A Gamut of Games [Paperback]

Sid Sackson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 17, 2011

"A genuine milestone." — Martin Gardner, Scientific American. An authority on game history selects 38 of his all-time favorite amusements, including 22 of his own remarkable creations. Solitaire, strategy, and party games can be played by children or adults with such common items as cards, checkerboards, dice, pencils, and paper. 152 illustrations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (March 17, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486273474
• ISBN-13: 978-0486273471
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #732,008 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding - lots of great new games for you to play, May 3, 1999

By 

Richard M Vickery (UNSW, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gamut of Games (Paperback)

This is a brilliant book by Sid Sackson. It compiles the rules for a variety of games, with the common feature that all can be played with the materials that you already have at home. Some games use cards, others use a chess or checkers set. There are a lot of paper and pencil games which are great to play while travelling.

The games are a mixture of "forgotten" games, new games invented by friends of Sid, as well as lots of games invented by the author. Many of these games have subsequently been published in a boxed format by major companies, but this book gives you a chance to try them out at no cost.

There are simple games, solitaire games, serious strategy games, party games for 20 or more people, and everything in-between.

My favourites in the collection include a 2 player card game of pure skill ("Mate"), a card game that resembles Canasta but which is rather more fun ("Paks"), a scrabble-like pencil and paper game ("CrossWords"), and a game called Focus that is 2 or 4 player strategy game that weakly resembles a cross between checkers and Shogi.

If you love games, then you should have this book. If you don't, then buying this book just might change your mind!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book with many original games, April 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Gamut of Games (Paperback)

First published in 1969, this book brings you 38 original games. Sid Sackson collected these games as member of the N.Y.G.A (New York Game Associates), allthough many are his own invention.

It is true that any Hoyle will give you instant access to many games, but all these games somehow have something special.

My own favorite is Haggle, a delightfull party game for birthday parties.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for all Game Players, August 26, 2003

By 

Edward Holzman (Seffner, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Gamut of Games (Hardcover)

Sid Sackson was probably the most prolific collector of board games in the United States (and probably the world). Sid loved games and he loved inventing games, too. With many published games to his credit (some of which made their first public appearance in this book), Sid Sackson (the designer of one of my favorite games of all time, "Acquire") is my personal game guru and I have made a point of acquiring any game or book with his name attached. This book is full of fun and very playable games discovered, re-discovered, and invented by Sid Sackson. Do your brain a favor and buy this book now!