Level 3.1.6: Information

Information

How much of the game state is visible to each player? Changing the amount of information available to players has a drastic effect on the game, even if all other formal elements are the same. Some examples of information structures in games:

• A few games offer total information, where all players see the complete game state at all times. Chess and Go are classic board game examples.
• Games can include some information that is private to each individual. Think of Poker and other card games where each player has a hand of cards that only they can see.
• One player can have their own privileged information, while other players do not. This is common in one-against-many player structures, likeScotland Yard.
• The game itself can contain information that is hidden from all players. Games like Clue and Sleuth actually have the victory condition that a player discover this hidden information.
• These can be combined. Many “real-time strategy” computer games use what is called “fog of war” where certain sections of the map are concealed to any player that does not have a unit in sight range. Some information is therefore hidden from all players. Beyond that, players cannot see each other’s screens, so each player is unaware of what information is and isn’t available to their opponents.

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