# Tabletop games, for today and if TSHTF



## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I considered putting this in "chit chat" but past "shtf entertainment" threads were here and I really do think these games can be a great resource.

I don't expect to get much response on this topic here but tomorrow (April 5) is "International Tabletop day":cheers: So I figured I would do my part by bringing up a few great games.

Now, whether or not there will be much time for "leisure" activities during a shtf situation has been much debated and I don't want to get into that here. Much of it will depend on the particular scenario but most people should agree that many situations may have them wanting for something to do that makes them feel good. Cramped conditions, isolation, bored children, not being able to go outside can be made much more palatable by a little entertainment and these things were all a real concern in the past. More importantly imo, even today these games can bring family and friends together for low cost, electricity free, memory making fun.

There are many great ways to entertain oneself and one's family indoors without electricity, and for little cost; reading, cards, dice, etc are great but there are whole categories of games that many people have never even heard of before.

After all of that, the first game I want to mention is a pretty simple one that some here might have heard of. The theme was just too fitting to not use it for an example. The game is called "The Resistance" and it is set in a dystopian "future" where the government has grown corrupt and authoritarian, you and your fellow players must fight to defeat it. It only costs about $20 and has huge replayability, great value imo. The game is played co-operatively with 5-10 people and only takes about 1/2 an hour for one game. There is no luck involved which is a huge plus for me, age range is officially 12-13 and up but have seen it played well down to about 8 (every child is different). Kids also have a lot of fun watching their parents scream, "No, YOU'RE the spy!" even if they are too young to play.










Just in case anyone is interested I will post a video of it being played, although we have more fun than these guys.





If anybody else has any tabletop or board games they think are great I would love to hear them.


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## talob (Sep 16, 2009)

I'm gonna check this game out, I like the idea of games that make ya think, been stockeng up on table top games, picture puzzles, books, things that keep the mind busy, and of coarse there'll be a few decks of cards to.


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

There are seven steps to survival as I teach in my survival classes, just wait I'm really not off topic.

Recognition 
inventory
Shelter
Signals
Water
Food
Play

If you don't play the mind does terrible things to itself. So yes games are a great idea. For me, while not technically a board game, a cribbage board and a deck of cards is always available. Boggle is also good for an hour or two of distraction.


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## TheManComesAround (Jun 18, 2013)

Our play preps include Traditional playing cards, Uno, SkipBo, but also other Table Topers. A recent fave is Bananagrams.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I do think "play" in one form or another is essential and this comes from someone who has put very little value on "leisure" in my life. I am not the kind of person who needs to go on a vacation, or out, or get away from it all. I would rather spend that time and money improving my day to day life and making my work up of things that I would do for "leisure" anyways. However some games have a way of stimulating our minds in different ways when thinking up strategy, they also can really bring people together socially (something that I often need prompting to do). It is undeniably good imo for a group to gather around a table and end up laughing till their cheeks hurt, or many of the other experiences games can bring, particularly co-operative ones.

Cards are obviously the greatest bang for your buck and a must-have imo but there are times and people who are not interested at playing cards for one reason or another and it is nice to have alternatives. I tend to not enjoy most games based primarily on luck, I will play them but get bored easily and don't have as much fun as others. There are certainly card games where the role of luck is mitigated and those tend to be my favorites (500, poker, hearts, etc).

Bananagrams! Great gift idea for people who like puzzly word games or crosswords. Not my kind of game but have given it as a gift and it still gets played, it comes in a pouch which is handy and requires no pencil, paper, or board.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

We have a closest that is 75% games and 25% art supplies. I dare say our game collection is impressive. We have everything from monopoly, life, risk, clue, uno, battleship, apples to apples, sorry, connect four, pictionary, cribbage, stratego, backgammon, chess, cranium, shoots and ladders, skipbo, twister and around 20–25 more games. If the Mrs. sees one at a yard sale that we don't have, rest assured it's coming home with us. We even have multiples of some games to include different special editions.


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## goshengirl (Dec 18, 2010)

For 'post SHTF' I've stashed:
regular playing cards
Uno cards 
dominoes 
But they always manage to sprout legs and end up somewhere else.  So those items I periodically pick up when I happen to be at a Walmart (or the like). I also think it's good to have a book or two of card games - a regular deck of cards can really go a long way with so many different games.

Otherwise, our favorites are:
monopoly (we have a couple National Parks versions )
apples to apples
battleship
professor noggins cards (american history, ancient history, medieval times, us geography, science, earth science - we need to get a few others)


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## siletz (Aug 23, 2011)

Phase 10 is a pretty easy and fun card game. It also depends how many people will be playing. Othello is a great 2 person game. My current favorites are Ticket to Ride and Quiddler.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

LOL! My folks started getting into board games and the like. When we go over there for dinner they break out a game and we all play til Roo gets cranky and we head home.

Our personal game collection is pitiful. We have Monopoly and a few decks of cards. I want to get Knot So Fast as a "lights out" or scouting/camping game.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

We have always been big game players. Right now it's Tripoly. We still have some of my daughters favorite games from childhood and she is 28! Like hangman. You can play that with pen n paper or even in the dirt. We also like Spoons, Uno, Rummy, etc.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Lots of fun games mentioned 
Most of the tabletop/board games that I consider great are not typically available at Walmart or mass market retailers, to find them you need to go to a game store or order online. Ticket to ride was mentioned and that one might be a bit of an exception, it bridges the gap between mass market board games and types of games I lean towards. It is not exactly my cup of tea but it does involve some strategy while still a fun family game that is very easy to teach. There are many variations these days but the basic version is still good. It will set you back around $30, plays 2-5 players 8yrs and up recommended, takes anywhere from 0.5-2hrs for a game.


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## camo2460 (Feb 10, 2013)

I'm sort of like CBH, I tend not to like most card games, with a few exceptions like Rummy. I prefer a good game of Chess, Checkers, or Scrabble, and have been known to indulge in a carving project once in a while.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I was always good at games growing up and I like them a lot. Uno, Rummikub, Monopoly, Risk, Stratego, but I also played games that a lot of people would probably consider way to intensive. 

Harpoon and Star Fleet Battles for example. Think of these like genre specific D&D games, if you want to *REALLY* learn fundamentals of Naval warfare, try one of those! I only lost SFB once, when my bro decided to go catastrophic and blew up his own ship to see if the damage would take me with it.. it did! LOL! He *NEVER* won a game of Risk lol 

I like poker for cards, especially Texas Hold'em. I've done well in tournaments, and I should probably start getting back into that. I could use the free money


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## *Andi (Nov 8, 2009)

What no one plays ...

********... (Cheat / I Doubt It) 

http://www.pagat.com/beating/cheat.html


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## PreparedRifleman73 (Nov 2, 2012)

Thanks for the information. I will be buying that!


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Wow, we had so much fun tonight I better get some sleep.
The whole gamut of emotions ending with laughing like crazy people, feels great to take a break and have fun. Of the games we played, strangely enough the one that got us laughing was not a new one by any stretch. It was one of the first "Euro games" we played and it still holds it's own imo even if some people think it has been outdone by newer games in the same category.

The game is "Settlers of Catan" but it comes in a million different versions, most standard boxes are made for 2-4 players but additional player expansions are available or special editions can be purchased that play 2-6 right out of the box. We like playing with larger numbers of people more often than not but the game is fine with less, actually it is probably best balanced at 4 but we like having more players interacting. There are many other expansions available as well but realistically the base game is great and because the board is completely different every time replayability is fantastic. About ages 8 and up is appropriate for the most part. It is not the cheapest game around but not that expensive either.

The game certainly has an element of luck but there are so many ways to mitigate that luck that it has as much strategy as one wants to put into it. The game is based upon acquiring resources to build or buy items that each give you "victory points" the first one to reach 10 wins. Trading and negotiating is an important part of the game that adds a lot of strategy and fun interaction. "NO, I DON'T WANT YOU'RE SHEEP!"














I didn't plan on talking about games that Wil Wheaton has played on his show, I really didn't, but he seems to have hit on a lot of the good ones, particularly for those not already into the games heavily. The videos are well produced at least although I know a lot of people who don't care for them (or him) at least if someone is curious about a game they can get some idea of how it plays:dunno:


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Dakine those are some ooold wargames Not easy to find people willing to play those types of simulations these days. Luckily there are a lot of more approachable versions these days that happen to be a lot more fun for most people but still manage to have tons of strategy, sometimes even more. I'm not even going to start on wargames though, that might be a bit far for preparedness and aren't always the best for morale or families


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## jeff47041 (Jan 5, 2013)

Sentry18 said:


> We have a closest that is 75% games and 25% art supplies. I dare say our game collection is impressive. We have everything from monopoly, life, risk, clue, uno, battleship, apples to apples, sorry, connect four, pictionary, cribbage, stratego, backgammon, chess, cranium, shoots and ladders, skipbo, twister and around 20-25 more games. If the Mrs. sees one at a yard sale that we don't have, rest assured it's coming home with us. We even have multiples of some games to include different special editions.


This is pretty much how it is here. Lots of games, art supplies, craft supplies. Add a whole bunch of puzzles in there and you have our game closet.

The lovely one buys games and puzzles anytime she sees one that we don't have that she thinks we might like.

We have a table set up that almost always has a puzzle on it. It's great because you can just stop by for a few minutes and work in a few pieces, or sit and work for a long time. When any of my brothers (or anyone) stop by to chat, they just stand by that table and work a puzzle while chatting. Because of this, we receive lots of puzzles as gifts. People are just drawn to that table.


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I play one of the world's oldest games - it has been played almost continously for 10,000 years (give or take a few years).

*Awale*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oware

I have both a hand-built Awale-board from Africa (with some of the traditional seeds) and I have a digital version running on my computer - it has perfect sound just like my board and the seeds are very realistic too ..

... just to add. I found a flash-version of Awale.

http://www.awale.info/joc/en/index.html


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> It only costs about $20 and has huge replayability, great value imo. The game is played co-operatively with 5-10 people


bummer... no less than 5?



cowboyhermit said:


> and only takes about 1/2 an hour for one game.


Another big plus



cowboyhermit said:


> There is no luck involved which is a huge plus for me,


HUGE plus. 
"Risk" is a fun game but depends on what the dice roll out.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

NaeKid said:


> I play one of the world's oldest games - it has been played almost continously for 10,000 years (give or take a few years).
> 
> *Awale*


Cool, not that into abstract games myself these days but that is a game with some history. The kind of game where all you really need would be to know the rules, could even improvise the "board" if need be.



LincTex said:


> bummer... no less than 5?


For a game that is somewhat similar to resistance but playable with as few as 2 (up to 6) players "The Resistance; Coup" is worth a look. It can be found even cheaper than the resistance (under $15). The rules might appear a bit more complicated on paper but it only takes a couple minutes (literally) to learn if you have it in front of you. One round can play in as little as 10 minutes. It might seem like that is not enough time to really strategize but it is really condensed, essentially pure bluffing, deception, and deduction.

It definitely doesn't have the same "feel" as resistance or it's other variants because it is not a co-op game and you don't have that "Us vs Them" but because the game plays so fast it tends to not get overly competitive unless you want it to. There is a tiny element of luck, maybe 2 on a scale of 10, but probably less than poker; you can absolutely win no matter what cards you get.

http://www.boardgames.ca/coup-card-game-based-on-the-resistance-universe.aspx
http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/131357/coup


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

cowboyhermit said:


> Cool, not that into abstract games myself these days but that is a game with some history. The kind of game where all you really need would be to know the rules, could even improvise the "board" if need be.


If you get a chance to head out to Africa, you can find kids walkin' about with an Awale-board and they will wander up to an old guy sunnin' himself and ask for a game - most of the time - the old guy will play a few rounds with the kids and many times, the game will end in a draw.

For those who would like to play Awale at home - grab a couple handfulls of the smallest marbles (or even some small pebbles) you can find, take an egg carton, put four marbles into each cup (total of 48 marbles) and play.

*Rules:*

The rules of Awale are very simple, and the game is easy to understand. On the other hand, the strategies to be successfull can be complex and subtle.

The rules vary from one region to another, even sometimes from one village to another... We'll use here the most common rule, the Classical Awale.

*Rule 1:* _Aim of the game _
The aim of the game is to capture more seeds than your opponent. At the end of the game, the player who has captured the most seeds wins.

*Rule 2:* _The board _
The board is divided into two areas, hollowed with six holes each. 
Your area is at the bottom of the screen, your opponent's (computer) area is at the top. 
At the begining, 48 seeds are distributed among the 12 holes (four seeds in each hole).

*Rule 3:* _The game turn. _
Every player plays alernately, the first one to play is chosen at random. 
The player takes all the seeds in a hole of his area and distributes them counterclockwise, one in each hole.

*Rule 4:* _Capture _
If the last seed to be distributed falls into one of the opponent's holes, containing already one or two seeds, the player captures the two or three seeds. 
The captured seeds are taken off the board (the hole is left empty) and collected into the player's loft.

*Rule 5:* _Multiple capture _
If a player captures two or three seeds, and the preceeding hole also contains two or three seeds, they are captured too, and so on...

*Rule 6:* _Loop _
If the number of seeds taken in the starting hole is greater than 11, it constitutes a loop : the starting hole is left out everytime in the distribution loop, and therefore always left empty. 
A hole containing enough seeds to loop is called a 'Kroo'.

*Rule 7:* _Feed the opponent _
A player isn't allowed to "starve" his opponent : 
a player can't play a hole that leads to capturing all the seeds in his opponent's area.

*Rule 8:* _End of the game _
The game ends if : 
- A player hasn't any seeds in his area, and therefore can't play. 
In this case, the other player captures all the remaining seeds. 
- The game is "looping", i.e. after some turns, the same playboard configuration is obtained again. 
In this case, the remaining seeds aren't captured. 
- One of the players aborts the game 
The other player captures all the remaining seeds. ​


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

LincTex said:


> bummer... no less than 5?
> 
> Another big plus
> 
> ...


You can make Risk a lot more complex by playing with two boards. Alaska on the left board connects with Kamchatka on the right board. You deal out cards twice and start with twice as many territories.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

Checkers, chess, and Scrabble are fun games too.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Rainy day yesterday but we really needed it so it was a fun day to play some games!

I realized that I somehow missed one of the first games I planned to post on here.

Once again, this game is not like traditional mainstream "bored" games
I wanted to post it for a couple reasons, first of all it is 100% co-operative which makes it great to play with a variety of people.

Second of all the theme; you and your fellow players are working to prevent the end of the world via a global..

*PANDEMIC *

The game plays 1-4 players (1-6 with expansion), yes you can play it solitaire and still have some fun. Something like 8-10yrs and up, takes about 45min and can be bought for around $25-30.

It really is a lot of fun, you and your friends all have different roles and abilities so a lot of strategy is involved in choosing what to do when. Difficulty is easily adjustable, another plus because it gets tough on higher levels.

About the only thing I could say negative about this game (or most co-ops) is that it is possible for one person to become overbearing and start to tell everyone what to do. I take that as almost one of my favorite parts of co-ops though, not only do they allow you to better understand other people and how they act in different situations, they also allow you to improve and evaluate your own abilities to work as a team in unusual circumstances.


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## ThePrepDerp (Apr 19, 2014)

Me, sadly I'm a video gamer. But it's always fun to play cards with fellow preppers to waste time.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I have played my share of video games over the years but unfortunately they always seem to do just that "waste time". I wouldn't want to count how many hours I spent playing games like Civilization (3 was the best) and some good rpgs, plus the hundreds of games I have played in passing over the years (ranging from text based games on an apple IIe up to all the newest consoles and pc games) 

I am anything but a technophobe, however nothing in those games compares in the slightest to the memories and enjoyment I have gotten out of really good table top games. 

I don't like "wasting" any of my time on this great planet
I would rather "spend" it in the best ways possible.:earthhug:


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

We always bought reasonably intact board games from the local thrift shops; sometimes buying 2 to get all the pieces for 1 complete game. They were cheap, and designed to keep folks' minds off their troubles. Some of the favorites we picked up are playable by young and old alike: monopoly, bingo, yahtzee, sorry, bingo, etc. My grandparents always had dominoes (and taught us to play when we were still very young) along with checkers & chinese checkers for the 'young-uns'. Good idea, good thread.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

I have dozens of different board and card games to keep me busy. I've got everything from the classics like Monopoly and Chess to Skip-Bo and Pass the Pigs. 


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## ThePrepDerp (Apr 19, 2014)

cowboyhermit said:


> I have played my share of video games over the years but unfortunately they always seem to do just that "waste time". I wouldn't want to count how many hours I spent playing games like Civilization (3 was the best) and some good rpgs, plus the hundreds of games I have played in passing over the years (ranging from text based games on an apple IIe up to all the newest consoles and pc games)
> 
> I am anything but a technophobe, however nothing in those games compares in the slightest to the memories and enjoyment I have gotten out of really good table top games.
> 
> ...


Well, me I'm the nerd who thinks video games are on their way to becoming a form of high expressive art. Last of us really speaks to me.

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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

All time classic, checkers. Everyone can play that one.

Then you have marbles for the kiddos. Can also be used for sling shot ammo.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

ThePrepDerp said:


> Well, me I'm the nerd who thinks video games are on their way to becoming a form of high expressive art. Last of us really speaks to me.


They certainly have the potential to be works of art, in fact depending on the definition I suppose many of them are. There is just as much variation in video games as there is between an old fashioned "roll-and-move" board game and a game like the Resistance for example, or Twilight Imperium 3. I have kept up with games over the years, some I can't stand "grand theft auto etc" some I just find rather dull. It might just be me these days so I make a point of exposing myself to them from time to time to see if I am missing something, which is actually why I started this thread. Most people have a perception of "board games" that would be akin to Angry birds in video games, not bad games but not very representative of what has been done with the form of media. I think monopoly for instance was a great game for it's time, I still think it's great for sentimental reasons but that is the ONLY reason I would ever play it.

It is not exactly surprising, most/all of the games mentioned cannot be found at typical retailers or garage sales so most don't even know they exist, let alone have a chance to play them before they buy (not that they are very expensive).

I know of professional artists who consider not only the components of some tabletop games to be incredibly artistic, but also the mechanics and overall theme of some games to be "a work of art" in the way that they are perfectly balanced and function cohesively or the way the make a person feel or think.


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## memrymaker (Dec 12, 2012)

We, like others on the board have mentioned, maintain and add to large game collections for both kids and adults. It is often such a chore to keep the *kids *games neat, but I love to see them playing games I loved as a child and at the same time, learning to enjoy each other and time together.

We like quirkle, sorry sliders, forbidden island, outburst, payday, Monopoly Empire (a great version if you tire of seeing yourself and others go broke!), battleship & etc. Various card games rank high on our lists too.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

I found this story pretty funny, mostly because it's such a story in the first place When looking for an article to link there were dozens 
Apparently the Green Bay Packers are really into Catan.

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000459779/article/packers-obsessed-with-settlers-of-catan-board-game



> One faction of the Packers has found an unusual way to stave off seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and pass the rare moments of football down time in the cold, dark and sleepy Green Bay winters.
> 
> More than a dozen players, including the entire offensive line, have become addicted to the board game, "The Settlers of Catan."
> 
> ...


Maybe it is still the idea that these games are supposed to be for skinny nerds that makes this a big story :dunno: anyways, catan is a great game, still one of our favorites. It is a great stepping stone from typical mainstream board games to real tabletop games.


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## kappydell (Nov 27, 2011)

I have card, dice, and several books to go with - Hoyle's book of card game rules, plus a couple I picked up out of the dollar store - 100 games for dice, and 100 games for cards. Very interesting, good for all ages.
For backup, I shop the thrift shops for board games. Many folks are donating them, their kids only want computer games. In a pinch, hangman, fox & geese, or battleship (or other pencil & paper games) are always interesting.


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## w4opsec (Dec 19, 2013)

I usually don't reply but I think board games are really important for kids and they help pass the time. My sisters family loves to play blokus. My nine-year-old niece really enjoys it. And as a very colorful board and it's a lot of fun. 

One of my favorite games is connect four. It's easy to have connect for contests between a group of people. 

A couple of years ago I purchased apples to apples and it was fun. This year I got two new board games. One was called things and I'm not sure what the other one was. They're stored at my sisters house.

I don't think Domino's has been mentioned yet but it deserves to be put out there. It's a great classic. Every time I go to my aunt and uncle's house we play ...I think it's called liver pool rummy. It's always a fun game to play and they are in their late 80s. 

In high school I used to play a game that was like war with cards but we caught it either around the world or Egyptian rat screw. It's a combination of war and slapjack. It can become a lot of fun with a group from 3 to 7 people. You can use multiple decks and have eight people playing. 



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## TheLazyL (Jun 5, 2012)

Back when I was a youth dice, cards and board games hadn't been invented yet. So we played the Dot to Dot game.

A piece of scrap paper and a pencil.

1. Fill a paper with evenly spaced rows of dots at least an inch apart.

2. Take turns drawing a line connecting one dot to another with vertical or horizontal strokes.

3. Write your initial in the box each time you complete a square and take another turn.

4. Continue playing until all the dots on the page are connected.

5. Count how many initials each player has on the page. The player with the most wins.


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## w4opsec (Dec 19, 2013)

I remember that. I used to play that with my grandma. Funny how the simplest things can be so entertaining. The same way with tic-tac-toe or hangman


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## behindprepper918 (Nov 3, 2014)

over 3,000 books to read. some for pleasure some for learning. 
coloring books, 
crayons, 
colored pencils, 
sprial notebooks, 
pens, 
pencils. 
cards against humanity, 
checkers, 
chess, 
chinese checkers, 
bingo, 
bunko, 
farkel, 
taboo, 
scattergories, 
yatzee, 
cards, 
book of card games, 
dominos, 
puzzles, 
to name a few of what we have for entertainment.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> I think monopoly for instance was a great game for it's time, I still think it's great for sentimental reasons but that is the ONLY reason I would ever play it.


Same here. 
Games are supposed to be _entertaining_ - 
Monopoly just causes more stress.


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## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

Mancala can be easily made if you don't have any games. It is a "sowing" game played with "seeds" and "holes." All you need are some rocks and some holes in the ground. Of course, at most stores with games, you can buy one of the modern versions, with a wood tray with indentations for storing marbles or nicer stones or "seeds"

Wikipedia: Kalah (the typical US version of Mancala).










There are other versions.

Here is a picture of the Sudanese version, which is more complex than the one marketed in the US:


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## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

Pente is another easy game to construct. According to Wikipedia:

"Pente is a strategy board game for two or more players, created in 1977 by Gary Gabrel, a dishwasher at Hideaway Pizza, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Customers played Pente at Hideaway Pizza on checkerboard tablecloths while waiting for their orders to arrive."

The game board is just a grid. Flattened marbles or stones are the playing pieces (although, you need different colored pieces for each player, so some painting of rocks would be required).


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## Tacitus (Dec 30, 2012)

Reversi (marketed as Othello in the US) is also an easy game to make. Like Pente, it is played on a grid. Flat pieces with two different colors, one color on each side of each piece. You flip (reverse) pieces on the board to your color by placing a piece of your color on the board.

Modern version:









19th Century version:









If you know the rules to these games, you can play them.

Backgammon and checkers are also two games easy to construct.

Of course, making sure you have some cards and a copy of Hoyle's rulebook would be great as well.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

.
OK - here's the million dollar question:

What types of crafts/goods can I put the children to work at doing, that will make a product or serve a practical purpose...

...and still have them *THINK* they are playing a game? 

I have stuff for making homemade candles, the girls all like to crochet... I know those really fall into "crafts" category....
I'm just trying to think of stuff I can get them to do so they won't be bored - and still get "something" out of it when it's all said and done.


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Tacitus said:


> Mancala can be easily made if you don't have any games. It is a "sowing" game played with "seeds" and "holes." All you need are some rocks and some holes in the ground. Of course, at most stores with games, you can buy one of the modern versions, with a wood tray with indentations for storing marbles or nicer stones or "seeds"


The whole mancala "family" of games has really been overlooked, Naekid mentioned one earlier. The fact that there are so many variants is pretty interesting. Luckily, for people like me who don't enjoy abstract games as much as they used to, the mancala mechanic has been adopted by some "modern" board game designers. For instance, just last year Five Tribes came out and it was pretty good.











LincTex said:


> .
> OK - here's the million dollar question:
> 
> What types of crafts/goods can I put the children to work at doing, that will make a product or serve a practical purpose...
> ...


Good question, the work ethics of kids (including me when I think back to those days) are puzzling. Sometimes it can be fun and they get ridiculous amounts done with their boundless energy, other times they can not be having fun but still be determined to finish a job, other times you practically have to take a cattle prod to their backside to carry the trash 10ft

Been playing a lot of games this winter, unfortunately some in the hospital and with people who are laid up but they are great at getting people's minds out of a rut. FINALLY got our copy of *Dead of Winter*, the initial print run was sold out in a blink and we wanted it before it was even released.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

cowboyhermit said:


> Good question, the work ethics of kids (including me when I think back to those days) are puzzling. Sometimes it can be fun and they get ridiculous amounts done with their boundless energy, other times they can not be having fun but still be determined to finish a job, other times you practically have to take a cattle prod to their backside to carry the trash 10ft


Entirely too true!!


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

LincTex said:


> .
> OK - here's the million dollar question:
> 
> What types of crafts/goods can I put the children to work at doing, that will make a product or serve a practical purpose...
> ...


Like everything in life it is best to start them young & brain wash them.
My Father got me to garden, kill & clean animals, both tame & wild.
I still garden today, it hard to believe people raised their children to wait on a Gov'ment check & that their grandchildren are raised the same way.
My Dad aways said the the sooner you get the job done, the sooner you can go play/eat/bathed/sleep.
What ever it was we wanted to do instead of working, we aways got it in the end.


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## readytogo (Apr 6, 2013)

Monopoly, dominos and a old Crossman dart pistol(not a table game but breaks the monotony)


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## behindprepper918 (Nov 3, 2014)

"OK - here's the million dollar question:

What types of crafts/goods can I put the children to work at doing, that will make a product or serve a practical purpose...

...and still have them *THINK* they are playing a game? "

This is one I am wanting to get. Good for kids and adults alike.

Wildcraft! teaches about plants and their edible and medicinal uses. Play the game with the kids and then have them go out and see what plant they can find.

http://learningherbs.com/wildcraft/

Text from Wildcraft: An Herbal Adventure Game - LearningHerbs
Read More at http://learningherbs.com/wildcraft/
Copyright © 2015 LearningHerbs.


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## behindprepper918 (Nov 3, 2014)

These are games from my childhood I wish I still had. Will have to look at garage sales to see if i can find them again.


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## mojo4 (Feb 19, 2012)

Poker!! Lots of poker! A good skill to master and a good way to get some extra money when they get older. I bought some clay poker chips (the same quality as used in casinos) and the expensive plastic playing cards. Well it was like 20 bucks for 2 packs so not crazy expensive but way more than the paper cards. Plus with a deck of cards there are lots of other games to play. The only problem with board games is trying not to lose all the pieces. I actually leave a decent k of cards in all my cards cause its small and can soak up lots of time if you get stuck somewhere.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

I have: THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF GAMES- ByBarb Whiter
Rules & Strategies for over 250 games.
41 in door games, 24 written games, 17 word or spoken games, 84 Card Games-broken down into 5 groups. 
49 Broad games, most of which anyone with wood tools could made in an afternoon.
11 Domino games, tile game Mah Jong, 16 dice games.
The rest are Active & out door games from darts to marbles & Volleyball.


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