The Canadian Press has something to say about this year’s Euro games, and it goes beyond Settlers of Catan and Carcassonne (their words, not mine).

Suggestions include:

• Zooloretto
• Jungle Speed
• Say Anything
• Ticket to Ride: Nordic Countries
• Incan Gold
• Pandemic
• Battlestar Galactica

The article’s author isn’t listed. Anyone?

(source)

• 0 Comments

I wouldn’t have thought so, but there is a World Bunco Association. It was founded in 1996 and is dedicated to the organization, preservation, promotion and the expansion of Bunco group activity.

The 2009 World Bunco Championships with be held in March in Las Vegas. Grand prize is $25,000.

And, oh yeah: they claim trademark over the word Bunco.

• 0 Comments

A half a year after his Dominoes exhibition in Montserrat, HRH Prince Charles is gaming again, this time with dice.

While opening Malmesbury’s Athelstan House and Primary Care Centre, His Royal Highness stopped to play Beetle Drive with 90 year old Betty Chaplin. He rolled for her and got a five.

Beetle Drive is one of those curious British dice games, for those unfamiliar with it. It’s sold as Cootie in the U.S.

• 0 Comments

The Guardian has a nice article on the history of playing cards. It includes some fun, esoteric historical facts.

• The evils of cards and gambling were noted already in England in 1462.
• Post-revolutionary France banned royalty on the playing cards for twelve years, until Napolean came along and told them to stop being silly.
• In 1935, card makers tried to introduce a fifth suit – the eagles – but it was a dismal failure.

(source)

• 0 Comments

Chess fever has struck Helix High in La Mesa, CA.

Every day, as many as 100 students get their game on, including some you wouldn’t think, such as  skateboarders and wrestlers.

Even members of Helix’s playoff-bound football team have gotten into the act.

“As a football coach, you often hear a good deal of pre-practice trash-talking amongst the players,” said assistant coach Jason Texler. “The other day before practice, I heard something that shook me down to my core – a group of players were roasting each other on how they schooled one another at chess. The project is working big-time.”

(source)

• 0 Comments

You’re not tired of the election yet, right?

Here are three decks of playing cards from Bicycle, one each for Democrats, Republicans, and Independents in the 2008 election: 3 Decks Bicycle 2008 Election Edition Playing Cards

Or get a 90 card series of Topps Barack Obama trading cards, with inspiring quotes and facts.

(source)

• 0 Comments

Sutter’s Mill is an upcoming release from Mayfair Games.

Players race to build up a town and rip as much gold as they can from the mountainside. Then, when they believe the gold is about to be exhausted, they race to rip up the town and get out as soon as possible. Each player decides when to split town, so some will be building while others are tearing up.

2-4 players, 60 minutes.

• 0 Comments

Like the British Museum, Oxford University maintains a large collection of historical board games and educational blanks. You can access these online at the Oxford Digital Library’s John Johnson and Hardy collection.

They are from the 18th and 19th centuries.

• 0 Comments