From Checkers to World‑Conquest: The Evolution of AI in Games#
1. Introduction#
Games have long served as a crucible for artificial intelligence (AI). Beginning with the deterministic puzzle of tic‑tac‑toe, the field has advanced from simple board calculations to real‑time, large‑state strategy engines that learn to play games without pre‑programmed rules. The progression from early chess engines to AI that can adapt to the unpredictable nuances of modern strategy games highlights key algorithmic breakthroughs and sets the stage for future research.