The best games by Kris Burm 🇧🇪👨 2026

YINSH is a strategic abstract game that is part of the renowned GIPF series of games. It involves a clever combination of movement and flipping of markers on the board, with players aiming to align five markers of their own color. The unique aspect of YINSH is its balance between advancing towards victory and simultaneously weakening your position.

TZAAR is a compelling abstract strategy game that emphasizes the delicate balance of weakening your opponent versus strengthening your own position. With 30 pieces each, divided among Tzaars, Tzarras, and Totts, players navigate a game of tactical decisions where every move counts. The core challenge lies in managing these three distinct types of pieces, each essential to the game's strategy, as players aim to either deplete one type of the opponent's pieces or trap them in a position where they can't capture anymore.

DVONN is a strategic board game that is part of the renowned Project GIPF series of abstract games. The game is played on a unique hexagonal board and involves a mix of piece placement, movement, and stacking, with an aim to control the tallest stack by the end of the game.

Designed by Kris Burm, this game blends Tetris and construction elements. Players take turns placing wooden pieces through a gap between two parallel Plexiglass sheets, losing when they can't fully place a piece. The game continues until one player runs out of pieces and loses. Batik Kid features irregularly shaped tokens representing sea creatures instead of geometric shapes.

ZÈRTZ, the third installment in the GIPF Project series, is an abstract strategy game that involves players competing to collect sets of multi-colored balls. The gameplay takes place on a hexagonal board and incorporates elements reminiscent of Checkers. Players jump over balls to capture them, with the added twist of placing new balls on the board and strategically removing empty spaces from the edges.

The game is played with 48 pieces in six colors. At the start, all colors are neutral and belong to no player. Players must choose two colors as the game progresses, aiming to create stacks of five stones with their color on top. Strategic planning and utilizing multiple moves effectively lead to victory by having the majority of five-stone stacks.

The hexagonal board features several holes for the game pieces, which are represented by hourglasses. A turn involves moving to an adjacent space and flipping the hourglass. Each space can only be occupied a limited number of times, with central spaces allowing for more traffic. The goal is to move one of your pieces while the opponent's pieces are either stuck or out of sand.

GIPF is a highly strategic two-player game that elevates the traditional concept of achieving four-in-a-row into a deeper tactical battle. The game stands out for its simplicity in rules but complexity in strategy, providing a rich tactical experience where players not only aim to create rows of four of their own pieces but also strategically capture their opponent's pieces, thereby altering the game state.

Invers is an abstract game for two players where they alternately slide and flip game pieces on a 6x6 grid. Each piece has a solid color side (red or yellow) and a dotted side. Players aim to flip all their pieces or have the most flipped pieces when no more moves are possible.

PÜNCT is a connection game developed as part of the GIPF project. The objective is to connect two opposing sides of the board. On their turn, a player can either introduce a new piece or move an already existing one.