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127 points abstractbg | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.201s | source
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dgrin91 ◴[] No.45677459[source]
As a lay boardgamer, what makes a board game abstract?
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1. jader201 ◴[] No.45678173[source]
To me, when I think “abstract”, I think “no theme”. Games that aren’t abstract have a theme that helps make sense of the rules of the game.

There are also games with themes that don’t really help make sense of the rules — the theme is just pasted on. These are still considered abstract, despite technically having a theme.

The “ameritrash” genre are known for having strong themes that tie to the rules of the game. E.g. a lot of co-op games with plastic figures.

Old school euro games often have a pasted on theme, and are more abstract.