I recently discovered a catagory of games called Abstract Strategy. In this catagory are games such as Go and Chess. I've been exploring the space and playing a variety of games. As always, some are excellent and some are disappointing. This one is regarding a game called Catchup which was made by Nick Bentley. It even has a rating on Board Game Geek which is unusual for self published games although it appears more common in this genre. The best way to get a copy is to print a board from Nick Bentley's site or to use the iOS app.

I've played this with several individuals and am really enjoying the pacing of the game. The catchup mechanic is wonderfully designed and often makes you pause and consider if you should take a move that will put you in the lead. The tie breaking mechanic often makes the endgame a delightful complex affair where you are struggling to limit your opponent and increase your second largest group. The first several games we played have been won on the first game but after a bit of practice it's pretty common that we get to the first or second tie breaker.

I'm always a big fan of games that are simple to learn and complex to master and Catchup meets this critera wonderfully. It's a quick game as well, often matches are wrapped up in 10-15 minutes and I've found no need to use a clock to force play. Overall I would rate this game in the A+ tier. It's certainly one of the games that has kept our interest and we frequently play games using the wonderful iPad app. My only regret is that their isn't an online scene to take advantage of but I'll keep playing it over the board.