Eldrbarry's Table Games Part 2
Games in My Closet with Links

• Eldrbarry's Games Closet:
  • Page 1 - Board Game Internet Resources and Current Game Publishers
  • Part 2 - Eldrbarry's Games:: The Classic Games and the Game Makers
  • Page 3 - Our New Favorite Games and The European Board Game Designers
  • Page 4 - Games for Two and Hosting Game Nights
  • Page 5 - Games I Grew Up With, Games We played as a Family, and those awful Avalon Hill Games

    

    Eldrbarry's Storytelling Games .. Eldrbarry's Chess Pages .. Eldrbarry's Mancala Page
    .. Eldrbarry's Carcassonne Page .. Eldrbarry's Sudoku Page .. Eldrbarry's Jigsaw Page .. Eldrbarry's Active Group Games Guide

  Eldrbarry's Game Closet: THE CLASSIC GAMES

  These games are very well known and some have been around since ancient times.
  IMHO, they have proved themselves to be Classics.

  • Chess (Wiki) has been a significant game for me ever since I got my first cardboard teaching set as a child from my parents. Or when I learned my first opening. I was in the chess club in Jr. and Sr. High. See my collection of sets and my other chess pages for more. Here are links for a some chess variants as well:
    • Knightmare Chess and Resources
    • Makruk (Thai Chess) (ChessVarients) (Geek)

  • Parchisi [2-4 Players] (Wiki - Geek) or (India - Elisha Selchow 1874) The classic race-and-chase game! Sorry! (Wiki - Geek) (Parker Brothers 1934) and Aggravation (Wiki- Geek) (1962) are modern descendents of this "Royal Game of India". Other versions include Ludo, Uckers (two English versions), Parchisi and Chaupar. Though most use dice, the game originally used six cowdry shells - the number landing with the open side up determined the "roll". A popular variation played by RV'rs is Pegs and Jokers, usually played on home-made boards. It uses three decks of standard playing cards shuffled together for peg movement.

  • Chinese Checkers [2-6 Players] (Wiki - Geek) Actually originated in Germany derived from Halma A race to move all your marbles to the other side of the board.

  • Pente [2-4 Players] (Wiki- Geek) (Gary Gabrel 1977 Parker 1984) Players compete to be first to line up five glass tokens in a line or capture five pairs of their opponents. It was derived from Go (Wiki - Geek) [2 Players}, one of the oldest (China, before 200 B.C.) and most elegant brain-burning abstract games in history, with players trying to claim territory by walling off sections of the board and surrounding each other's stones. Pente Resource Page . . Decipher . . Mindsports . . Pente Varients

  • Checkers (Wiki) (aka Draughts). Dating back to the 1500's, numerous national versions of this game are played, and the board sizes may vary. There are now a couple of unbeatable computer versions. One unusual variant is Lasca, which was invented by Emanuel Lasker, the Chess Grandmaster.

  • Backgammon (Wiki } Essentially a dice driven race to move pieces around and off the board - we haven't played this one yet. It is descended from the Iron Age Roman game of Duodecim Scripta, also known as Tabula or Alea, which was also played in Norse Germany and Scandinavia where it appears to have been known as katrutafl. Similar also to an ancient Eygptian game called is Senet, the modern version was described by Edmund Hoyle in 1743. A helpful site for rules and variants is Backgammon Galore

  • Mankala a large family of "Sowing" and "Count and Capture" games found in many parts of the World, but are barely known in the West. See my web page for more on the various games.

  • Nine Man Morris (Wiki } or Merels - is a descendant of the African game of Morabaraba. Boards have been found dating back to Rome.

  • Tafl {Wiki - Geek) (aka "Hnefatafl" or "Tablut") is sometimes called Viking Chess or King's Table, - an ancient Scandinavian game, with computer versions, it is played on a grid (sizes vary) and is unusual in the the two players have different forces and objectives, the defender, with a King and 8 men, seeks to move his King from the center square to a corner square without getting surrounded by his 16 opponents. All the pieces move like the rooks in chess. I plan to make my own set using pieces from two Japanese chess sets and a homemade board, with a 9 Man Morris board on the back.

  There are quite a few Dice Games! While many tend to be gambling games like Craps, Ship - Captain - Crew, and Mexico, some just play for points.

  • Yahtzee [2-10 Players] game (Wiki - Geek) ) (E. S. Lowe 1956) The classic game of rolling five dice for various combinations - five of a kind is a "Yahtzee!"! . . History . . Yahtzee.org

  • Liar's Dice (Wiki - Geek) (2-6) Derived from the traditional game Perudo, it was brought to Spain from South America in the 16th Century by Francisco Pizarro - so it truely is a pirate's game. A bluffing game using cups of dice, where players bid on the numbers on the dice in a concealed roll.

  • EXcape Geek [3-6] A new twist on a "press your luck" dice-rolling race game, designed by Reiner Knizia. Sid Sackson's Can't Stop Geek - Wiki [2-4] is another classic dice game from 1980, which could easily be homemade. Both games have simple rules, a fun blend of luck and strategy, and a degree of excitement and tension.

  Along with Dice, there are Tiles (aka Dominoes). And other Tile-based Games as well....

  • Dominoes (Wiki) Dominoes have been around since 1100 AD, and apparently came to Italy from China in the 18th Century. The rectangular "tiles" or "bones" are numbered at the two ends - using every combination of numbers (6,9,12,15 or 18?) including Blanks. There are quite a variety of Domino Games, including our present favorites: Mexican Train and Chickenfoot.

  • Mah Jongg (Wiki) Imported to the West from China in the 1920's - this tile game was a sensation in the 20's and 30's.

  • Rummikub (Geek) An Israeli "tile rummy" game. (Some Isreali varients) . . Tile Rummy Games: Rummikub

  There are those board games that we have played oh so many times!

  • Scrabble (Wiki) (Alfred Butts 1938) (2-4 players) The classic game where lettered tiles make words placed crosswords fashioned on a board. Worldwide Scrabble . . Mattel Scrabble . . Hasbro Scrabble

  • Monopoly (Wiki - Geek) [2-8 Players] (Clarence Darrow 1935) The classic Parker brothers real estate game! Hasbro This game in recent years has spawned a lot of different themes and versions.

  • Risk [2-6 Players] (Wiki - (Geek) (Albert Lamorisse early 1950's - Parker Brothers 1959). Worldwide conquest is the goal of this game. Accumulate and move tons of armies across the board, battling with dice.. . Hasbro . . Risk Strategies . . Risk Revisited

  • Stratego [2 Players] (1961) (Wiki - (Geek) Find and capture your opponent's Flag - players are blind as to the ranks of the opposing pieces. Ed's Stratego Site . . Matt's Stratego Site

  • Clue [2-6 Players] (Wiki - Geek) (Anthony Pratt 1948) The classic Who-Done-it? With what? and Where? Detective Game. There is also a card version. Hasbro: Parker

  • Acquire (Wiki - Geek) [2-6 Players] Designed by Sid Sackson in 1962; and produced first as an 3-M bookshelf game, then an Avalon Hill game, then by Hasbro, it will again be available after a number of years out of print in June, 2008. The game involves playing tiles to create, build or merge hotel chains, and buying and selling stocks in these chains to acquire the most money at the end of the game.

  • There are numerous Card Games using Standard Playing Card decks: Blackjack, Solitaires, Gin Rummy, Bridge, War, Crazy Eights, Go Fish - there are so many! But then there are many dedicated deck card games as well, and more are being created every day! Be sure and look at Pagat's Card Game Web Site for it's vast listing of card games. Here are some tutorials on several different ways to shuffle cards.

    • Sources for Playing Card Decks. Popular brands include Bicycle, Bee, Hoyle and Aviator; all manufactured by the United States Playing Card Company. There are two sources for decks with more than four suits: StarDeck - 5 suits and FatPack Cards - 8 suits

    • Cribbage (Wiki) Sir John Suckling 1634 invented this game that uses a peg board to keep the score of play. The Cribbage Corner has instructions on making boards, strategy, and links for Cribbage for Windows or playing online.

    • Hearts (Wiki) A card game for basically four players, it originated in Spain, taking its present form around 1850, and has numerous varients. The objective of Hearts is to take tricks of cards, but avoid taking tricks containing any heart and the queen of spades because these cards carry negative points to the winner of the trick. There are no trumps.

    • Poker {Wiki ) Poker has three forms: Draw Poker (all cards are hidden) and Stud Poker (Some cards are hidden) which date back to the the mid 1800's; and Community Cards Poker variations (where some cards are played to the table and shared), such as the recent and popular Texas Hold 'Em.

    • Uno (Wiki) (Merle Robbins 1971) a Variation on Crazy Eights The classic card game of trying to empty your hand of cards before everyone else, only don't be caught with just one card in hand! (Geek) Mattel . . Variations

    • Skip-bo (Wiki) (Hazel Bowman 1967 - International Games/ Mattel 1980). A commercial version of a counting card game where you essentially try to build stacks of cards by piling sequential numbers from 1-12 on top of each other. Based on a traditional game Spite and Malice.

    • Mille Bornes [2-6 Players] (Edmond Dujardin 1954) (Wiki - Geek) A cross-country race through France sets the stage as you earn mileage points, overcome traffic hazards and sabotage your opponents! Play 1,000 miles of cards and you win the game. Waterworks - The leaky pipe game is a similar card game, (Wiki - Geek) - some argue they are essentially the same game

    • Pit [3-8 Players] Wiki- Geek) - (Edgar Cayce/ Parker Brothers 1904) The classic grain futures trading floor game. In this loud real-time trading game, players are given the task of cornering the market in one type of commodity. A tin with the four games: Pit, Mille Bornes, Waterworks and Canasta Caliente is also available.
      

      The Games Makers:

      A Brief History of American Games
      • Milton Bradley (est. 1860)
        Starting with The Checkered Game of Life (1860), the Milton Bradley Company acquired McLoughlin Bros. (est 1858) in 1920. Milton Bradley introduced many games which have become classics, including: BATTLESHIP, CONCENTRATION, CONNECT FOUR, HANGMAN, THE GAME OF INDIA, THE GAME OF LIFE, OPERATION, PASSWORD, RACKO, SIMON, STRATEGO, TWISTER, and YAHTZEE (which MB acquired when it bought the E.S. Lowe Company 1973). Milton Bradley acquired Playskool in 1984. Then was acquired by Coleco in 1989 and then by Hasbro.

      • Edwin S. Lowe was noted for BINGO 1929 and YAHTZEE 1956. My first chess sets were made by E.S. Lowe as well.

      • Parker Brothers (George S. Parker est. 1883 Parker Bros. acquired W. & S.B. Ives in 1887, when they published their first successful game MANSION OF HAPPINESS. Then came PING-PONG 1902 , PIT 1904, ROOK 1906, and MONOPOLY 1935. Other Classic Parker Brothers games include BOGGLE, CHIVALRY, FLINCH, THE MAD MAGAZINE GAME, MASTERPIECE, MILLE BOURNE (based on the game of TOURING acquired by Parker Bros), PAYDAY, PENTE (an ancient game revived in 1977 and purchased by Parker Brosin 1984), RISK, and SORRY. The company was acquired by General Mills 1968 and then by Hasbro in 1991.

      • J. Pressman Co (est 1921) began with CHINESE CHECKERS, later games included many adaptations of such TV properties as WHEEL OF FORTUNE, JEOPARDY and DOUBLE DARE. They also published an enduring line of strategy games - MASTERMIND, RUMMIKUB and TRI-OMINOS.

      • Selchow and Righter (Elisha Selchow est.1867) Most notable products included PARCHEEZI, SCRABBLE, and TRIVIAL PURSUITS The company was acquired by Coleco in 1986 and then by Hasbro

      • Mattel (Harold "Matt" Matson and Elliot Handler est 1960) (Official Site) Maker of such toys as Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Barbie - Mattel is noted for the Othello and Uno Card Games. acq Radica Electronic Games 2006). In 1993 it merged with Fisher-Price then in 1996 it purchased Tyco Toys.

      • Hasbro [Hassenfeld Brothers est 1923 Renamed 1968 ] (Official Site) Most notable Hasbro toys included: Mr. Potato Head, Twister, G. I. Joe, Transformers, My Little Pony, Pokeman, etc. The company has absorbed into its various divisions numerous brands including Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers, Kenner, Selchow_and_Righter, Avalon Hill, Wizards of the Coast, Playskool, Tonka- and is the largest toy and game company in the world.

      • Ideal Toy Co (Morris and Rose Michtom, inventors of the Teddy Bear, est 1907 - Ideal ceased operations in 1982). They originated the Mouse Trap Board Game in 1963 and marketed the Rubik's Cube in 1979.

      • Kenner Toys (Albert, Phillip, and Joseph Steiner est 1947) Kenner was acquired by General Mills in 1967 and in Tonka 1987, finally by Hasbro in 1991. Its popular Girder-&-Panel Construction toy probably inspired my brother to become a structural engineer; it was also noted for Spirograph, Star Wars Action figures, Playdoh, Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears.

        Some books

        • The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers, from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit by Philip E. Orbanes
        • Monopoly: The World's Most Famous Game-And How it Got that Way by Philip E. Orbanes
        • Board Games of the 50's, 60's, and 70's: With Prices by David Dilley
        • A History of Board-games Other Than Chess by Harold J.R. Murray
        • The Games we Played: The Golden Age of Board and Table Games by Margaret Hofer
        • The Playmakers: Amazing Origins of Timeless Toys and Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them by Tim Walsh
        • The Game Inventor's Guidebook by Brian Tinsman

      Through the years, we have accumulated and played a lot of games in our closet. Some have been enduring hits, some had brief moments of glory, some were never played more than once. There is a lot of information on the internet on these various games including for some variant rules or alternate ways to play. Wikipedia (which has many pages on board games, standard playing card games and dedicated deck dard games and collectable card games) and Board Game Geek, in particular, has a lot of useful information regarding various games. Pagat has rules for lots of Card Games, including many invented games, and The Game Cabinet has archived the rules for a lot of the older games as well. Another source of rules is Master's Games Traditional Rules.

      On this page, I have hyper linked some of these and other information concerning the many games in our closet. The links below include links to Funagain Games - which carries a lot of games at very good prices, as well as (Wiki)pedia and Board Game (Geek) pages on the various games.

    Please send E-mail to me at: eldrbarry@eldrbarry.net

    © 2008 Barry McWilliams
    

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