Continuo (game)

{{Short description|Abstract strategy game}} {{Italic title}} thumb|An example of a ''Continuo'' tile '''''Continuo''''' is an abstract strategy game by Maureen Hiron which was first published in 1982 and now distributed in board game form by David Westnedge Ltd. In the U.K and U.S. Games Systems in the U.S. It is played by arranging patterns printed on a deck of 42 cards, each card being printed with a grid of 16 colored squares. The goal is to place cards so that the tiles match as many chains of color as possible.<ref>Boardgamegeek Continuo page http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1190/continuo {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110518074412/http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1190/continuo |date=2011-05-18 }}</ref> ''Continuo'' sold over 200,000 units in the United Kingdom alone within a few months of being launched. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.maureenhiron.com/index.html |website=Maureen Hiron website |access-date=1 June 2021|title=Maureen Hiron }}</ref> ''Continuo'' won a 1995 Mensa Select games award.<ref>List of Mensa select winners {{cite web |url=http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/mensa_select.htm |title=Mensa Select Games - Mensa Mind Games - Award Winners - Board Games - Card Games |accessdate=2015-06-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150626134309/http://boardgames.about.com/od/awards/a/mensa_select.htm |archivedate=2015-06-26 }}</ref> The tag line on the box is "The one rule game for all the family".

Versions of the game have also been published in which the same basic rule is used, but the tiles are triangular or rhombic rather than square and the hexagonal domino type game ''Hexago'' was also marketed under the ''Continuo'' name.<ref>{{cite news| last = Kate| first = Watson-Smyth| date = 7 November 2009| title = The 50 best board games| url = https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activity/the-50-best-board-games-1815441.html?action=Gallery&ino=44| work = The Independent| location = London| access-date = 21 July 2021| archive-date = 23 December 2018| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181223040121/https://www.independent.co.uk/extras/indybest/outdoor-activity/the-50-best-board-games-1815441.html?action=Gallery&ino=44| url-status = live}}</ref> ''Continuo'' was endorsed by Omar Sharif.<ref>{{cite book |title= Continuo |last= Hiron |first= Maureen |authorlink= Maureen Hiron|year= 1982 |publisher= U.S. Games |isbn= 0-88079-612-X}}</ref>

There has been a ''Continuo'' tournament at the Mind Sports Olympiad since 1997,<ref>{{Cite web |date=1997-06-20 |title=The South Bank Brain Show |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/the-south-bank-brain-show-1256991.html |access-date=2023-06-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> to determine the world champion.

==Rule== thumb|upright=1.35|The longest chains in this image are a red loop of 12 squares, and a curved yellow path of 16 squares. ''Continuo'' consists of 42 tiles.<ref name=res>Article about Continuo at MSO (http://www.boardability.com/game.php?id=continuo {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100706024919/http://www.boardability.com/game.php?id=continuo |date=2010-07-06 }}) 10 - 06 - 2010</ref> These tiles are subdivided into a 4×4 grid of small squares. All of the tiles are diagonally symmetrical with an L-shape of one colour with a single small square of another in the corner. There are 4 colours in total: red, green, blue and yellow.

The aim of the game is to score points by making 'chains' of colour and a point is scored for the length in small squares of each chain that the placed tile makes. A chain has to be squares that touch horizontally or vertically.

==Hexago== Maureen Hiron also held the world championships for another of her games; ''Hexago'' (or ''Hexago Continuo'').<ref>Article about Hexago at MSO (http://www.boardability.com/game.php?id=hexago {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100809044255/http://www.boardability.com/game.php?id=hexago |date=2010-08-09 }}) 09 - 09 - 2010</ref> Although being a tile game branded with the same name as ''Continuo'', it is only the immediately touching tiles that effect the score as opposed to the chains in ''Continuo''. It is a game with hexagonal tiles split into 6 triangles each with a colour and a number. Each time a tile is placed touching so that it matches either the segments colour or number, points are scored.<ref>Boardgame geek on Hexago [http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25795/hexago-continuo] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111202040704/http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/25795/hexago-continuo|date=2011-12-02}}</ref>

==Champions== The ''Continuo'' World Champions from 1997 onwards are:<ref name=res /> * 1997: {{flagicon|JPN}} Osamo Omadero * 1998: {{flagicon|ENG}} Demis Hassabis * 1999: {{flagicon|ITA}} Tony Niccoli * 2000: {{flagicon|ENG}} George Hassabis * 2001: {{flagicon|SWE}} Jan Palmgren * 2002: {{flagicon|ITA}} Dario De Toffoli * 2003: {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Cordell * 2004: {{flagicon|ENG}} Victoria Westnedge * 2005: {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Cordell * 2006: {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Cordell * 2007: {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Cordell * 2008: {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Cordell * 2009: {{flagicon|ENG}} Matthew Hathrell * 2010: {{flagicon|ENG}} Matthew Hathrell * 2011: {{flagicon|ENG}} David M. Pearce * 2012: {{flagicon|ITA}} Tony Niccoli * 2013: {{flagicon|ENG}} Maureen Hiron * 2014: {{flagicon|ENG}} Mathew Cordell * 2015: {{flagicon|POR}} Ricardo Jorge Gomes * 2016: {{flagicon|ENG}} David M. Pearce

The ''Hexago'' World Championships have been held once in 2007 during the Mind Sports olympiad<ref>Hexago results from the MSO website http://www.boardability.com/result.php?id=hexago {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708075029/http://www.boardability.com/result.php?id=hexago |date=2011-07-08 }} 10 - 06 - 2010</ref> * 2007: {{flagicon|ENG}} David M. Pearce

==Reviews== *''Games'' #43<ref>{{Cite book |last=Playboy Enterprises |url=http://archive.org/details/games-43-1983-september |title=GAMES Magazine #43 |date=1983-09-01}}</ref> *''{{ill|Jeux et Stratégie|lt=Jeux & Stratégie|fr}}'' #21<ref>{{cite web | url=https://archive.org/details/jeux-et-strategie-21/page/6/mode/2up | title=Jeux & stratégie 21 | date=June 1983 }}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{bgg|1190|''Continuo''|25176|''Triangulo Continuo''|3038|''Rhombo Continuo''}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Continuo (Game)}} Category:Board games introduced in 1982 Category:Mensa Select winners Category:Tile-based board games Category:Abstract strategy games