Customer Reviews

A Gamut of Games

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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!

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.

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!

I have been a big fan of Sid Sackson for a lot of years, collecting many of his games such as Acquire and Can't Stop. I was very disappointed to hear of his passing right after it happened, and was fortunate to obtain his personal copy of this book from his estate (which is stamped inside stating authenticity). Maybe it's just holding his personal copy of the book, but I can't help but be in awe at the originality of his work. Some of these games were later developed into full games, such as Focus.

Sid was known to combine the games in his collection, citing the "duplicate parts" often included with each game for no reason. As a result, he tended to use common, existing game pieces in the development of his new games. Most of the games in thisbook require minimal extra equipment to enjoy them. Some of the games require as little as a pencil and paper, and others may require a checkerboard or deck of cards.

If you are a fan of abstract strategy, like I am, you will not be let down with the purchase of this book. While not everyone can own Sid's personal copy, as I have been blessed to, even the paperback version is inexpensive enough to own and enjoy for years to come. Highly recommended.

This is a great book for those interested in 'creative time' with the kids while waiting for food to arrive at restaurants. Very well written.

An amazing, fascinating book about games before the "Avalon Hill" revolution-way before the video game revolution. This book shows what a small group of nerdy, brilliant pioneers can come up with, working in their dark little basements. Too bad these games are essentially "lost" in the Guitar hero cacphony. You didn;t jump aorund when you were conquering the world, but it did make you think and imagine and interact with your friends and family.

Board and card games are so ancient and spread around the world that one may think nothing really new will come up. If that's your opinion, this book will change your mind, offering dozens of NEW games to play with pencil & paper, pocker chips or standard playing cards.