 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 |
| EIGHT_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 8th column | Integer | 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 |
| NINE_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 9th column | Integer | 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 |
| TEN_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 10th column | Integer | 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 |
| ELEVEN_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 11th column | Integer | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| TWELVE_MAX | How many spaces for markers in the 12th column | Integer | 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
| COLUMNS_TO_WIN | How many columns players must control to win | Integer | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |
| MARKERS | How many units can be moved per turn | Integer | 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 |