Dispatcher:  The Board Game

Just as exciting as it sounds!

More info here.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 30, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Boredom, Games, Trains and Other Vehicles on Rails, 1950s

The Gourmet Game

Here's a predecessor for all those competitive cooking shows and restaurant makeover shows.

Each player has his own board, which is in the form of a menu. Dishes include classic haute cuisine and are name in English and French (you'll soon learn the French words and their correct pronunciation). Six cards are dealt to each player, and as a player takes new cards from the deck or does discarded by his opponents he gradually puts together a gourmet meal. To win, however, he must order the right dishes and beverages, and must prevent other players from ordering.

Learn more here.

Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 20, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Food, Games, Stereotypes and Cliches, 1970s

Panko:  The Suffragette Card Game

See more cards and history here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 24, 2022 - Comments ()
Category: Games, Politics, 1910s, Women

Blow Football

Or as we call it today, "Spread the Covid."

This game went through several editions since its 1910 origin. See pictures at Board Game Geek.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Apr 13, 2022 - Comments (1)
Category: Games, Sports, Viruses, Germs and Other Sources of Infection

Two Richard Nixon Chess Sets

In 1971, when Nixon was still flying high, he got the honor of his own adulatory chess set.

In 1973, he got one devoted to Watergate.

Posted By: Paul - Wed Feb 16, 2022 - Comments (2)
Category: Games, Politics, Disgrace, Shame, Infamy and Downfalls, 1970s

Uranium Rush Board Game

More pics and info at Board Game Geek.

Posted By: Paul - Tue Dec 07, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Games, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1950s

Atomic Chess

Atomic Chess is a variant of chess that was invented by Nasouhi Bey Tahir, the Transjordanian Deputy Minister of Agriculture, in 1949. Most of its rules were the same as the traditional game except that it was played on a larger board (of 144 squares) and when a pawn was promoted it would become an 'atomic bomb'. When used it would annihilate all pieces (of both players) within a radius of six squares from the object of attack.

The game also involved two other pieces, a tank and airplane, but I'm not sure how these were used.

Sydney Morning Herald - May 1, 1949

Chess.com describes a different version of Atomic Chess, that it says was introduced in 2000. This newer variant is played on a standard board, with the twist that "whenever a piece is captured, an 'explosion' reaching all the squares immediately surrounding the captured piece occurs. This explosion kills all of the pieces in its range except for pawns." Therefore, every capture, except by a pawn, is suicidal.

Posted By: Alex - Fri Oct 22, 2021 - Comments (3)
Category: Games, Atomic Power and Other Nuclear Matters, 1940s

John Cameron Swayze Board Game

A board game with built-in obsolescence. Not the brightest notion.

The entry at Board Game Geek.

Swayze is a Quiz game based on today's news. The players take turns acting as the Quizmaster who thinks of a news item from recent headlines, using a special map of the world. The other players are panel members who try and identify the news event by asking questions. John Cameron Swayze lends his name to the game. Yes the same John Cameron Swayzee of TIMEX watch commercials fame. Back when this game was around Swayze was doing the evening news and was a pretty famous and well recognized newsman and TV celebrity.

A book comes with the game that has current events listed for different areas of the world just in case the Quizmaster cant think of any for a particular area of the world. Some examples of what's in the book; Mount Everest conquered by Hillary May 1953, Ben Hogan wins British Open July 1953, US Forces enter Korea south of 38th Parallel Jul 1950, Mohandas Gandhi assassinated Jan 1948.

Posted By: Paul - Thu Sep 30, 2021 - Comments (2)
Category: Games, Television, Current Events, Headlines and Topicality, 1950s

Grade Up To Elite Cow

BoardGameGeek.com describes this boardgame (which came out in 1986) as a "game of skill and chance for Dairy Farmers' made by Waddingtons of behalf of 'The British Friesian Cattle Society of Great Britain and Ireland.'"

YouTuber David Ball offers more details, describing it as a "rare cow-insemination boardgame," noting that the aim of the game is to "to collect semen, then inseminate your friesian cows & breed an 'Elite Status' herd."

It reminds me of the game Antler Island, which is about stags mating with does. The existence of these two games, taken together, means there's a genre of boardgames about animal breeding.

source: University of Reading

Posted By: Alex - Wed Aug 25, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: Games, Cows

Chamborama

Nothing like indoctrinating kids at play to prefer your product.

The cartoon Mom is plainly soused.

Source, with more pics.

This “Jeu de Familles” from the 1960s promotes Chambord glassware. The object of the game is to complete family sets of the same item (wine glasses, small dishes, larger dishes, sugar bowls, etc) by asking opponents for a particular card, for example: “avez-vous l'assiette à desert de Grand-Père?"

Posted By: Paul - Wed Aug 18, 2021 - Comments (1)
Category: Games, 1960s, Europe