ALT IDENTIFIERS FOR BOARD GAMES WE’VE PLAYED

DO YOU EVEN HAVE ONE?

Clue is a murder mystery board game first released in the UK in 1949. It has served for many as an introduction to deductive reasoning. The 2023 standard edition of the game features the following characters: Solicitor Peacock, Chef White, Professor Plum, Colonel Mustard, Mayor Green, and Miss Scarlett. These have changed a little bit since I last played: same colors, some title changes. The characters still work their way through the same 9 rooms (kitchen, ballroom, conservatory, dining room, billiard room, library, lounge, hall, and study) with the same secret passages between the kitchen/study and conservatory/lounge. The candlestick, knife, lead pipe, revolver, rope, and wrench remain as the most likely weapons to be used in killings in Mr. Black’s mansion.

Wait, what’s that you say? Mr. Black? I only realized a few years ago (when researching the game for another project) that the murder victim in the game is in fact identified. In the game’s most recent version he is referred to as Boden “Boddy” Black Jr. I imagine you only learn this if you read ALL the rules of play.

Did you know of Mr. Black?

BUSINESS EXCLUSIVITY

Monopoly, the economics-themed board game, has an even longer history than Clue. The game is based on a 1903 game called The Landlord’s Game. I was never a big fan of Monopoly. It took forever to play, I never landed on free parking (which by the way, isn’t even a “real” part of the game) and regardless of a strategy of slumlord over at Marvin Gardens or a focus on high-end properties such as Park Place, I NEVER won.

I saw this cartoon recently, it about sums up how I feel about Monopoly.

One thing I think is somewhat universal about Monopoly is the strong preference individuals have for token selection. I favored the little dog or the top hat. What was your token of choice?

VOUCHER ENSURING TRANSPORT

Ticket to Ride is a relative newcomer to the board game arena with the first version of the game being released in 2004. It was successful rather quickly and according to acrosstheboardcafe.com it has now sold at least 8 million copies. In the game, players act as railroad developers with the first version set in North America. The game, like the other board games in this grouping has had subsequent releases with new themes and settings. The game is suitable for a wide age range and is particularly helpful in introducing kids to strategic thinking as players assess advantages and disadvantages of play options such as building routes or blocking opponents.

CHASE THINGS OF LITTLE IMPORT

Trivial Pursuit is the granddaddy of all trivia board games and one might argue the forerunner of countless pub/tavern trivia nights. The game was first released in 1981. It was, as they say, an instant hit. Either that year or the following year, it was THE Christmas gift. Everyone got or gave a copy of the game that year. Well, not everyone, but you know what I mean.

The object of the game is obviously to shame others with your own superior useless knowledge. This is done by answering questions based on the color of the landing space and the color-coded trivia categories. The original game had 6 categories; Geography, Entertainment, History, Art and Literature, Science and Nature, and Sports and Leisure.

There is a rule in the game that attempts to counter the scenario of a player or team running the board. The game is NOT won by ONLY correctly answering questions from each category, but rather this must happen and then the player or team must get their token to the center of the board at which point, another, possible final question, is asked by the opposition. The category from which the question is asked is chosen by the opposition.

I found a few interesting things about the development of the game. There were a few court cases contesting who may have actually come up with the original game idea and the origin of some of the original trivia questions.

First, game idea: a hitchhiker in Canada claimed he got a ride from one of the two guys that developed the game. He claimed that during their time in the car together he revealed his plan for trivia game and that the idea was stolen from him. Long story short; the hitchhiker lost in court. He told a good story but didn’t have the evidence to back it up. Second, the trivia questions: a man in Texas claimed that some portion of the original questions were plagiarized from a trivia book he had authored and published. He apparently was concerned about the possibility of plagiarism so he intentionally included misinformation in his book. He figured if anyone included the false information in other trivia products he’d have his proof. Interestingly, he too, lost in court. The game developers argued that while they did use this man’s book as a resource, that it was one among many and they further argued that facts can’t be copyrighted. Now, I don’t want any of these posts to be overtly political but…this case rolled out in the 1980s or 1990s and I’m left wondering if this went to trial post-2016 if the court would have had to separate the ruling between copyright allowances for factual facts and alternative facts.

Oh, one last thing. One of the false information questions/answers involved the 1970s TV show Columbo. The question asked the first name of the character Columbo. The book gave the answer as “Phillip.” This apparently is not true. Does anyone know? I have not looked it up, I’m curious to find out if anyone knows.

If you are of a younger generation and have never heard of or seen an episode of Columbo, it was a detective series set in LA. Columbo was a rumpled, older detective. He always had a cigar, always wore a trench coat and was a bit of a curmudgeon. He was also fastidious and thorough and incredibly observant to the point of annoying every suspect (usually a rich Hollywood executive or the like) he ever interviewed. And, of course, he always solved the case.