Zendo (game)
Zendo is a game of inductive logic designed by Kory Heath in which one player (the "Master") creates a rule for structures ("koans") to follow, and the other players (the "Students") try to discover it by building and studying various koans which follow or break the rule. The first student to correctly state the rule wins.
| The Game of Inductive Logic | |
|---|---|
The beginning of a game of Zendo. According to the marker stones, the koan on the left follows the Master's rule, but the one on the right does not. | |
| Designers | Kory Heath |
| Publishers | Looney Labs |
| Publication | December 31, 1999 |
| Genres | Guessing game |
| Players | 2—6 |
| Setup time | < 5 minutes |
| Playing time | 15—60 minutes |
| Chance | Low |
| Skills | Inductive reasoning, Pattern recognition |
| Materials required | Icehouse pieces for the first edition or custom plastic blocks for later editions; rule cards; black, white, and green stones |
| Ages | 12 and up |
| Website | Designer publisher |
Zendo can be compared to the card game Eleusis and the chess variant Penultima in which players attempt to discover inductively a secret rule thought of by one or more players (called "God" or "Nature" in Eleusis and "Spectators" in Penultima) who declare plays legal or illegal on the basis of their rules. It can also be compared to Petals Around the Rose, a similar inductive reasoning puzzle where the "secret rule" is always the same.
The game can be played with any set of colorful playing pieces, and has been sold with a set of 60 Icehouse pyramids in red, yellow, green, and blue, 60 glass stones and a small deck of cards containing simple rules for beginners. The Icehouse pieces were replaced in the second edition with blocks, single size pyramids and wedges. Origami pyramids are a common choice of playing piece.