hist-games: What's the one game (or maybe two or three) you would include?

[SEDWilkins at aol.com]

Justin-
 
I think you do best with games that have a hint of familiarity (so as not  
to be intimidating) but enough novelty to feel archaic (really, draughts and 
 checkers don't make people feel like they're in another century). So a 
tables  game that is less like modern backgammon, such as sixe-ace, might be 
more  fun.
 
If you want a card game, ombre would be easier/quicker, and the cards  
aren't hard to find.
 
Hasard works if you have someone to be the caster.
 
Merels is good.
 
If you want to go beyond table games, quilles, shuttlecock and tops and/or  
hoops are nice (and can involve kids, obviously).

>>The goal here is to describe a few good games for novices. They  should 
be moderately easy to play and to describe: I've only got a total  of 
2-3000 words here, so I have to be careful of complexity. And frankly,  I 
don't want the games to be too intimidating. (So Chess is borderline,  
and Rhythmomachy is right out.) But at the same time, I'm inclined  
against the idiotically simple games like Dublets, that aren't as  
interesting without strong drink.

Also, I think we should limit  ourselves to games that can be played with 
easy-to-obtain equipment, or at  least easily made. Chess, Tables and 
games with standard cards are options  there; not sure about Tarocchi. 
(Since most easily-available Tarot decks  kinda suck for it.) Merels is 
probably okay, since the board is easy to  draw, but probably not Goose.

So the question I put to y'all, as I  ponder this, is: what would you 
include? Choose one to three games that  you think suit these 
requirements, that you think would be good for this  article. I've got a 
few options in mind already, but I haven't made up my  mind, so I'm 
interested in what everybody else has to  say.<<




Sally  Wilkins


If you're not worried about peak oil, you're  not paying attention.
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