A vintage "Black Box" board game is arranged for play on a wooden stool against a brick wall. The game components include a black game board with colorful pegs, clue cards, and metallic balls. The game's box art features a man holding the board, and an instruction sheet is visible next to the box.

Black Box

ByMichail

Black Box

Black Box is an abstract board game for one or two players, which simulates shooting rays into a black box to deduce the locations of “atoms” hidden inside. It was created by Eric Solomon, a British game designer and mathematician, in 1976. The game was inspired by the work of Godfrey Hounsfield, who was awarded the 1979 Nobel Prize in Medicine for his invention of the CAT scanner. The game was published by Waddingtons from the mid-1970s and by Parker Brothers in the late 1970s. In 2007, the German company Franjos launched a new version, the BlackBox + with a hexagonal board that increases the complexity of the game.

Why is Black Box Popular?

Black Box is significant because it is the first and possibly only board game of a genuinely scientific nature. It is also a popular game that challenges players to use logic and deduction to discover the location of hidden objects.

Game Components of Black Box

– Game board
– Metal balls or yellow balls to represent atoms
– Probes or rays to shoot into the black box

Game Setup of Black Box

The game is played on a two-dimensional grid. The atoms are hidden by a person in a two-player game. In a solitaire game, they are either hidden by a computer or they are pre-hidden.

Gameplay Mechanics of Black Box

The object of the game is to discover the location of objects (“atoms”) hidden within the grid, by the use of the minimum number of probes (“rays”). X-ray beams can basically behave in four ways: they can cross the board without being altered in their rectilinear path if they do not pass close to any atom; they can be absorbed by an atom; they can be deflected by an atom; or they can be absorbed and then re-emitted by an atom.

Game Objective of Black Box

The objective of Black Box is to discover the location of hidden atoms by using the minimum number of probes or rays.

We are supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission, at no extra cost for you. Learn more. 

Michail, a seasoned tabletop enthusiast, dives headfirst into worlds of fantasy and strategy. Whether commanding a party of adventurers through perilous dungeons or engaging in tactical showdowns on the board, Michail is the maestro of the tabletop realm. Michail's gaming table is a realm where the clatter of dice and the shuffle of cards create a symphony of strategic chaos.

Hobby: Miniature painting guru, turning pewter into masterpieces
Preferred Game: Dungeons & Dragons, but always up for a board game brawl