Cracked.com had an article on classic board games with sinister origins. Must-read.
3 fun facts:
#1 People were playing the Game of Life before the Civil War began.
#2 Snakes and Ladders taught religious virtue to Hindu children.
#3 Hasbro needs to reissue Clue/Cluedo with the bomb and the shillelagh (and a flame-thrower for good measure).
Image via Wikipedia
Arrgh! I let the Twilight post stand for far too long. So, projects…
I’m slogging through the rest of the sci-fi movie project. It went on too long and I lost interest. Now I’m planning a shorter project more carefully. Next up is Jane Austen Luxe. The plan is to analyze the costumes in the movies and others of a similar era. Very girly project.
Thus far, I have several older books on historical clothes and a book about Jane Austen movies. I was looking through a Dover catalog and thinking I ought to buy the Pride & Prejudice paper dolls for ‘research purposes.’ Maybe I can talk myself into buying the Pride & Prejudice board game too.
If you have any other research activities or sites or items to recommend, let me know.
This post is thanks to my brother who made the list and gathered the information.
Apples to Apples (Publisher: Out of the Box)
Estimated Time: 30 minutes to an hour
Ages: 12 and up
No. of Players: 4 to 10 (more if you make 2 teams)
Awards: Games 100 “party game of the year”
Mensa Select Award
Tiger Award “best American game”
Type: cards
Halloween connection: Select cards that have to do with Halloween e.g., “spooky” “scary.” Even if you don’t do this, it’s still all about apples (bobbing, Pomona, etc.)
About the game: Players submit cards on a theme to a judge who chooses the best fit. Example: the theme is cold and players submit ‘ice cream’ ‘snow’ and ‘penguins.’ The judge has to decide what he or she thinks fits best. The judge can be as whimsical and arbitrary as he or she pleases.
The game requires reading and a strong pop cultural knowledge background. I believe there is a junior version. There are a few house rules to establish such as whether you can stump for your cards or not.
The original game is the best party game we’ve played. People who have never met and people who know each other all too well can play it. It moves quickly and encourages conversation. It satisfies both casual players and game aficionados.
My brother says each player can enjoy and feel successful all the way through the game.
Games Bunny link. Debbie Pickett link.
Monsters Menace America (Publisher: Avalon Hill)
Estimated Time: 90 minutes
Ages: 12 and up
No. of Players: 2 to 4
Type: board game
Awards: none
Halloween connection: Monster Movies!
About the game: To win the game, you have to build up your monster power and defeat all rivals.
The best part of the game, other than destroying USA landmarks, is the large plastic monster pieces. Movie monsters have definitely inspired the game pieces.
The monsters include Zorb (giant eyeball); Toicor (toxic waste pile), Meca Claw (giant lobster); Tomanagi (gojira); Gargantis (giant preying mantis) and Konk (King Kong). They each have a war cry: I like Toxicor’s “squisha squisha” and Meca Claw’s “clicka clacka” best.
This game is best suited for more intense players and people who like to smash things (me!).
My brother says the end game can be a letdown – I agree with him that it’s clear who is going to win by that point. However, as my brother points out, the first part is super fun.
Gamer Dad link. Gamers Alliance link.
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