Well, that is a perfect example of an abstract game that is published the way an abstract game should be published - and look at the result. It is clear that the presentation and design of Abalone has been very important, yes, but that alone would not have been sufficient. The biggest problem you face when introducing a new abstract game, is how to make a player aware of the difference between a good move and a bad move. Most will get the impression of wasting time if they don't start having a clue about what to do after, let's say, two games. If the click hasn't come by then, most will never start a third game.
Abalone has an answer to that.
Even if you haven't the slightest idea about what you are doing in the beginning, that game still feels like having a good time because of the sheer fun of making a move. You enjoy yourself pushing the marbles for a number of games and meanwhile, bit by bit, you find out more about the strategy. That is the perfect script. In the beginning you don't play Abalone as a game, no, you play with it as a kind of gadget . And the more you play it, the less gadget it is and the more game it becomes.