Shapes used to play a variety of unique AbstractGames. They come in 3 sizes and many colors, and they can be stacked or nested. Recommended to DIY the pyramids for NerdPoints. There are pyramids known to exist made from plastic, wood, metal, and paper.
See the wiki, home to over 500 games using these little pyramids: https://looneypyramids.wiki/wiki/Main_Page
These games are largely unavailable on our beloved boardspace but rather on the imperialist exploiter site Boardgamearena, eg Homeworlds, Martian Chess, while some are available on abstractplay dotcom (Alien city, Blam, Homeworlds, Volcano, Mega Volcano), while exactly one can be played on our beloved boardspace, Volcano
Easy to get into. Requires 6 sets of pyramids, colors irrelevant.
Each player controls a quadrant of a chess board. (for 2 players use half a chess board, for 4 players use a full chess board, for others use interesting board shapes). All pieces within a player's quadrant belong to him and may be freely controlled.
Small pieces are very weak like pawns and are worth 1 point. Medium pieces are like rooks but limited in range, worth 2 points. Large pieces are like queens in chess, able to move the full length of the board cross-ways or diagonally, and are worth 3 points.
To score points, capture pieces in another quadrant. But be careful: as soon as your piece leaves your quadrant, it now belongs to whoever's quadrant in lands in! The game ends once any quadrant is empty.
If you no longer have any level 3 pieces, you can merge a level 1 and 2 piece to create one. If you no longer have any level 3 or level 2 pieces, you can merge two level 1 pieces to make a level 2 piece.
another chess-like battle game
4X (explore / expand / exploit / exterminate) space opera
inductive logic game