coan.net: Having the game balanced doesn't necessarely make it fun. Flipping a coin is balanced game as well, but not really fun to play.

I think the "problem" with Frog Legs is that your move reveals information that can immediately be used by your opponent. This, in combination with low density of frogs (only 9 out of 169 squares contain a frog, which means that no matter how the frogs are placed, over half of the squares show a 0) makes for a dull game. The dullness lies in the 60 or 70 moves that are played before the game becomes interesting - no more "waiting moves" can be played.

I don't know if the flaw can be fixed - and I suggest to Fencer he won't make any chances to the game unless it was properly play tested.

Not knowing where one has guessed changes the situation where there's a 50% chance of finding a frog: it will then become advantageous to guess. However, this makes it even better to shoot on squares knowing it will reveal a 0, as revealing a 1 (or an even higher number) becomes worse than it's now.

Here are some ideas that may work (although only play testing will reveal whether it actually does)

1. Increase the density of the frogs. There will be less no-information revealing moves possible if there are 25 or 49 frogs. It will not lengthen the game, as currently, between good players, most of the board will be shot anyway.


2. Give players two moves per turn. Then, in his/her second move, the player can use the information gained in the first move.


3. No guessing - just shoot the frogs (change them into bunnies). First to shoot 5 frogs wins the game.


4. If you shoot a square revealing a non-zero number, you get an extra turn (or a free guess)