Quarto is a board game for two players invented by Swiss mathematician Blaise Muller.[1] It is published and copyrighted by Gigamic.
The game is played on a 4×4 board.[2] There are 16 unique pieces to play with, each of which is either:
tall or short;
red or blue (or a different pair of colors, e.g. light- or dark-stained wood);
square or circular; and
hollow-top or solid-top.
Players take turns choosing a piece which the other player must then place on the board. A player wins by placing a piece on the board which forms a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row of four pieces, all of which have a common attribute (all short, all circular, etc.). A variant rule included in many editions gives a second way to win by placing four matching pieces in a 2×2 square.
Quarto is distinctive in that there is only one set of common pieces, rather than a set for one player and a different set for the other. It is therefore an impartial game.
Analysis
In 1998 Luc Goossens solved the game (i.e., showed what must occur if both players play perfectly) via computer and found neither player can force a win.[3] He also determined that the earliest winning move (in case the opponent did not play perfectly) can be made when placing the fifth piece and choosing a sixth. The solve was corroborated again in 2026. [4]
Awards
Dé d’Or des Créateurs de Jeux 1989 – Paris, France
Oscar du Jouet – Toy Oscar 1992 – Paris, France
Jouet de l'année – Game of the Year 1992 – Brussels
Super As d'Or Festival International des Jeux – Super Golden Ace 1992 – Cannes, France
Toy Award 1992 – Benelux
Spiel des Jahres – Game of the Year 1993 nominee – Germany[5]
Gioco Dell'anno – Game of the Year 1993 – Italy
Speelgoed Vant Jaar – Game of the year 1993 – Netherlands
