Turn-based strategy

A turn-based game, also known as turn-based strategy, is a game where the game flow is partitioned into well-defined and visible parts, called turns or rounds. For example, when the game flow unit is time, turns represent units of time, like years, months, weeks, or days. A player of a turn-based game is allowed a period of analysis before committing to a game action, ensuring a separation between the game flow and the thinking process, which in turn leads presumably to better solutions. Once every player has taken his turn, that round of play is over, and any special shared processing, is done. This is followed by the next round of play.

Types

TBS games come in two flavours, depending on whether inside a turn players play simultaneously or take their (mini-)turns. The former games fall into the simultaneously-executed TBS games (also called phase-based or "WeGo"), with Diplomacy being a notable example. The latter games fall into player-alternated TBS games (also called "IGOUGO"), and are subsequently subdivided into (A) ranked, (B) round-robin start, (C) random and (D) initiative-based -- the difference being the order under which players start within a turn: (A) the first player being the same every time, (B) the first player selection policy is round-robin, (C) the first player is randomly selected, and (D) the first player is selected based on an initiative score.

An additional sub-category under phase-based games is the category of clock-based games. Clock-based games differ from phase-based games, in that players are allowed a maximum of only one action per turn, as opposed to possibly several (using an Action or Movement Point pool, for instance). Most roguelike games fall under this category.

Most board games are turn-based, otherwise gameplay would most likely get out of hand. Many single-player strategic video games are also turn-based. However, when a particular player gains access to the game during his/her turn it is not uncommon to value the time taken by the player to make the move to improve the fairness of the game. In chess, a pair of stop clocks may be used to track the time taken by players to make their moves.

Sometimes turn-based

Additionally, many other games that are not generally turn-based retain the notion of turns during specific sequences. Notably, the role-playing game Fallout is turn-based during the combat phase, and real-time throughout the remainder of the game.

Acting outside your turn

Some games (notably X-COM) allow you to act outside your turn by designating different automatic re-actions that are executed when certain conditions apply in the opponent's turn, adding an element of strategic guess-work.

Turn-based gaming

Turn-based gaming refers to browser-based game sites that allow for game-play to extend beyond a single session, over long periods of time—often taking months for complex games like Go or Chess to finish.

Turn-based "tactics"

Main article Tactical role-playing game

This sub-genre is principally used only in RPG-derived games as an alternative to the traditional turn-based system. The system has been tailored to incorporate RPG characteristics. The genre has its origins in tabletop role-playing games, where each player has time to decide his or her character's action. Turn-based tactics games generally feature no more than a dozen characters on either side of the battle (usually less). The term "tactics" had not showed up until Final Fantasy Tactics was released, where it popularized the genre in the U.S., although games such as Shining Force have utilized the genre years beforehand.

Play-by-mail games

Play-by-email TBS games allow the orders to be passed in a very loose synchronization mechanism: email. In a way, it's the modern successor of the old play-by-mail style used in Europe in the mid-17th century: two chess players would be able to play together from miles away, if they could transmit their moves through some fast transport service, which happened to be (horse-powered) mail (postallion). PbeM examples: Atlantis PbeM or Dominions II.

Examples

Example board games

Example computer games

Mainstream developers

After a period of converting board and historic TBS games to computer games, the big companies have started to come up with new ideas for computer TBS games.

Probably the best known turn-based game is Sid Meier's Civilization, which evolved into a long series of successor games and derivatives. Other notable examples include:

Indie game developers

A market trend is the rise of Indie TBS games (games produced by small groups, independent or slightly affiliated with the computer games industry), which normally extend or refine one or another already existing TBS strategy games.

Examples of indie-developed games are Age of CastlesBattles of NorghanBrutal Wars[http://www.brutalwars.com/" target="_blank" >^*, Leaderz and Lux.

Open-source games

Open source has also seen the rise of games such as The Battle for Wesnoth. Directories like Freshmeat provide large lists of open-source, turn-based strategy projects.

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