The rules given on the site do cover just the game itself, not the online play. Would it help you if I added a section that covered starting and playing a game with the web interface? Another possibility is to include in-game instructions, or possibly tweak the interface to change the flow of the online game. For example, it might make more sense to click on a square to place your token at the start of a turn and then be asked to select its type. Another example, as given in the FAQ, is to create a skin for the game to make it less abstract. Do you think giving it a concrete theme, such as rival mobs trying to take over a city, would help make the play more easy to grasp?

I would greatly appreciate hearing exactly where the confusion starts. Feel free to relate it to how you learned other 8×8 games like checker or chess, or any other board games you found easier to pick up. I’d even be interested in hearing if having an actual physical version of Subsume might make it clearer how things work. I know the mock-up I made during design definitely helped me work out the mechanics.

PLURR

That gets to the heart of web app problems. The site is not in control of the browser, and the iPhone in particular seems very locked down and unlikely to allow plugins. Neither does the user control the site, so it ultimately falls on the site designer to keep interface changes in mind. It’s not just an iPhone/Safari issue, either. As I said, touch screens aren’t new, but I think the iPhone has set the stage for them to become more popular than ever, so it’s generally a good idea to be mindful that the long-familiar mouse pointer is being depreciated.