4. Gipf

Gipf is, of course, the centerpiece of Kris Burm's Gipf Project. Of the six games in the series, four made my top 100 list (I have not played Punct, but I feel confident that it will earn a spot on a future rendition of this list). Gipf, for me, remains the crowning achievement of the series, and the highmark of an exceptional career.

At first glance, the game is not remarkable. You have two sets of black and white checkers and a rather plain-looking hexagonal playing area. However, the inventive movement, borrowed from Levi and Levet's Abalone, combined with the recycle-management system of the checkers delivers a game that is the product, not the sum, of its parts.

Many two-player abstracts made my top 100 list. This tops them all.