I‘m not sure if we can consider this memory game a board game. It is an interactive game played on a Nokia n95. Just touch one of the pockets on the jeans and match the pictures. It’s probably is a good time waster if you are in need of using up a few minutes while waiting in a line.
When we are discussing unusual board games I much prefer games that come from other lands such as Morabaraba which is a classic board game from Malawi and is similar to Alquerques or Nine Man Morris. It can be enjoyed online as well.
Another interesting game is Mancala – The African Stone Game also called Awele-Oware.
Board Game Violence?
Killer Bunnies.
How to Host a Murder.
Have you ever considered how much violence is represented in our game playing? Chess represents fierce battles between two armies. Knights on horseback and foot soldiers eliminate their enemies to ultimately capture the king. Play Battle Chess on your computer and you can see how bloody this battle can be. Blood spurts from hacked limbs and bodies while horrific noises are heard in the background. Wow! Blood and guts and violence sure can be fun.
Even that old-time favorite Monopoly cannot claim innocence. People don’t go to jail for no reason. What are the hidden crimes here? Doesn’t all that unprotected money lead to bank robberies? Why settle for a cheap property when you can move your piece unnoticed so you can steal a railroad? High finance can lead to violence even if just in the imagination.
Murder is fun. Great way to liven up a deadly boring dinner party. Nothing like a good “who done it” to keep the guests from falling asleep. Much better for one of them to be “rubbed out” while the suspects all work to put the blame on the others. The hostess must be so proud!
Killer bunnies! Keep bunnies from being killed from evil bunnies and I though killer bunnies were the ones who ate the lettuce in my garden.
Chinese Checkers – Colorful but not Chinese.
Good Old German Game of Stern-Halma.
Have you played Chinese checkers lately? Was it a favorite of yours when you were a child? The pretty colored marbles were a delight for children and allowed many types of play for one to 6 people. Even though the name contains “checkers” it is not related to that game. It also did not originate in China or any other Asian country. Chinese checkers was actually invented in Germany in 1892 and was originally called “Stern-Halma”. “Stern” being German for star and “ halma” named after an American game called “Halma”. It was called “stern” because the board is star shaped. The American game of Halma was played on a checkerboard and the pieces can jump over one another. Halma comes from the Greek meaning jump.
Chinese checkers was originally called “Hop Ching Checkers” and the name was changed in a marketing program in 1928. Japanese adopted the game and eventually introduced it to the Chinese.
Adults and children can all play Chinese checkers making it a fine family game.
The objective of the game is to move all one’s marbles into the opposite corner of the hexagram by moving one step at a time or jumping over other pieces. Marbles are not captured or removed from the board. All pieces remain on the board during the entire play. The game can be simple or one can use some more complicated strategy as shown by the second video below.
Backgammon From Ancient to Modern Times.
Backgammon in the Ancient World.
Backgammon is an ancient game with a long history that covers a great part of the world. It is believed to have been invented in Mesopotamia in the Persian Empire about 5,000 years ago and remains the oldest recorded board game ever played. It is still the most popular game in the Middle East where it is known as shishbesh. It originated from a game called the Royal Game of Ur. A board and 2 sets of checkers and a couple of dice were dug up in the city of Shahr-e Sokteh in Iran by archeologists. Similar objects are also found in the ancient Egyptian game of Senate. The ancient game most similar to backgammon is the Roman game of twelve lines (Ludus duodecim scriptorium). It was played on a board with 3 rows and 12 lines and 3 dice which determined the movement of the checkers across the board. Later the Byzantines had a version called Tabula (table) which also required the players to finish off their checkers to win the game. The oldest written reference to backgammon was the description of the game by Byzantine Emperor Zeno around the 5th century AD.
During the 6-7th century the Sanskrit poet Bhartṛhari made mention of backgammon. A Middle Persian book called Explanation of Chess and Invention of Backgammon contains the first appearance of backgammon rules and credits the invention of backgammon to Buzorgmihrthe (Burzoe or Bozorgmehr) who was a state minister, physician and chess master.
Backgammon in Europe Prohibited by Royals.
Around the 11th century backgammon somehow managed to travel mysteriously from the Middle East to Western Europe. We know that backgammon was present because the French King Louis IX decreed that his employees not play the game. Queen Elizabeth I some 500 years later prohibited the game of backgammon completely. In spite of this backgammon remained and people continued playing the game.
According to Hoyle.
A definition of the term backgammon appeared in the Oxford English Dictionary i n the middle of the 16th century. The first English backgammon guide book which included official rules and strategies, A Short Treatise on the Game of Back-Gammon was published by the world renowned game expert Edmond Hoyle and backgammon was obviously here to stay.
20th Century Backgammon.
Throughout the 20th century Backgammon continued to evolve from undergoing important changes and the beginning and end of the century. The doubling cube was invented by Grand Duke Dmtri of Russia which added new elements of strategy and strengthened the backgammon tie to gambling. Next, the growing Internet introduced online backgammon enabling live games between opponents across the world.
Games Galore on Amazon Kindle.
Your Portable Games Room.
You probably know that the Amazon Kindle is great for holding your books so that you can read then anywhere at any time. Are you also aware that you can download board games such as chess, checkers, and Monopoly to your Kindle as well as word games, travel games, puzzles and logic and brain teasers as well? There are some 3,220 games and books about games for your Kindle. Some are even free or cost only $0.99. Games run from the always popular Chess to Scrabble.You can fill your Kindle with games for all the family.
Here are some of Classic Board Games that are ready to be downloaded on your Amazon Kindle:
Chess Checkers Monopoly Scrabble Mine Sweeper Slingo Mahjong Solitaire Sudoku True Backgammon.
Most can be played with just one or more players. You can play alone or with a friend anywhere and anytime. In essence your Amazon Kindle is you portable games room. If you find yourself waiting in a long line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, for example, just whip out your Kindle and open to your favorite game to make the waiting time go swiftly. Maybe the person sitting next to you would like to join you in a game of checkers and you can even make a new friend.
Most games come complete with tutorials or instructions. Chess comes with 14 pages of illustrated instructions on the features of Chess for Kindle and a 25 page guide, How to Play Chess. If you haven’t played chess before and want to learn this is the perfect platform for you. It is also great for a refresher course if you haven’t play for a while and and the rules are at hand if you need them in the middle of a game.
Amazon Kindle Scrabble.
Kindle also features card games, puzzles and word games such as:
Every Word Shuffled Row EA Solitaire Video Poker Blackjack Number Slide Next Puzzle Game Word Search Jumble.
And there are loads more. There are enough to keep you and your children busy at home or traveling. Fill your Amazon Kindle with games galore and bring it along on your summer vacation. You’ll be the most popular person there.
Amazon Kindle Scrabble.
Play Scrabble on Your Amazon Kindle.
Interested in playing Scrabble on your Kindle? Here is a great video review of Amazon Kindle Game Scrabble.