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Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What America's first board game can teach us about the aspirations of a young nation
In 2023 alone, the board game industry topped US$16.8 billion and is projected to reach $40.1 billion by 2032. Classics like 'Scrabble' are being refreshed and transformed, while newer inventions such as 'Pandemic' and 'Wingspan' have garnered millions of devotees. This growing cardboard empire was on my mind when I visited the American Antiquarian Society in August 2023 to research its collection of early games. As I sat in that archive, which houses such treasures as the 1640 Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in British America, I beheld another first in American printing: a board game called 'The Travellers' Tour Through the United States.' This forgotten game, printed the year after Missouri became a state, has a lot to say about America's nascent board game industry, as well as how a young country saw itself. Produced by the New York cartography firm of F. & R. Lockwood, 'The Travellers' Tour Through the United States' was an imitation of earlier European geography games, a genre of educational game. Geography games generally used a map for a board, and the rules involved players reciting geographic facts as they race toward the finish. 'The Travellers' Tour' first appeared in 1822, making it the earliest known board game printed in the U.S. But for almost a century another game held that honor. In 1894, the game manufacturer Parker Brothers acquired the rights to 'The Mansion of Happiness,' an English game first produced in the U.S. in 1843. In its promotional materials, the company declared it 'The first board game ever published in America.' That distinction ended in 1991 when a game collector found the copy of 'The Travellers' Tour' in the archives of the American Antiquarian Society. By 1822 the American market for board games was already becoming established, and middle- and upper-class parents would buy games for their families to enjoy around the parlor table. At that time, New Year's – not Christmas – was the holiday for gift giving. Many booksellers, who earned money from the sale of books, playing cards and other paper goods throughout the year, would sell special wares to give as presents. These items included holiday-themed books, puzzles – then called 'dissected maps' – and paper dolls, as well as games imported from England such as 'The New Game of Human Life' and 'The Royal And Entertaining Game of Goose.' Since 'The Travellers' Tour' was the first board game to employ a map of the U.S., it might have been an especially interesting gift to American consumers. It's difficult, however, to gauge just how popular 'The Travellers' Tour' was in its time. No sales records are known to exist, and since so few copies remain, it likely wasn't a big seller. A global database of library holdings shows only five copies of 'The Travellers' Tour' in institutions around the U.S. And while a handful of additional copies are housed in museums and private archives, the game is certainly a rarity. Announcing itself as a 'pleasing and instructive pastime,' 'The Travellers' Tour' consists of a hand-colored map of the then-24 states and a numbered list of 139 towns and cities, ranging from New York City to New Madrid, Missouri. Beside each number is the name and description of the corresponding town. Using a variant spelling for the device, the instructions stipulate the game should be 'performed with a Tetotum.' Small top-like devices with numbers around their sides called teetotums functioned as alternatives to dice, which were associated with immoral games of chance. Once spun, the teetotum lands with a random side up, revealing a number. The player looks ahead that number of spaces on the map. If they can recite from memory the name of the town or city, they move their token, or traveler, to that space. Whoever gets to New Orleans first, wins. Though not necessary to play 'The Travellers' Tour,' the descriptions provided for each location tell historians a lot about America's national aspirations. These accounts coalesce into a flattering portrait of the nation's agricultural, commercial, historical and cultural character. Promoting the value of education, the game highlights institutions of learning. For example, Philadelphia's 'literary and benevolent institutions are numerous and respectable.' Providence boasts 'Brown University, a respectable literary institution.' And Boston's 'citizens … are enterprising and liberal in the support of religious and literary institutions.' As the game pieces meander toward New Orleans, players learn about Richmond's 'fertile backcountry' and about the 'polished manners and unaffected hospitality' of the citizens of Charleston. Savannah 'contains many splendid edifices' and Columbia's 'South Carolina College bids fair to be a valuable institution.' Absent from any corresponding descriptions, however, is any mention of what John C. Calhoun called America's 'peculiar institution' of slavery and its role in the fabric of the nation. And while four entries briefly reference American Indians, no mention is made of the ongoing dispossession and genocide of millions of Indigenous people. Though it promotes an American identity based on a sanitized version of the nation's economic might and intellectual rigor, 'The Travellers' Tour' nonetheless represents an important step toward what has become a burgeoning American board game industry. Two centuries later, board game culture has matured to the point that new titles such as 'Freedom: The Underground Railroad' and 'Votes for Women' push the genre to new heights, using the joy of play to teach the history of the era that spawned America's first board game. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Matthew Wynn Sivils, Iowa State University Read more: Gen Zers and millennials are still big fans of books – even if they don't call themselves 'readers' 'Baldur's Gate 3' became the surprise hit of 2023 by upending conventional wisdom about what gives video games broad appeal How the Ouija board got its sinister reputation Matthew Wynn Sivils does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Hindustan Times
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
After 10 years of searching, man finds rare board game in charity shop for ₹210
Josh Wright, a dedicated bargain hunter with a passion for retro board games, struck gold during a routine visit to a charity shop. After spending ten years scouring car boot sales and second-hand stores, he finally came across a game he had long been searching for, Escape From Atlantis, priced at just £2 (approximately ₹210). Sharing his find on TikTok, Josh expressed his excitement in real-time while browsing the board game section at the St Elizabeth Hospice Retail Centre. Holding up the box, he exclaimed, "No way. I've been looking for this game... £2. Escape From Atlantis — I have to pick that up." Clearly elated, he added, "What a find, it's from the 70s and it's coming home with me. I'm buzzing with that." After making his purchase, Josh revealed how close he had come to paying significantly more online. "I've literally been looking for this game for 10 years. Recently I was very tempted to buy it on eBay — it sells for around £50 to £60 ( ₹5,300 to ₹6,400) on there. But thankfully I stopped myself from buying it. Now at £2 in a charity shop I'm still shocked I found it." The game in question, Escape From Atlantis, was originally released by Parker Brothers in 1982 under the title Survive! Escape From Atlantis in the United States. It was later introduced to the UK market in 1986 by Waddington's. Contrary to Josh's belief that it was a 70s game, the version he found dates back to the mid-80s. Also read: 'She's my idol': Colonel Sofiya Qureshi's brother praises her powerful message on Operation Sindoor According to Board Game Geek, Escape From Atlantis challenges players to rescue their Atlantean Tribesmen as an island made of 37 hex-shaped tiles gradually sinks into the ocean. Players navigate toward safety by swimming, catching rides on dolphins, or using boats, all while avoiding deadly sea creatures like sharks, sea monsters, and octopuses. Josh isn't done yet. He told his followers that he's still hunting for two more games on his 'thrifting bucket list', The Lost Valley of Dinosaurs and Escape From Frankenstein. Social media users quickly chimed in with nostalgic memories and shared excitement. "I loved that game!" wrote one user. Another commented, "I had that game, loved it." A third added, "Major find in the Atlantis." While one person even said, "I have that Frankenstein game. Great game." A quick look at eBay listings confirms that Josh's excitement was justified, recent sales of Escape From Atlantis have reached nearly £70 ( ₹7,500), making his £2 score not just sentimental but a serious steal. Also read: Employee breaks down after mom calls every 30 minutes, lashes out at his boss: 'You can't keep doing this'
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Man visits charity shops for 10 years and finally finds item he was looking for
Josh Wright spent a decade looking in charity shops and at car boot sales for a particular item from the 1980s, and he's finally found it at branch of St Elizabeth Hospice Retail Centre A bargain hunter who spent a decade searching charity shops and car boot sales for one particular item has expressed his delight after finally chancing upon it. Josh Wright admitted he couldn't believe his luck after spotting it on sale at a much lower price than he expected. "I've just found it - £2 for this game," he began in a TikTok video, recorded at a branch of St Elizabeth Hospice Retail Centre. Heading to the boardgame and jigsaw section, Josh pulled out a Waddington's game before giving it the once over. "No way," he said in shock. "I've been looking for this game... £2. Escape From Atlantis - I have to pick that up." He continued: "What a find, it's from the 70s and it's coming home with me. I'm buzzing with that." After handing over his £2, Josh continued to express his excitement: "I've literally been looking for this game for 10 years. "Recently I was very tempted to buy it on eBay - it sells for around £50 to £60 on there. But thankfully I stopped myself from buying it. Now at £2 in a charity shop I'm still shocked I found it." Josh closed by telling his followers he's still on the look-out for two further boardgames on his "thrifting bucket list" - the Lost Valley Of Dinosaurs and Escape From Frankenstein. "I loved that game!" penned one TikTok user. A second concurred: "I had that game, loved it." A third person added: "Major find in the Atlantis." Whilst a fourth said of Josh's wish-list: "I have that Frankenstein game. Great game." Several copies of Escape From Atlantis feature in eBay's recently sold listings, two of which fetched just under £70. Contrary to Josh's dating, the boardgame in this 3D was first released by Waddington's in 1986. It followed an earlier release in the United States in 1982 by Parker Brothers, where it was titled, Survive! Escape From Atlantis. Gaming website Board Game Geek describes the game as: "An island made up of 37 hex-shaped plastic tiles is slowly sinking into the ocean (as the tiles are removed from the board). Each player controls 12 Atlantean Tribesmen that they try and move towards the safety of the surrounding islands before the main island sinks. "Players can either swim, latch onto a dolphin, or use boats to travel but must avoid sea monsters, octopuses, and sharks on their way to safety."
Chicago Tribune
20-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Review: ‘Clue' at the CIBC Theatre hasn't much of one
Clue, or Cluedo in the country of its birth, is one of the best board games of all time. Colonel Mustard, Mrs. Peacock and Professor Plum have been brandishing their candlesticks, lead piping and other lethal weapons since the late 1940s. That's when a British chap named Anthony Ernest Pratt rightly figured there would be demand for a whodunnit parlor distraction that took its cue from the popular, contemporaneous murder-mystery novels by the likes of Agatha Christie. Especially once Hasbro took over the game from Parker Brothers, Clue became a brand ripe for licensable extension. There's been a movie, a TV show, retro and spinoff games and even a live musical, which I remember seeing in Chicago in the mid-1990s. It's not a happy memory. The touring show currently at the CIBC Theater is a newish, non-musical live adaptation credited to Sandy Ruskin that dates back to 2017, and hews relatively closely to the screenplay for Jonathan Lynn's 1985 movie. Turning a board game with multiple possible outcomes (murderer, weapon, location) into a dramatic entertainment requires some work, of course, and frankly, I've seen far more structurally adventurous murder-mysteries: 'The Mystery of Edwin Drood' being one. 'Clue' is set in 1954 amid the rise of McCarthyism. It does not involve the audience in its decision trees, nor is it a particularly tense kind of suspenseful. In essence, you are buying a murder-mystery slapstick farce more akin to Tom Stoppard's 'The Real Inspector Hound,' or 'The Play That Goes Wrong,' although both of those titles are far smarter and funnier. Detective mysteries remain popular, whether Scandinavian noir or 'Only Murders in the Building.' I hold no animosity for the genre, which got me through the pandemic. I just don't think this particular show is especially exciting when it comes to detecting. 'Clue' was a way to brand the show, of course, but I'd rather see something more original. And truthful. And mysterious. You do get a bunch of skilled character actors enjoying themselves and camping it up in the period setting. There is a certain escapist sense of fun in the building. Some of the physical comedy, especially a falling chandelier, has its yuks. A few one-liners land. And John Shartzer, who plays Mr. Green, has some inspired shtick. The thing certainly clips along like everyone is worried about catching the last train home: it clocks in at just one hour and 20 minutes, which was more than enough for me. Chris Jones is a Tribune critic. cjones5@ When: Through March 2 Where: CIBC Theatre, 18 W. Monroe St. Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes
