The Big Game Hunter’s

Resource Guide to Selected English Language Books

on Games & Puzzles

Compiled by Bruce Whitehill

Though not very many works have been written exclusively on games or the game industry, a lot of books on toys, collectibles, sports, amusements and the like contain interesting or valuable information about games and puzzles and their history. Most of these books devote only a few pages to games collected or played around the world, but some of the books listed here deal exclusively with a myriad of board and card games, while others offer an in-depth look at one particular game.  The annotated listing provides some information about content and/or includes titles of some of the games discussed or photographed in these books.

This list will continue to grow as more books are discovered and more are written.

If you know of a book that should be on this list (especially if it’s one that you have written!), please let us know.

The listings are separated into four categories:

1. “Table Games”: Board Games, Card Games, and Skill & Action Games

2. Parlor Games & Party Games, Word Games and Pencil-and-Paper Games  - Click to go directly to books on parlor games.

3. Jigsaw Puzzles – Click to go directly to books on jigsaw puzzles.

4. Mechanical Puzzles – Click to go directly to books on mechanical puzzles.

 

“Table Games”

Board Games, Card Games, Skill & Action Games

Abt, Clark C. Serious Games. New York, NY: The Viking Press, 1970.
Discusses the social psychology of games and game play.

Ainslie, Tom. Ainslie’s Complete Hoyle. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1975.
Provides instructions on the play of any popular American game that uses cards, counters, or dice. Includes PARCHEESI, YAHTZEE, ANAGRAMS, SCRABBLE, RPM, RSVP, MONOPOLY, MANCALA, CLUE, HALMA, BATTLESHIP, and BRIDGE as well as chess, checkers, and backgammon.

Anspach, Ralph. The Billion Dollar Monopoly Swindle. Palo Alto, CA: American Printing, 1998.
Traces the history of MONOPOLY to its roots as a folk game and discusses the legal battles Anspach faced with Parker Bros. over his invention of ANTI-MONOPOLY.

 

Armanio, Dominic C. Popular Domino Games. New York, NY: David McKay Company, Inc., 1961.
Discusses rules, scoring, and techniques for most popular DOMINO games.

Arnold, Arnold. The World Book of Children’s Games. New York, NY: World Publishing, 1972.
Provides instructions for 369 children’s games, including PACHESI, NINE-MEN MORRIS, and TIC-TAC-TOE.

Arnold, Peter. The Book of Games. New York, NY: Exeter Books, 1985.
Contains brief histories of many games, mostly ancient and classic ones, with drawings and rules of play; games include GO, HALMA, HEX, MAH-JONGG, MANCALA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, REVERSI, and SHUT THE BOX.

Astrop, John. Ghastly Games. New York, NY: Delacorte Press, 1983.
Pages serve as game boards for games developed by the author.

—. The Jumbo Book of Board Games. New York, NY: Elsevier/Nelson Books, 1979.
Contains large colorful game boards, cardboard markers, and rules for 14 games including LUDO and NINE MEN’S MORRIS, but there are no histories and the game boards are not identified.

—. The Pocket Book of Board Games. Kestrel Books.
Includes boards and instructions for 14 games for two people to play. Includes HNEFATAFL, TOURNE CASE, SCRUMPING, and MU TORERE.

Avedon, Elliott, and Sutton-Smith, Brian. The Study of Games. New York, NY: John Wiley and Sons, 1971.
Encyclopedic reference examines the structure and function of games from various perspectives, including sociology, anthropology, archeology, psychology, psychiatry, military science, history, business administration, and mathematics; contains extensive bibliography.

Babcock, J.P. Babcock’s Rules for Mah-Jongg. San Francisco, CA: Mah-Jongg Sales Company of America, 1923.
Explains the tiles, rules, scoring, and strategy for  MAH-JONGG.

 

Bancroft, Jessie H. Games. New York, NY: The Macmillan Company, 1944.
Discusses a variety of indoor and outdoor games. Includes DONKEY’S TAIL, MURDER, LONDON and NAUGHTS AND CROSSES(TIT-TAT-TOE).

—. Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium. New York, NY: The Macmillan Co., 1921.
Contains mostly activity games, party and parlor games, including Duck On a Rock, a “miscellaneous active game” that was probably the forerunner of Milton Bradley’s DUCK ON THE ROCK.

Banderly, Mark. WORDPLAY. New York, NY: A & W Publishers, 1979.
Contains a collection of quizzes and games for the word addict.

Barnes, James A. Table Action. Asheville, NC: Status-Pro Publications, 1978.
Spiral-bound book offers information on sports-simulation games, with some historical reference to the Avalon Hill Co. and Cadaco, and to APBA BASEBALL, ALL-STAR-BASEBALL, GETTYSBURG, MONOPOLY, and VERDICT.

Beasley, John. The Ins and Outs of Peg Solitaire. Oxford, Great Britain: Oxford University Press, 1992.
Examines the history of peg solitaire and shows how to play it simply and well.

 

Bell, R.C. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations 1. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 1969 (2nd ed.).
This revised reprint of Bell’s 1960 book is a classic, historical study of the origin of ancient games and their infusion into modern Western culture; the contents divides games according to method of game play (race games, war games, games of position, etc.) and includes a bibliographic source for each entry; covers all classic games including backgammon, checkers, chess, FOX AND GEESE, GO, GO-MOKU, GOOSE, LUDO, MA-JONG, MANCALA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, PATOLLI, and WARI.

—. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations 2. New York, NY: 1969.
This classic work supplements the previous volume (above), including additional games by game play classification in the same six chapters from the first book, and adding four new chapters: “Games with Numbers,” “Card Games Requiring Boards,” “Games Requiring Manual Dexterity,” and “Gaming-Counters.”

—. Board and Table Games from Many Civilizations. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1979.
Two-volume update of his previous works; compilation of Board and Table Games… 1 and 2 above.

–. The Boardgame Book. Los Angeles, CA: The Knapp Press, 1979.
Oversized, lavishly illustrated book contains photos of actual game boards, mostly ancient and classic games, such as GO, GOOSE, HALMA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, and SENAT, plus UP TO KLONDYKE (probably American, ±1898) and J. Pressman’s CHINESE CHECKERS; comes with four separate large sheets with eight full-size game board illustrations.

—. Discovering Dice and Dominoes. Aylesbury, Bucks, UK: Shire Publications, Ltd, 1980.
Contains description of games using two to ten or more dice, and also double-six, double-nine and double-twelve dominoes.

—. Discovering Old Board Games. Aylesbury, Bucks, England: Shire Publications Ltd., 1980.
Second edition of 1973 book covers origins and rules of mostly ancient and historic strategy games including FOX AND GEESE, GO, LUDO, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, REVERSI, SENAT, SHUT THE BOX, and games from specific countries.

—. Fun at the Lathe. East Sussex, England: Guild of Master craftsman Publications, 1997.
Discusses classic board games, with their history and instructions for making and playing them. Includes SQUAILS, NYOUT, CROWN AND ANCHOR, GYAN CHAUPER, (SNAKES AND LADDERS), MHN, HALA-TAFL (FOX AND GEESE), and ALQUERQUE.

Berndt, Fredrick. The Domino Book. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc., 1974.
Includes rules for 175 versions of DOMINOES.

_________. The Best Ever Game Book. London, England: Michael O’Mara Books, Ltd., 1997.
This book with cardboard pages contains playing boards and playing cards and pieces for over 100 games, including FOX AND GEESE, CROWN AND ANCHOR, THREE IN A ROW, BANKER, AND SOLITAIRE.

_________. The Big Family Games Book. London, England: Michael O’Mara Books, Ltd., 1995.
This book with cardboard pages includes game boards and playing pieces for SNAKES AND LADDERS, PARCHEESI, FOX AND GEESE, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, SOLITAIRE and checkers.

_________. Board Games of the 50′s, 60′s & 70′s. Gas City, IN: L-W Book Sales, 1994. [Out of print]
An illustrated price list of board games sold over three decades.

_________. The Book of Classic Board Games. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Press, 1990.
This 10″ x 10″ book on how to play historic games such as MANCALA and NINE MEN’S MORRIS (and other classic games slightly altered or renamed) was cited for its design and the quality of the original illustrations of its game boards, which lay flat so readers can play the games with the attached stone-style markers and dice.

Botermans, Jack, Burrett, Tony, van Delft, Pieter, and van Splunteren, Carla. The World of Games. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc., 1989, reprint of 1987 Plenary Publications International, Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Discusses ancient and modern board games, war games, dice, and dominoes. Includes MANCALA, GO, HALMA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, SENAT, TIC-TAC-TOE, and WARI.

_________. The Boy’s Treasury of Sports, Pastimes, and Recreations. New York, NY: Clark, Austin & Co., 1850.
Contains variety of amusements for boys, from games to sports to pets. Includes draughts, chess, DOMINOES, and BAGATELLE.

Brady, Maxine. The Monopoly Book. New York, NY: David McKay Company, Inc., 1974.
Contains the Darrow myth history of MONOPOLY and strategies for winning the game.

Braiman-Lipson, Judy, and Raub, Deborah Fineblum and editors of Consumer Reports Books. Toy Buying Guide. Mount Vernon, NY: Consumers Union, 1988.
Rates hundreds of toys and games for play value, educational value, and durability, based on survey responses from over 12,000 households.

Brandreth, Gyles. Favorite Indoor Games. Toronto, Canada: Coles Publishing Co. Ltd., 1978.
Reprint of one of the Hodder and Stoughton “Teach Yourself Books” includes rules of checkers, FOX AND GEESE, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, REVERSI, WARI, YACHT (YAHTZEE), and many others, including pencil-and-paper games, word games, and parlor games.

Braunlich, Tom. Pente Strategy. Stillwater, OK: Pente Games, Inc., 1980.
Explains the structure, tactics, and rules of PENTE.

Bristol, Olivia. Six Victorian and Edwardian Board Games. London, England: Michael O’Mara Books Ltd., 1995.
This book with cardboard pages includes game boards and playing pieces for THE PRINCE’S QUEST, A DAY AT THE ZOO WITH DADDY, CYCLING, THE WONDERS OF THE DEEP, A TRIP TO MARS, and THE TAILLESS DONKEY.

Brooks, William Allan. Fun For Boys. New York, NY: Knickerbocker Publishing Co.,1943.
Describes numerous activities for boys, including a section on “How to Build a Game Table”.

Bruce, Erika. The Great Cat Game Book. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1985.
Includes excellent color photo of box and board of THE AMUSING GAME OF KILKENNY CATS (Parker Bros., 1880) and  BLACK CAT FORTUNE TELLING CARDS(Parker Bros.,1897), all die-cut for removing from book and playing.

Bueschel, Richard M. Pinball 1. Wheatridge, CO: Holfin Publishing, 1988.
Traces the history of PINBALL from 1775 to 1931, from BAGATELLE to BAFFLEBALL.

Byrne, Chris. Toys: Celebrating 100 Years of the Power of Play. NY: Toy Industry Association, 2003. With an actual spinner on the cover, the book is broken down into decades, starts with the first American Toy Fair trade show in 1903, and mentions its first game in 1931: Alfred Butts’ LEXICO (which led to SCRABBLE). Other classic games include MONOPOLY, NOK-HOCKEY, COOTIE, CANDYLAND, and CLUE, MOUSETRAP, TWISTER, TRIVIAL PURSUIT and, finally, 1995′s GOOEY LOUIE, featuring Louie’s nose and the tag line, “Pull the gooeys out of Louie and win.”

Cadogan, Lady Adelaide. Lady Cadogan’s Illustrated Games of Solitaire. Philadelphia, PA: David McKay, 1914.
How to play solitaire (card) games.

 

_________. Cassell’s Book of Sports and Pastimes. London, England: Cassell & Company, Limited, 1892.
A compendium of outdoor and indoor amusements, prefaced as a “comprehensive guide to sports and pastimes” for boys. Includes AGON, FOX AND GEESE, GOOSE, LOTTO, NINE MEN’S MORRIS,BAGATELLE, and chess, draughts, and backgammon.

_________. Children’s Games. Chicago, IL: W. B. Conkey Co., 1903.
Mostly parlor games, but includes dominoes, NAUGHTS AND CROSSES, TIT TAT TOE, OLD MAID and SNIP SNAP SNORUM.

Clothier, Richard F. Play Money of American Children. Washington, MA: Richard F. Clothier, 1985.
Hard-to-read self-published book lists and pictures play money from toy money sets by Bradley, Parker, Transogram, and Whitman, and coins from games of BREAK THE BANK, and the WALTER JOHNSON BASEBALL GAME.

Cole, Ann Kilborn. How to Collect the “New Antiques.” New York, NY: David McKay Co., Inc.

Colmer, Michael. Pinball: An Illustrated History. New York, NY: New American Library, 1976.
A history of hand-held and free standing pinball machines with color photos.

_________. The Complete Book of Wargames. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1980.
Includes information on over 150 current wargames.

Conklin, Drue, (ed.) The Official Scrabble Players Handbook. New York, NY: Harmony Books, 1976.
Provides tips on strategy and tactics for playing SCRABBLE.

Costello, Matthew J. The Greatest Games of All Time. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1991.
Includes SENET, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, SEEGA, MANCALA, NIM, TABLUT and THE GAME OF THE GOOSE. Also includes THE MANSION OF HAPPINESS, THE CHECKERED GAME OF LIFE, and UP TO KLONDYKE. Also discusses chess and MONOPOLY.

Cotton, Charles. The Compleat Gamester. Cambridge, England: Cornmarket Reprints, 1972.
Two card decks, reproductions of Samuel Pepys 1678 “Popish Plot” and 1688 “Glorious Revolution,” plus small hardcover book of parlor and table games, including WHIST, CRIBBAGE, HAZZARD, BACK-GAMMON and variants, and GLEEK, all explained in hard-to-read Olde English.

Cuddon, J.A. The International Dictionary of Sports and Games. New York, NY: Schocken Books,1980.
A massive dictionary of indoor and outdoor games, this book contains the history and rules for board, table and card games, and contains a chronological listing of game development which reports evidence of NINE MEN’S MORRIS and MANCALA dating to 1400 B.C.

Culin, Stewart. Games of the North American Indians, Vol 1: Games of Chance. Lincoln and London, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1992.
This reprint of the 1907 edition includes AHL, the stick dice game, and CANE DICE, played on a stone board.

—. Games of the North American Indians, Vol 2: Games of Skill. Lincoln and London, Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, 1992.
This reprint of the 1907 edition includes KO-KO-NAG’N.

—. Games of the Orient. Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1960.
Includes chess, backgammon, DICE, and DOMINOES. Reprint of earlier edition.

—. Korean Games. Philadelphia, PA: University of Pennsylvania, 1895.
Includes mostly activity games, plus KON-TGIL (MERRELLS), KOL-HPAI  (DOMINOES), KONG-KEUI (JACKSTONES), NYOUT-NOL-KI (NYOUT), SSANG-RYOUK (BACKGAMMON), and KONO.

Danielsson, Robert. Chess For People Who Can’t Even Play Checkers. Malmo, Sweden: Mason/Charter, 1977.
Provides instruction originally developed in Sweden to enhance chess playing skills.

Darziskis, Kaz. Winning Monopoly. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1987.
Guide to property accumulation, cash-flow strategy, and negotiating techniques.

Davis, Greg, and Morgan, Bill. TV Memorabilia 1960s and 1970s. Paducah, KY: Collectors Books, 1996.
Catalog with color photos, descriptions and prices.

Dennis, Lee. Antique American Games, 1840-1940. Elkins Park, PA: Warman Publishing Co., Inc., 1986.
First of its kind price guide with over 600 photographs, 49 in color; prices are out of date, but the book will never be; contains brief historical and collecting information.

Depew, Arthur. The Cokesbury Game Book. New York, NY: Abigdon-Cokesbury Press, 1939.
Contains over 600 game and entertainment suggestions. Includes PEG SOLITAIRE, ANAGRAMS, and FOX AND GEESE.

—. The Cokesbury Party Book. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1959.
Contains 52 party plans and nearly 600 games and stunts, including HEART DICE, word games and relays.

de Voogt, Alexander J. Mancala Board Games. London, England: British Museum Press, 1997.
Discusses boards, rules, and moves of MANCALA. Contains a catalog of the British Museum’s collection of 105 boards.

—. New Approaches to Board Games Research. Leiden, The Netherlands: The International Institute for Asian Studies(IIAS), 1995.
Provides scholarly research on the origin, classification and strategy of board games. Discusses Tibetan dice, Mancala games, chess, backgammon, and computerized board games.

_________. Dexterity Games and Other Hand-held Puzzles. Gas City, IN: L-W Books Sales, 1995.
Color photos with descriptions and prices.

DiNoto, Andrea (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Collectibles. volume F-H. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1978.
The section on games, written by Lee Dennis, contains historical background and some of the best color photos to appear in print (some a full page), including Ives’ MANSION OF HAPPINESS and THE NATIONAL GAME OF THE AMERICAN EAGLE, McLoughlin’s DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY, GAME OF GOLF, HIDE AND SEEK, MAN IN THE MOON, RIVAL POLICEMEN, and TELEGRAPH BOY, Parker’s PING PONG, SIEGE OF HAVANA, TRAIN FOR BOSTON, and WAR OF NATIONS, Bradley’s AUTO RACE and FLIVVER GAME, and George Child’s GAME OF FOOTBALL (1895).

Disney, Dorothy, and Mackaye, Milton. Guggenheim. New York, NY: Albert and Charles Boni, 1927.
The game of categories.

Dugan, Robert. Highlights Best Board Games From Around the World. Columbus, OH: Highlights For Children, 1992.
Game boards are on oversize cardboard pages and game pieces can be punched out. Includes checkers, FOX AND GEESE, WARI, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, and GO.

Dwek, Joe. Backgammon For Profit. New York, NY: Scarborough, 1975.
Describes a list of problems and solutions to help the backgammon player improve skills.

Ellerton, David. SCRABBLE Word Guide & Play. Toronto, Canada: Forum House, 1982.
Provides word list and instructions for playing SCRABBLE.

 

Falkener, Edward. Games Ancient And Oriental And How To Play Them. New York, NY: Dover Publications, 1961.
First published by Longmans, Green and Company, 1892.
A classic in the field, this book describes the history and play of many famous games of the world.

__________. Family Fun & Games. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. (The Diagram Group), 1992.
Rules for over 650 games, from board games to card games to solitaire puzzles, are given in this large, well-illustrated hardback book, that is well-indexed and easy to read; games include backgammon, CHINESE CHECKERS, FOX AND GEESE, GAME OF GOOSE, GO, HALMA, LUDO, MAH-JONGG, MANCALA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, QUEEN’S GUARD, REVERSI, SALTA, SHOGI, SNAKES AND LADDERS, SQUAILS, TIDDLYWINKS, plus party games, word games, and skill and action games such as SHOVE HA’PENNY and SHOVELBOARD.

Fatsis, Stefan. Word Freak – Heartbreak, Triumph, Genius, and Obsession in the World of Competitive Scrabble Players. Penguin, 2002. The story of Scrabble and the stories of the people who compete in tournaments world wide.

Finkel, Irving. Ancient Board Games. London, England: Michael O’Mara Books, Ltd., 1996. Book of cardboard pages includes game boards and playing pieces for SENET, HOUNDS AND JACKALS, MEHEN, and THE ROYAL GAME OF UR.

—. Ancient Board Games in Perspective. London, England: British Museum Press, 2007.

—. Sedentary Games of India. Calcutta, India: The Asiatic Society, 1999.

Fleming, June. GAMES (and More!) for Backpackers. New York, NY: Perigee Books, 1979.
Includes SOLITAIRE, FOX AND GEESE, DARA, and NINE MEN’S MORRIS,  with instructions for making equipment and playing the games.

Fletcher, Helen Jill. Games Around The World. New York, NY: Paxton Slade Publishing Corp., 1955.
Includes BAGATELLE, BUNKUM, MUM, BILLIARDS and other traditional games.

Fraser, Phyllis, and Young, Edith. Puzzles, Quizzes and Games. New York, NY: Bantam Books, 1947.
Includes parlor games, paper and pencil games, and children’s games.

Frederick, Filis. Design and Sell Toys, Games, and Crafts. Radnor, PA: Chilton Book Company, 1977.
Provides inside tips for designing games and marketing them. Includes historical articles on BLOCKHEAD, COOTIE, MANCALA, Milton Bradley, Charles Darrow, MONOPOLY, Alexander Randolph, Herb Schaper, SCRABBLE, and TWIXT.

Freeman, Dr. Larry. Yesterday’s Games. Watkins Glen, NY: Century House, 1970.
Focuses on 19th century games that are still played by today’s children. Includes PARCHEESI, FOX AND GEESE, BAGATELLE, MORRICE, SOLITAIRE, chess, checkers, and backgammon. Includes copy of pages from game section of 1899 John Wanamaker Christmas Catalogue.

Freeman, Jon, and the editors of Consumer Guide. The Complete Book of Wargames. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1980.
Includes D-DAY, DIPLOMACY, TACTICS II, WATERLOO and many others, especially from Avalon Hill and TSR.

Freeman, Jon. The PLAYBOY Winner’s Guide to Board Games. Chicago, IL: Playboy Press, 1975.
Provides strategies for winning at over 100 board games, including ANAGRAMS, BATTLESHIP, CLUE, DIPLOMACY, EASY MONEY, GO, MONOPOLY, OTHELLO, PARCHEESI, SCRABBLE, STRATEGO, and TWIXT.

Frere, Thomas. Hoyle’s Games. Boston, MA: J. S. Locke & Co., 1876.
Traces the origin of playing cards. Includes rules and “maxims” for playing WHIST, CRIBBAGE, BRAG, and EUCHRE.

Frey, Richard. According to Hoyle. New York, NY: Fawcette Publications, 1956.
Includes instructions and strategy for over 200 games, including card, board, dice, parlor, word, and children’s games. Includes CRIBBAGE, backgammon, and FOX AND GEESE.

Frey, Skip. Complete Book of Dice Games. New York, NY: Hart Publishing Co., 1975.
A concise account of the equipment and rules for nearly 40 dice games, including YACHT, which became YAHTZEE.

Frey, Tom. TOY BOP, Kid Classics of the 50′s & 60′s. Murrysville, PA: Fuzzy Dice Productions Inc., 1994.
Contains large color photographs of popular games. Games include OLD MAID, CHOO CHOO CHARLIE, GRAY GHOST, HOPALONG CASSIDY, HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL, ANNIE OAKLEY, THE JETSON’S FUN PAD, MENTOR, LIE DETECTOR, DRAGNET, HAUNTED HOUSE, ADDAMS FAMILY, and ODD OGG.

_________. Fun and Games. Stanford, CT: Champion International Corporation, 1985.
Promotional booklets by paper company include B&W photos of BLACK CAT FORTUNE TELLING GAME, CUCKOO, DEPARTMENT STORE, RING SCALING, and WHO, with drawings and brief histories of classic games including ALQUERQUE, FOX AND GEESE, GO, KONANE, LUDO, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PATOLLI, and UP TO KLONDYKE.

_________. Games Around The World. Bridgeport, CT: WJ Fantasy Inc. for UNICEF, 1995.
Oversize soft back book of classic games for which pages serve as game boards and playing pieces can be punched out. Includes checkers, PACHESI, SNAKES AND LADDERS, THE HOUSE OF FORTUNE, and GOOSE.

Gardner, J.J. Jumanji. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc., 1995.
Storybook with color photos of the film. The theme of the film was a board game of the same name.

Gardner, Martin. Mathematical Carnival. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1975.
A collection of mathematical puzzles and games from the author’s column in Scientific American. Includes a chapter on two-player pencil and paper games, old and new.

Garis, Roger. My Father was Uncle Wiggily. New York, NY: McGraw Hill, 1966.
The story of Howard Garis, author of Uncle Wiggily’s Bedtime Stories, which were licensed to make the UNCLE WIGGILY classic game.

Gibbs, G.I. Dictionary of Gaming, Modeling, and Simulation. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications, 1978.
A dictionary of technical terms relative to the scientific aspects of gaming, including such words as probability, significant in gambling, to oligopoly, pertinent in financial acquisition games.

Gibson, Walter. Backgammon.
Explains the equipment, rules, strategy, and scoring for backgammon.

—. Family Games America Plays. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1970.
Includes instructions for over sixty popular American games. An excellent book by the man who created “The Shadow” for radio, offering strategies and standard and optional rules for many games, including AUTHORS, BATTLESHIP, FLINCH, FOX AND GEESE, GO TO THE HEAD OF THE CLASS, HALMA, JACKSTRAWS, MAH-JONGG, MONOPOLY, PARCHEESI, PIT, RACK-O, REVERSI, ROOK, SCRABBLE, STRATEGO, and TIDDLYWINKS.

Golombek, Hartry, (ed.) The Penguin Encyclopedia of CHESS. Suffolk, England: The Chaucer Press, 1981.
Includes the history, theory, and rules of chess.

Gomme, Alice B. The Traditional Games of England, Scotland and Ireland. New York, NY: Thames & Hudson, Inc., 1984.
Contains mostly children’s activity games, but includes detailed histories of FOX AND GEESE, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, and NOUGHTS AND CROSSES.

Goodfellow, Caroline. A Collector’s Guide to Games and Puzzles. London, England: The Apple Press, 1991. [Out of print]
Reviews children’s games since 1760. Includes FOX AND GEESE, HALMA, SORRY, LUDO, PACHISI, and SNAKES AND LADDERS.

Goodgold, Edwin, and Carlinsky, Dan. Trivia. New York, NY: Dell Publishing, 1966.
Includes a few hundred TRIVIA questions with answers.

Goren, Charles. Goren’s Hoyle Encyclopedia of Games. New York, NY: Chancellor Hall, Ltd., 1961.
Over 500 games are described and winning techniques analyzed. Games include chess, BINGO, backgammon and CONTRACT BRIDGE.

_________. Great Games. Philadelphia, PA: Running Press, 1994.
Describes over 200 games for all ages, including checkers, chess, backgammon, LUDO, SNAKES AND LADDERS, CHINESE CHECKERS, and SOLITAIRE.

Graeffe, Clare A., and Kearney, Paul W. 255 Party Games to Play. Pioneer Publications Inc., 1944.
Includes numerous parlor games, card games, including I DOUBT IT, and outdoor games, including DUCK ON THE ROCK.

Grunfeld, Frederic. Games of the World. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1975.
Excellent book covering history and rules of numerous games and instructions for making and playing them. Includes CAROMS, CHINESE CHECKERS, PACHISI, SENET, FOX & GEESE, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, SHOGI, SNAKES AND LADDERS, SHUT THE BOX, and WARI.

Gunther, Noel, and Hutton, Richard. Beyond Boardwalk and Park Place. New York, NY: Bantam Books, Inc., 1986.
How to play a different game of MONOPOLY using a different set of rules.

Hake, Ted. Hake’s Guide to TV Collectibles. Radnor, PA: Wallace-Homestead, 1990.
Includes TV games listed under their respective shows, plus chapter on “Game Show Games,” including BREAK THE BANK, NAME THAT TUNE, WHAT’S MY LINE? and nine others.

Hambrick, Judd. SCRABBLE Grams. New York, NY: Harmony Books, 1982.
Provides 150 word puzzles.

—. SCRABBLE Grams #2. New York, NY: Harmony Books, 1982.
Provides 150 word puzzles.

Hanson, Sue and Jon. All About Mancala: Its History and How to Play. Mahomet, Ill.: Happy Viking Crafts, 2003. (Click here to go to<A HREF=”#basic”>Wayne Saunder’s review</A>.)

Hapgood, George, Esq. Home Games. Philadelphia, PA: The Penn Publishing Company, 1911.
Explains over 200 games for children and adults. Includes TIT-TAT-TOE and BELL AND HAMMER.

Harbin, E.O. The Fun Encyclopedia. Nashville, TN: Abington Press, 1968.
A comprehensive entertainment planning book. Contains numerous party suggestions and games, including BATTLESHIP, CHINESE CHECKERS, and NINE MEN’S MORRIS.

 

Harr, L.L. How To Play PUNG CHOW. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers, 1923.
Discusses the tiles, rules, and strategy for playing the ancient Oriental game of PUNG CHOW.

Harris, Patricia, and Lyon, David. Art of the State of Massachusetts. New York, NY. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 1999.
The book, which looks at all forms of art from traditional media to art used in commerce and culture, has two pages, “From Old Maid to Monopoly, ” which give a brief mention of Massachusetts’ companies Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers. Color photos by Bruce Whitehill include the “In Jail” space from a Darrow MONOPOLY, FAVORITE ART, CLUE parts box, and DOCTOR QUACK.

Hasegawa, Goro. How to Win at Othello. New York, NY: Jove Publications, 1977.
Explains how to play OTHELLO, with basic rules and strategic tips.

Held, Lawrence. Held’s Guide to the Game of Checkers. Philadelphia, PA: David McKay Company, 1933.
Discusses strategy for playing and winning chess.

Heller, Robert. How to Win at Trivial Pursuit  and Other Knowledge Games. New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1984.
Provides strategy tips and trivia information.

Hertz, Louis H. The Handbook of Old American Toys. Wethersfield, CT: Mark Haber & Co.

Hewitt, Karen, and Roomet, Louise. Educational Toys in America: 1800 to the Present. Burlington, VT: University of Vermont, 1979.
A catalog associated with an exhibit funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Includes illustrations of THE MANSION OF HAPPINESS, THE CHECKERED GAME OF LIFE, POPE AND PAGAN,PIRATE AND TRAVELLER, CHIROMAGICA, and DR. BUSBY.

Hindman, Darwin A. Complete Book of Games and Stunts. New York, NY: Bonanza Books, 1956 (originally Prentice Hall’s Handbook of Indoor Games and Stunts , 1955, and Handbook of Active Games, 1951).
Includes many pencil-and-paper games, such as BATTLESHIP and TICK-TACK-TOE, and explains card games such as AUTHORS and CONCENTRATION, the forerunner of the game played on television which led to a Milton Bradley boxed version.

— Nine Men’s Morris. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc, 1978.
Includes list of twenty nine games, including OH HELL, GO FISH, OLD MAID, WILD EIGHTS, I DOUBT IT, TICK-TACK-TOE, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, BATTLESHIP, COOTIE, YACHT, and HEART’S DICE. Originally published under the titles of The Complete book of Games and Stunts, Handbook of Indoor Games, and Stunts and Handbook of Active Games.

_________. Home Games and How to Play Them. Cincinnati, OH: The Fireside Game Co., 1899.
Book on party and parlor games includes photos of children playing some of the games, plus descriptions and photos of fourteen Fireside games and price list of 21 items.

_________. How to Amuse an Evening Party. New York, NY: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1869.
A chapter on “board and slate games” includes AGON, OR THE QUEEN’S GUARDS, FOX AND GEESE, GOOSE, LOTO, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, and TIT-TAT-TO.  A chapter on “table and toy games” includes bagatelle, shovel-board (now “shuffleboard”), knucklebones (jacks), and JACK STRAWS.

Hoyle, Edmund. Hoyle’s Games. Garden City, NY: Blue Ribbon Books, 1940.
Provides description of card and classic board games with a concise statement of essential rules and penalties. Includes backgammon, chess, checkers, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, DOMINOES, MAH JONG, and MORELLES.

_________. Hoyle’s Games. Philadelphia, PA: Henry F. Anners, 1845.
Covers mostly card games plus chess,”back-gammon”,”DOMINO”, and draughts; includes card game SNIP, SNAP, SNORE ‘EM–same as a McLoughlin Bros. ‘ title.

_________. Hoyle’s Games. Boston, MA: J. S. Locke & Co., 1876.
Book’s introduction has a detailed history of playing cards. See also The New Hoyle and The Standard Hoyle.

_________. Hoyle’s Games. Chicago, IL: Frederick j. Drake & Co., 1914.
Includes detailed history of playing cards and description of traditional games. Includes HAZARD, ROULETTE, DOMINOES, and BAGATELLE.

_________. Hoyle’s Rules of Games. New York, NY: New American Library, 1962 (Twentieth edition).
Revised and expanded from 1946 and subsequent editions, this volume includes rules for BATTLESHIPS (SALVO), LIAR DICE, SCRABBLE, and YACHT, and the parlor games of CHARADES, GUGGENHEIM, and WORD SQUARES.

Huizinga, Johan. Homo Ludens. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1971.
First published in 1939, this theoretical and philosophical text on game playing, and the relationship between play and human nature, is considered an academic classic in the field.

Hunt, Sarah E. Games and Sports the World Around. New York, NY: Ronald Press Co.

Hunt, Sarah, and Ethel Cain. Games the World Around. New York, NY: A.S. Barnes and Company, 1950.
Discusses psychological aspects of play and discusses children’s games from around the world.

Hunt, Stoker. Ouija: The Most Dangerous Game. 1985.
The story (and true history) of Ouija and the other “talking boards.”

_________. Instructive and Amusing. Salem, MA: Essex Institute of Historical Collections, April 1987.
Discusses various games within the context of child development. Includes STAR REPORTER, TOMMY TOWN’S VISIT TO THE COUNTRY and MONOPOLY.

Jackson, John. A Player’s Guide to Table Games. Harrisburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 1975. Reprinted by Playboy in 1979.
See “Freeman, Jon.”

Jacoby, Oswald and James. Jacoby on Card Games. New York, NY: Pharos Books, 1986.
Compendium of rules and strategies for more than 125 card games.

John, James and West, Judith. Show ‘em Up in Anagrams. Payson & Clarke, Ltd., 1929.
Includes instructions and suggestions for anagrams.

Kambayashi, Haruko. GO Game for Beginners. San Francisco, CA: Japan Publications Trading Company, 1964.
Explains the board and stones, the terms, and rules.

Kelly, Wayne. The Crokinole Book. Toronto, Canada: Stoddart Publishing Co., Ltd, 1988, 1994.
Traces the origins and history of CROKINOLE.

Ketchum, William C., Jr. Collecting Toys for Fun and Profit. Tucson, AZ: HPBooks, Inc., 1985.
Four-page chapter on games includes brief mention of the big four companies and photos of Pressman’s DONALD DUCK BOWLING GAME and ACTION BASEBALL, and an Ives, Blakelee & Co. TEN PINS.

Kilian, W.R.J. Juicy People. Maplewood, NJ: Hammond, Inc., 1977.
Provides all instructions needed to play the phrase game which involves naming famous people, although they may be obscurely famous, such as Edward Rutledge, the youngest signer of the Declaration of Independence.

King, Constance Eileen. The Encyclopedia of Toys. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1978.
One of the six chapters is on board and table games, mostly European, and includes historical information plus photos of Parker Brothers’ UNITED STATES AIR MAIL and MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Kingsland, Mrs. Burton. In and Outdoor Games. New York, NY: Sully and Kleintech, 1904.
This “party” book contains some parlor and pencil and paper games which have also been commercially produced, such as WORD MAKING AND WORD TAKING (ANAGRAMS) and THE DICTIONARY GAME.

Kohl, Marguerite, and Young, Frederica. Games for Grownups. New York, NY: A. A. Wyn, Inc., 1951.
Describes 162 parlor games, including MURDER and GUGGENHEIM.

Kraus, Richard. The Family Book of Games. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1960.
Describes over 300 games and activities. Includes POMMAWONGA, PAPAGO, and GOMOKU.

Kurtz, Bill. Slot Machines and Coin-Op Games. London, England: Quintet Publishing Limited, 1991.
A collector’s guide to one-armed bandits and amusement machines, with color photographs and historic sales flyers.

Lamb, Charles, Hair, Joseph, and McDaniel, Carl. Marketing. Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing, 1998.
Chapter on Marketing Environment discusses marketing techniques and quotes game designer Bruce Whitehill.

Lau, H.T. Chinese CHESS. Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle, 1985.
Provides instructions and strategy for playing CHINESE CHESS.

Leeming, Joseph. Games to Make and Play at Home. New York, NY: D. Appleton-Century Co., Inc., 1943.
This book of various indoor and outdoor games includes rules for AMERICAN BAGATELLE, THE DONKEY’S TAIL, FIVE-IN-A-ROW or GOBAN (GOBANG), FOX AND GEESE, HALMA, HANGMAN, THE GAME OF INDIA, JACKSTRAWS (PICK UP STICKS), LETTERS AND WORDS (ANAGRAMS), MILL, NINE MEN’S MORRIS (MERELLES), SALVO, TENPINS, and numerous toss games, indoor golf and croquet games, and classic card games.

Leggett, Trevor. SHOGI Japan’s Game of Strategy. Rutland, VT: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1974.
Includes thorough diagrams and instructions for SHOGI, the Japanese game of CHESS.

Levmore, Saul, and Cook, Elizabeth. Super Strategies for Puzzles and Games. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1981.
Includes strategies and techniques for winning at various games, including INDIAN POKER, BLACKJACK, JOTTO, and variations of TIC TAC TOE.

Levy, Richard C., and Ronald O. Weingartner. From Workshop to Toy Store. New York, NY: Fireside, 1992.
Paperback release of the book Inside Santa’s Workshop.

—. Inside Santa’s Workshop. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co., 1990.
This insider’s look at the relationship between the “external” game inventing community and the major game manufacturing companies profiles 75 leading inventors; the book was released in paperback in 1992 under the Fireside label as From Workshop to Toy Store.

—. The Toy and Game Inventor’s Handbook. Royersford, PA: Alpha, 2003.
“Everything you need to know to pitch, license and cash in on your ideas.”

Longest, David. Character Toys and Collectibles. Paducah, KY: Collector Books, 1984.
Contains large color illustrations and descriptions of character games. Includes BARNEY GOOGLE AND SPARK PLUG GAME, TOONERVILLE TROLLEY GAME, DONALD DUCK CARD GAME, LITTLE ORPHAN ANNIE GAME, SNOW WHITE GAME, and the CALLING SUPERMAN GAME.

Love, Brian. Great Board Games. New York, NY: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1979.
The best of the coffee table books for the American collector has histories, rules, cardboard playing markers, and large beautifully reproduced color illustrations of 43 games, 31 of which are American, including ACROSS THE CONTINENT, EDDIE CANTOR’S TELL IT TO THE JUDGE, BING CROSBY’S CALL ME LUCKY, DEPARTMENT STORE, HOPALONG CASSIDY, INNOCENCE ABROAD, THE LONE RANGER, LOUISA, MANSION OF HAPPINESS, MICKEY MOUSE LUDO, NELLY BLY, RADIO GAME FOR LITTLE FOLKS, A TRIP WITH PHOEBE SNOW, and HENDRIK VAN LOON’S WIDE WORLD GAME.

—. Play the Game. Los Angeles, CA: Reed Books, 1979.
Contains over 40 games developed from 1759 through the mid-20th Century, with boards on the oversize pages, and game pieces. Includes A JOURNEY THROUGH EUROPE, SNAKES AND LADDERS, SPYROL, STEEPLECHASE, PARCHEESI, HALMA, HARE & HOUNDS, and CROWN & ANCHOR.

Macfarlan, Allan and Paulette. Handbook of American Indian Games. Mineola, NY: Dover. Unabridged, corrected republication of Association Press 1958 book.
This specialized book contains primarily activity games.

_________. Made for New York: Antique Toys from The Lawrence Scripps Wilkinson Collection. New York, NY: New York Historical Society, 1986.
Exhibit catalog including a brief social commentary on games, a “select index of toy manufacturers,” and photographs of BRINGING UP FATHER, CHIROMAGICA, DISTRICT MESSENGER BOY, FLYING THE UNITED STATES AIR MAIL, FOXY GRANDPA, HOP SCOTCH TIDDLEDY WINKS, MAIL EXPRESS, and NEWPORT YACHT RACE.

Malloy, Alex. American Games, the Comprehensive Collector’s Guide. Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 199?.
The book features the extensive “Alex G. Malloy Game Collection.” After a brief introduction to games and game collecting, including grading and values, the book divides into Alex’s own choice of game classifications: Early Games, Golden Age of Games, Silver Age of Games, and Modern Age of Games. The latter category carries us into the ‘90s, and even touches on collectible card games–still a craze–including “Magic The Gathering.” Games are listed by company in these various sections, and there is an index of games by category (but not by title).

Marnum, Andrew, and Parise, Frank. Follies and Foibles. New York, NY: Facts on File, Inc., 1984.
Information on U. S. fads and events, including the OUIJA and MAH-JONGG crazes.

Marran, Ray. Table Games. New York, NY: A. S. Barnes and Company, 1939.
Explains how to make and play table games at home.

Marshall, Frank J. CHESS In An Hour. New York, NY: Sentinel Books, 1955.
Includes set-up, rules, and strategy for winning chess.

Matthews, Jack. Toys Go To War. Missoula, MT: Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., Inc., 1994. [Out of print]
World War II military toys, games, puzzles, and books are explored in this well-written, well-illustrated resource.

Mayne, Lynne. Fabric Games. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1978.
Fifteen decorative games to make and to play.

McClinton, Katharine Morrison. Antiques of American Childhood. New York, NY: Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., 1970.
A classic work, now out of print, containing detailed history of early game manufacturing in the U. S., lists of pre-1900 Milton Bradley and Parker Brothers’ games, and photos of Ives’ MANSION OF HAPPINESS, Bradley’s CHECKERED GAME OF LIFE, and Parker’s BANKING, CHIVALRY, CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR, INNOCENCE ABROAD, THE RACE FOR THE CUP, and WATERLOO.

McConville, Robert. The History of Boardgames. Palo Alto, CA: Creative Publications, Inc., 1974.
This strategy lovers’ book contains histories of classic strategy games, illustrations of most classic game boards, plus analysis of moves, captures, and strategies; no game title listing in table of contents or index; includes the usual classic world games such as NINE MEN’S MORRIS plus more modern games like ALQUERQUE, BRIDG-IT, HEX, KO-NO, MU-TORERE, NIM, and SEEGA.

McNeil, Andrew. Battlegame Book 1: The Wild West. London, England: Usborne Publishing Ltd., 1975.
New games to play.

Mebane, John. The Coming Collecting Boom. South Brunswick, NJ: A. S. Barnes and Co., 1968.
A chapter entitled “Our Forefathers’ Games” discusses the antecedents of some of today’s games, including HALMA, PROGRESSIVE ANGLING (an 1888 “FISHPOND” game), and CROKINOLE, with ad illustrations of MONETA, LOGOS, NEGOMI, and others.

Menke, Frank G. Encyclopedia of Sports. New York, NY: A. S. Barnes and Co., 1944.
Alphabetical listings include history and description of checkers, chess, DOMINOES, backgammon, ROQUE (CROQUET), playing cards, and table tennis.

Meyer, Jerome. The Big Fun Book. Garden City, NY: Garden City Publishing Co., Inc., 1943.
Book contains hundreds of puzzles, quizzes, and pencil-and-paper and parlor games, some of which were made into boxed party games.

Mihori, Fukumenski. Japanese Game of “GO”. Tokyo, Japan: Board of Tourist Industry, Japanese Government Railway, 1939.
Explains the game of GO and illustrates it’s use in Japanese culture.

_________. Milton Bradley & Co, Catalogue of Games, Toys, and Novelties. Reprint of 1883-84 catalog.
Includes THE CHECKERED GAME OF LIFE, SQUAILS, BAMBOOZLE and KAKEBA.

_________. Milton Bradley, A Successful Man. Springfield, MA: Milton Bradley Co., 1910.
The story of Milton Bradley, a 50th anniversary tribute.

Mitchell, Donald D. Kilolane. Hawaiian Games For Today. Honolulu, Hawaii: The Kamahameha Schools Press, 1975.
Includes KONANE, or Hawaiian checkers.

Morehead, Albert H., ed. and Geoffrey Mott-Smith. Hoyle’s Rules of Games. New York, NY: The New American Library, 1958.
Includes traditional games, pencil-and-paper games, and card games, as well as SCRABBLE.

—. Hoyle’s Rules of Games, Second Revised Edition. New York, NY: Signet/NAL Penguin Inc., 1983.
Only SCRABBLE is listed along with traditional games, pencil-and-paper games, and card games.

Morehead, Albert H., and Richard L. Frey and Geoffrey Mott-Smith. The New Complete Hoyle. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1964.
Includes descriptions of card, dice, and domino games. Also includes board games such as backgammon, chess, checkers, and SCRABBLE.

Morgan, Clay, (ed.) Fun en Route. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1934.
Contains a variety of activities to amuse travelers, including GUGGENHEIM, WHOOPIE, and ANAGRAM SENTENCES. Contains illustrations by Jerome Meyer.

Morris, Lester and Elizabeth. The Game of GO. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. F. Drake & Sons, Inc., 1951.
Explains the history, equipment, rules, and scoring for the game of GO.

Mulac, Margaret E. Fun and Games. New York, NY: Harper & Brothers, 1956.
Book of mostly parlor and party games includes rules for BUNCO, COOTIE, FOX AND GEESE, and GO.

Murray, Harold. A History of Board Games Other Than CHESS. New York, NY: University Press, 1952 (in England: Murray, H. J. R. ; Oxford, Great Britain).
Considered the classic work of its time, this scholarly book covers early games classified by style of play (games of alignment and configuration, war games, hunt games, race games, etc.) and includes a chapter on the origin and world distribution of board games and an index of over 700 game titles. Includes TIT TAK TOL, HALMA, ACEY-DEUCEY, CHUBA, and PATOLLI.

Nash, Bruce & Greg. The Star Trek Make-A-Game Book. New York, NY: Wanderer Books, 1979.
Contains punch out Star Trek board game.

Nelson, Pamela B. (ed.). Ethnic Images in Toys and Games. Philadelphia, PA: Balch Institute for Ethnic studies, April, 1990.
Catalog serves as introduction to exhibit which includes ethnic games, and features four articles; see the following under “Articles on Game History and Game Collecting”: “Toys as History: Ethnic Images and Cultural Change,” “From Hostility to Reverence: 100 Years of African-American Imagery in Games,” and “Headdresses, Drums, and Bows and Arrows: Indian Imagery in Children’s Toys.”

_________. The New Hoyle. Chicago, IL: Albert Whitman & Co., 1946.
In addition to rules for standard games, mostly card games, this edition devotes a number of pages to Parker Brother’s classic CAMELOT, based on Geo. S. Parker’s favorite game, CHIVALRY.

O’Brien, Richard. The Story of American Toys. New York, NY: Abbeville Press, 1990.
Contains large photo of Ives’ MANSION OF HAPPINESS and a smattering of information on some companies that made games as well as toys (such as Bliss, Milton Bradley, Parker Bros., W. S. Reed, and Wolverine). Includes THE CHECKERED GAME OF LIFE, and THE WHITE HORSE.

_________. The Official Rules of Card Games, Hoyle Up to Date. Cincinnati, OH: The United States Playing Card Company, 1929.
Provides official rules for hundreds of card games.

_________. The Official SCRABBLE Players Dictionary. New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1978.
Official dictionary for all SCRABBLE crossword game tournaments.

Opie, Iona and Robert, and Alderson, Brian. The Treasures of Childhood. New York, NY: Arcade Publishing, 1989.
Includes HIT-A-PIN BAGATELLE, THE COTTAGE OF CONTENT, A RACE THROUGH LONDON, THE GAME OF THE TWELFTH NIGHT, HALMA, as well as such card games as ANIMAL GRAB, THE LONDON POST, NOAH’S ARK, and LOADING THE DONKEY.

Orbanes, Philip. The Game Makers: The Story of Parker Brothers from Tiddledy Winks to Trivial Pursuit. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing Corp., 2004.
The complete history of Parker Brothers company.

—. Monopoly; The World’s Most Famous Game & How It Got That Way. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 2006.
The complete story of MONOPOLY, the game’s history, the competition, and the people and companies surrounding its controversial introduction and unparalleled success in the U.S. and world markets.

—. Monopoly Companion. Boston, MA: Bob Adams Inc., 1988.
A guide to the history, rules, and winning strategies of MONOPOLY.

Orleans, Jacob, and Edmund Jacobson. The Scrabble Word Guide  and The Scrabble Brand Games Word Guide. New York, NY: Grosset & Dunlap, 1953.
Includes alphabetized list of 30,000 words, plus several lists of unique words and four lists of high scoring words.

—. The SCRABBLE Brand Word Guide. New York, NY: Putnam Publishing Group, 1990.
Includes master list of over 30, 000 words, plus words with multiple vowels and those containing J, Q, X, and Z.

Ostrow, Albert A. Pastimes for Two.
Includes directions for chess, checkers, dice backgammon, and also FOX AND GEESE, ANAGRAMS, and NINE MEN’S MORRIS.

Palmer, Laura. The Big Book of Board Games.
Contains 14 classic games to color and play. Includes NINE MEN’S MORRIS, SNAKES AND LADDERS, PACHISI, CHINESE CHECKERS, ALQUERQUE, ALSATO, and SENET.

Palmer, Nicholas. The Comprehensive Guide to Board Wargaming. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, 1979 (reprinted from Hippocrene Books, © 1977).
Dedicated to the strategy of wargaming, with illustrations of particular games, including DIPLOMACY.

_________. Paper Toys of the World. Cumberland, MD: Hobby House Press Inc., 1986.
Shows pages from McLoughlin, Bradley, and Parker catalogs.

Parlett, David. Botticelli and Beyond. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1981.
A collection of over 100 traditional and new word games, including BOTTICELLI, KNOCK KNOCK, CHARADES, GUGGENHEIM, ANAGRAMS, and TWENTY QUESTIONS.

—. The Oxford History of Board Games. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 1999.
A monumental work covering the histories of hundreds of games around the world. Examines games by categories, including Race, Space, Linear Connection, Configuration, and Displacement.

—. The Penguin Book of Card Games. New York, NY: Crescent Books, 1979.
Provides explanations of over 300 card games played around the world.

Partridge, Eric (ed.). A Dictionary of Catch Phrases. New York, NY: Stein & Day, 1977.
Explains the origin of the term “Back to square one.”

Peek, Steven. Gameplan: The Game Inventor’s Handbook. White Hall, VA: Betterway Publications, 1987.
A primer for prospective inventors wanting to design a game and get it manufactured and into the marketplace.

_________. Peg Solitaire. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Press, 1996.
Provides instructions for 23 games of peg solitaire. Pegs and game boards are included.

Pennycook, Andrew. The Indoor Games Book. London, England: Faber and Faber, Ltd., 1973.
Comprehensive collection of over 600 games, classified as card games, dominoes, board games, pencil and paper games, and match games. Includes LIAR DICE, SHUT THE BOX, and YACHT (YAHTZEE), BATTLESHIPS, NOUGHTS AND CROSSES (TIC TAC TOE), and backgammon, chess, draughts (checkers), FOX AND GEESE, GOBANG, HALMA, HEX, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, REVERSI and others.

Petretti, Allan. Petretti’s Coca Cola Collectibles Price Guide. Hackensack, NJ: Publications, 1991.
Revision of 1989 hard cover book on Coke collectibles, including games such as BINGO, BO LYN’S FLIP FOOTBALL, HOUSEHOLD WORDS, SHANGHAI, CHINESE CHECKERS and a PARCHEESI variant, both with “Coca-Cola” insignias, plus Milton Bradley games marked “Compliments of the Coca-Cola Company,” such as BROADSIDES and WINKO BASEBALL.

Phillips, Hubert. Playtime. London, England: Penguin Books, 1947.
Contains numerous parlor and pencil and paper games, including ANAGRAMS.

_________. The Pocket Book of Board Games. Hammondsworth, Middlesex, England: Kestrel (Penguin Books Ltd.), 1980.
Includes fourteen games, three of which are identified as “an old French game” (TOURNE CASE),”a Viking game” (HNEFATAFL), and “a Maori game” (MU TORERE).

Polizzi, Rick, and Schaefer, Fred. Spin Again: Boardgames From the Fifties and Sixties. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books, 1991. [Out of print]
Nostalgia, coffee table book with 170 photos includes brief histories of companies to accompany the firm’s most notable game; chapters by theme include children’s games, space, sports, television, western, and games for girls/games for boys.

Pollard, Josephine. Plays and Games for Little Folks. New York, NY: McLoughlin Bros., ca. 1908.
Besides parlor games and puzzles, illustrated book includes classic pencil-and-paper games such as TIT-TAT-TOE and NINE MEN’S MORRIS, mention of the game of DEFINITIONS (made into many dictionary games during the 1980′s), and instructions for making a version of CHIROMAGICA.

Potter, Stephen. The Theory and Practice of Gamesmanship.
Discusses the art of winning games without cheating. Includes golf, chess, BRIDGE, and tennis.

Prados, John. Pentagon Games. New York, NY: Harper and Row, 1987.
Includes three games based on methods used by American military, THE LAST DAYS OF SAIGON, PENTAGON, and THE R&D GAME.

Pritchard, David. Brain Games. Middlesex, England: Penguin Books, 1982.
Includes MANCALA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, SHOGI,  XIANGQI and traditional board games.

—. The Encyclopedia of CHESS Variants. Surrey, England: Games & Puzzles Publications, 1994.
Compilation of games which are a variation of chess.

—. The Family Book of Games. England: Brockhampton Press,1994. [Out of print]
This well illustrated book documents representative games from around the world and games of outstanding merit, providing descriptions, rules, and strategies. Included are SEEGA, NYOUT, PACHISI, HNEFATAFL, MANCALA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, REVERSI, SHOGI, MAH JONG, FOX AND GEESE, SNAKES AND LADDERS, HALMA, and CROWN AND ANCHOR.

Pritchard, David (ed.). Modern Board Games. London, England: William Luscombe Publisher Ltd., 1975.
Extensive strategies and some histories of CLUEDO (CLUE), DIPLOMACY, MASTERMIND, MONOPOLY, SCRABBLE, TWIXT and seven other games.

—. Oriental Board Games. West Yorkshire, England: EP Publishing Limited, 1977.
Explains the games of GO, SHOGI, and CHINESE CHESS.

Provenzo, Asterie Baker, and Eugene F., Jr. Play it Again. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1981.
Includes histories of, and details on how to make the gameboard for CHIVALRY, FOX AND GEESE, GO-BANG, GAME OF GOOSE, HALMA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, REVERSI, and SNAKES AND LADDERS.

Pulliam, Tom, and Carruth, Gorton. The Complete Word Game Dictionary. New York, NY: Pocket Books, 1984.
Contains an alphabetized list of over 240,000 words and also lists words containing j, q, x, and z.

Quinn, Vernon. 50 Card Games for Children. Cincinnati, OH: The U.S. Playing Card Company, 1933.
Includes fifty card games, including traditional children’s games such as OLD MAID, HEARTS, and GO FISHING, Also includes twelve forms of SOLITAIRE, plus card tricks, adult games and an introduction to CONTRACT BRIDGE.

Reisman, Arthur. How to Win at Checkers. Boston, MA: American Photographic Publishing Co., 1942.
History, rules and strategies of checkers.

Rinker, Harry L. Collector’s Guide to Toys, Games, and Puzzles. Radnor, PA: Wallace-Homestead Book Co., 1991. [Out of print]
A guide to collecting that includes a brief history of games, an analysis of market trends, lists of resources, and other information of use to game enthusiasts; peppered with pictures of games throughout.

_________. Rules for MA-JONG. New York, NY: The Craftsmaster Corporation, 1923.
Discusses the history, rules, and scoring of MA-JONG.

_________. Rules of the Game: Board and Tile Games. New York, NY: Diagram Visual Information Ltd.; Paddington Press, Ltd., 1974; and Crown Publishers, 1977 (spiral bound).
Histories and rules of classic games, including ACEY DEUCY, backgammon, chess, DOMINOES, FOX AND GEESE, GAME OF GOOSE, LUDO, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, and SNAKES AND LADDERS.

Sackson, Sid. Beyond Competition. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1977.
Includes six original games to be played with cooperation of two or more players.

—. Beyond Tic Tac Toe. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1975.
Contains seven original games which are played with colored pens and pencils to create a drawing.

—. Calculate. New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 1979.
Includes six original games to be played with the use of a calculator.

—. A Gamut of Games. New York, NY: Castle Books & Random House, 1969.
Includes brief reviews of over 100 board and card games (some classics and some newer games by the author), and short reviews of games in print; includes copy of Elizabeth Magie’s 1904 patent for what became MONOPOLY. Games include ACQUIRE, CABOODLE, RISK, STRATEGO, CLUE, SCRABBLE, PARCHEESI, SORRY, and MEM.

_________. Saxon’s Everybody’s Book of Indoor Games. London: Madgwick, Houlston & Co., Ltd., ca. 1900.
Lists the origin of REVERSI and describes HALMA and GO-BANG as well as traditional classic games and card games.

 

Scarne, John. Scarne’s New Complete Guide to Gambling. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1986.
Provides rules and strategies for most popular gambling games, as well as tips to detect cheating. Includes BINGO, KENO, POKER, BRIDGE, and GIN RUMMY as well as backgammon.

—. Scarne on Teeko. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc., 1955.
256 pages explaining and promoting Scarne’s own game of TEEKO.

Scarpone, Desi. Board Games. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publ., 1992. Color photos with prices, publishers, and some descriptions.

—. More Board Games. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publ., 2000. Color photos (1529) with prices, publishers, and some descriptions, divided into five chapters: Western & Military; Business, Bookshelf & Sports; Remco Industries; General Games; Entertainment Games.

Schmittberger, R. Wayne. New Rules For Classic Games. New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 1992.
Suggests new ways to use existing game equipment. Provides variations for playing classic games and MONOPOLY, TRIVIAL PURSUIT and SCRABBLE.

Schroeder, Joseph J. Jr. (ed.). The Wonderful World of Toys, Games & Dolls. Northfield, IL: DBI Books, Inc., 1971.
Reproduction of pages from toy, game, and doll catalogs such as F. A. O. Schwarz, Sears Roebuck, and Montgomery Ward, from 1860 to 1930. Catalogs contained illustrations and descriptions of various games but did not indicate the publishing/manufacturing company, though company name appears on some illustrations of game boxes.

Seadler, Silas. The Anagram Book. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster, 1929.
Includes 1001 anagram word puzzles.

Seddon, Sue, and Barbara Gilgallon. Travel Games. London, England: Ward Lock Limited, 1988.
Contains over 200 activities to entertain traveling children, word and memory games, pencil and paper activities, and dice and card games.

_________. Seventy-five Years of Fun. Salem, MA: Parker Brothers, Inc., 1958.
Traces the history of Parker Brothers from 1883 until 1958.

Severn, Bill. Packs of Fun. New York, NY: David McKay, 1967.
Lists 101 unusual things to do with playing cards and to know about them.

Seymour, Elizabeth. HOBBLE-DE-HOY! The Word Game for Geniuses. Salisbury, CT: Lime Rock Press, Inc., 1984.
Provides instructions for the word game of inventing new definitions that sound as plausible as the valid definitions. Includes word lists and definitions. Game is similar to “FICTIONARY” or the dictionary game.

Seymour, Paul. Hoyle’s Standard Games. Chicago, IL: Albert Whitman & Co., 1946.
Includes “new” rules for GIN RUMMY, PINOCHLE, backgammon, BOWLING, BILLIARDS, and PING PONG.

Sharp, Richard, and John Piggott. The Book of Games. New York, NY; London, England: Galahad Books, 1977.
Alphabetical listing of many games, with histories, rules and drawings, including games of FOX AND GEESE, GO, HALMA, LUDO, MAH-JONGG, MANCALA, MASTERMIND, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, REVERSI, SCRABBLE, SHOGI, SNAKES AND LADDERS, SNAP, TICK-TACK-TOE,  TIDDLYWINKS, and SNIP SNAP SNOREM.

Shea, James. It’s All In The Game. New York, NY: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1960.
The history of Milton Bradley through 1960.

Shea, James Jr. The Milton Bradley Story. Princeton, NJ: University Press, 1973.

Silberstang, Edwin. Playboy’s Book of Games. Chicago, IL: Playboy Press, 1972.
Mostly containing games for the card player and gambler, the book does include a few pages on rules and strategies for SCRABBLE.

_________. Six Popular Card Games. Cincinnati, OH: The U. S. Playing Card Company, 1921.
Includes official rules for AUCTION BRIDGE, CRIBBAGE, FIVE HUNDRED, PINOCHLE, PITCH, and SOLITAIRE.

Slizewski, Tom. Game Collectors Guide Vol. 1. Thornton, CO: Panzer Press, 1989.
Price guide lists values for hundreds of war games (and others).

Slizewski, Tom. War Games Collectors Guide. Arvada, CO: Panzer Press, 1993.
Includes over 99% of wargames ever published. Provides publishing data and collector values.

_________. The Sociable; or, One Thousand and One Home Amusements. New York, NY: Dick & Fitzgerald, 1858.
This early book of parlor games includes rules for AGON, or THE QUEEN’S GUARDS, AMERICAN BAGATELLE (PINBALL), FOX AND GEESE, and MERELLES, OR NINE MEN’S MORRIS, with illustrations.

Spero, James (ed.). Collectible Toys and Games of the Twenties and Thirties from Sears, Roebuck and Co., Catalogs. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1988.
About 6 of these repro catalog pages are devoted to games, with pictures, descriptions and prices, but no listing of manufacturer.

Stampfle, Richard. THAI CHESS. Bangkok, Thailand: The Green Elephant Company, Ltd., 1974.
Describes the pieces and their movements in the game of MAAK RUUK (THAI CHESS). INCLUDES BACKGROUND AND RULES OF THE GAME.

_________. The Standard Hoyle. Chicago, IL: Frederick Drake & Co., 1914.
This edition covers rules for GO BANG, KENO, LOTO, and REVERSI, in addition to card games and standard games such as backgammon, checkers, chess, and DOMINOES.

Stirn, Carl. Turn-of-the-Century Dolls,Toys and Games. Dearborn, MI: Dover Publications Inc. 1990.
Catalog with illustrations, descriptions, and prices of dolls, toys and games from 1893 and up.

Strange, Craig. Collector’s Guide to Tinker Toys. Paducah, KY: Collectors Books. 1995.
Catalog with color photos, descriptions, and prices. Contains information on ten games, including CASINO GOLF, JUMPY TINKER, PEEZA, TEN PIN TINKER, TINKERPINS, and TINKER TOSS.

Streeter, Robert A., and Robert G. Hoehn. Are You A Genius? (Second Series). New York, NY: Frederick A. Stokes Co., 1933.
The book, with six illustrations by Dr. Seuss, was turned into a parlor game of the same name with a Dr. Seuss cover.

Sturner, Fred, with Adolph Seltzer. What Did You Do When You Were A Kid?. New York, NY: Weathervane Books, 1973.
Guide to games and activities of the 30′s and 40′s. Includes JACKS, DARTS, BASEBALL CARD GAMES, and BEAN BAG GAME.

_________. Tops and Yo-Yo’s And Other Spinning Toys. Gas City, IN: L-W Book Sales, 1995.
Color photos with descriptions and prices.

Takagawa, Kaku. How To Play GO. Japan: 1956.
Discusses the origin, rules, and strategy of GO.

Takahashi, Goro. Paper Sumo Wrestling. Tokyo, Japan: Kamakura Shobo Publishing Co., Ltd., 1976.
Includes cut outs for miniature paper wrestlers. Paper sumo wrestling is a traditional Japanese game which dates back many years.

Totten, Charles A. L. Strategos. New York, NY: D. Appleton and Co., 1880.
A “series of American games of war based on military principles” includes reference to the “Battle Game” of chess and the “idea of transferring the study of military principles from the checker-board to the map”; geared for the military and tactician, the book was originally accompanied by 1,252 wood or pasteboard “men,” 96 wood blocks (ranging from 1″ X 1″ to 6″ X 8″), four folded game boards, and 25 miscellaneous pieces including scales, calipers, tweezers, writing implements, dice and a 12-faced teetotum.

Tumbusch, Tom. Illustrated Radio Premium Catalog and Price Guide. Tomart Publications, 1989.
Includes radio premiums that were games, usually found in or on the back of cereal boxes.

_________. Toys and Games. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Books, 1991.
Refers to board games from 1880′s to 1920, including THE MANSION OF HAPPINESS, FOX AND GEESE, CHIROMAGICA, TOWER OF BABEL, and LOTTO. Also includes such card games as GAME OF LUCK, ATTA BOY, SNAP, and TOURING.

Van Loon, Hendrik Willem. The Story of Mankind.
This 1921 award-winning book was made into a game of the same name by Kerk Guild.

Van Rensselaer, Alexander. The Complete Book of Party Games. New York, NY: Sheridan House, 1952.
Describes a variety of games made at home. Includes pencil and paper games such as GUIDED MISSILES(BATTLESHIP), and CATEGORIES, and also paper table top games such as TABLE GOLF(TIDDLY WINKS).

Ward, Margaret. GONG HEE FOT CHOY. Millbrae, CA: Celestial Arts, 1981. Revised version of 1948 edition.
Describes a fortune telling game which uses regular playing cards.

Warren, Mrs. Prescott. The Game of Ma-Chiang. New York, NY: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1924.
Explains how to play and score MA-CHIANG.

—. Games for Two. New York, NY: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1930.
Includes BRIDGE, backgammon, CAMELOT, CRIBBAGE, DOMINOES, and ANAGRAMS.

Wasley, John. Games for Two. New York, NY, and London, England: Proteus (Publishing) Limited, 1981.
Excellent compendium with history and rules of games from around the world, including many ancient and classic games (such as FOX AND GEESE, GO, and REVERSI), and everything from BALI, CLUE and HANGMAN to SCRABBLE and YACHT (YAHTZEE).

_________. The Way to Play. New York, NY: The Diagram Group; Paddington Press, Ltd., 1975, and Bantam Books, 1977.
Histories, rules, and drawings of over 2000 board and card games played around the world, including GO, FOX AND GEESE, HALMA, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, BOTTICELLI, GUGGENHEIM, MAH JONGG, PACHISI, and LUDO, and proprietary games such as CLUEDO (CLUE), DIPLOMACY, MONOPOLY, and SCRABBLE.

Webster, Wilbur. Webster’s Dictionary Game. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, 1987.
Contains rules and scoring instructions for the DICTIONARY GAME, as well as a list of over 5, 000 esoteric words.

Weinert, Fifi, and Laura Palmer. The Big Book of Board Games. San Francisco, CA: Troubador Press, 1979.
Fourteen classic games to color and play, with brief histories, includes ASALTO, CHINESE CHECKERS, GO-BANG, GAME OF GOOSE, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, PACHISI, ROYAL GAME OF UR, SENET, and SNAKES AND LADDERS.

Wells, Carolyn. Pleasant Day Diversions. Chicago, IL: M. A. Donohue & Co., 1909.
Includes two board games that may be original or may stem from, or have led to, manufactured games.

Wells, Kenneth. Wooden Puzzles and Games. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., 1983.
Brief histories of BAGATELLE, chess, CHINESE CHECKERS, LABYRINTH, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, and TIC-TAC-TOE, and how to make the game boards.

Whitehill, Bruce. Americanopoly: America as Seen Through Its Games. La-Tour-de-Peilz, Switzerland: Musée Suisse du Jeu (Swiss Museum of Games), 2004.
A history of America as viewed by the games it produced. Chronological entries and timeline, along with thematic chapters on such areas as Social Issues, Ethnic Games, Sports, Television, Politics and so on. Contains details about the larger U.S. game manufacturers, and links between U.S. and European games.

—. Games: American Boxed Games and Their Makers 1822-1992, With Values. Radnor, PA: Wallace-Homestead, 1992. 
The benchmark in its field, this book lists over 2850 game titles and 800 manufacturers of American games; includes histories and/or product listings for 220 companies, 230 black and white game photos or early game advertisements, 8 pages of color. Also includes game histories, guidelines for collectors, cultural timeline, glossary, table of patent number dates, and resource information.

Whitehouse, F.R.B. Table Games of Georgian and Victorian Days. Hertfordshire, England: Priory Press Ltd., 1971.
Revised 1951 book details history of games and European manufacturers from about 1750 to 1860; includes classics of GOOSE, MAH-JONGG, NINE MEN’S MORRIS, and PARCHEESI.

Whitton, Blair. Bliss Toys and Dollhouses. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1979.
Includes reproduction of the 1911 Bliss catalog, showing numerous wooden marble, ring toss, bean bag, and target games.

—. Paper Toys of the World. Cumberland, MD: Hobby House Press Inc., 1986.
Shows pages from McLoughlin, Bradley, and Parker catalogs.

Williams, J.D.. The Complete Strategyst. New York, NY: McGraw -Hill, 1966.
Rev. ed., Explanation of Game Theory as it applies to games of strategy.

Wilson, Fred. A Picture History of CHESS. New York, NY: Dover Publications, Inc., 1981.

Wish, Harvey. B-B-B-BINGO. Birmingham, MI: W Publishers, 1977.
Provides 40 pages of call letters and 166 game pages for playing BINGO.

Wiswell, Phil. Kid’s Games. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co. Inc., 1987.
Histories and rules for classic games including FOX AND GEESE, JACK STRAWS, KNUCKLEBONES (JACKS), NYOUT (Korea), NINE MEN’S MORRIS, REVERSI, SEEGA, TIDDLYWINKS, and WARI.

Wojahn, Ellen. Playing by Different Rules. New York, NY: AMACOM (American Management Association), 1988.
The General Mills/Parker Brothers Merger; “The story of how a clash of corporate culture spelled doom for a great American toy company.” Includes history of Parker Bros. from Geo. S. Parker through the 1968 merger and 1985 divestiture; gives the incorrect history of Darrow’s role in MONOPOLY, and incorrectly names Ives’ MANSION OF HAPPINESS as the first U. S. game. Offers anecdotes about specific Parker titles.

Wong, W.F. Chinese CHESS. Kowloon, Hong Kong: Swindon Book Company, 1971.
Explains the rules and provides examples of moves in the game of CHINESE CHESS.

Wood, Clement, and Gloria Goddard (eds.). The Complete Book of Games. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co and Country Life Press, 1940.
Contains over 1500 games, including MAH JONGG AND BAGATELLE.

Young, Ray. Bridge for People Who Don’t Know one Card From Another. New York, NY: Barnes and Noble Books, 1964.
Explains the fundamentals of BRIDGE at the beginner level.

Zechlin, Katharina. Making Games in Wood. New York, NY: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
How to play and make boards for classic games including GO, KUNGSER (Tibet), and REVERSI.

parlor

Parlor Games

Parlor Games & Party Games, Word Games and Pencil-and-Paper Games

Cutter, Sarah. Conundrums, Riddles, Puzzles and Games. Buffalo, NY: Hausauer and Plogsted, 1894.
Lists many conundrums of various categories, riddles, mind puzzles, and rules for party games.

Mulac, Margaret, and Marian Holmes. The Party Game Book. New York, NY: Harper & Row, 1951.
Includes various suggestions for games at parties, including word games and pencil-and paper games.

jigsaw

Jigsaw Puzzles

Bekkering, Betsy and Geert. Piece by Piece: A History of the Jig-Saw Puzzle in the Netherlands. Amsterdam: Van Soeren, 1988.

The definitive history of Dutch jigsaw puzzles, abundantly illustrated in both color and black and white; 80 pages, paperbound; with 56-page spiral-bound English translation of Dutch text.

Cristoforo, R.J. The Jigsaw / Scroll Saw Book. Tab Books, 1990.

Scroll saws and how to use them, with 80 project patterns.

Kern, Evan. Making Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles. Stackpole Books, 1996.

Adult book on how to make wood jigsaw puzzles;well illustrated, mostly black and white.

McCann, Chris. Master Pieces: The Art History of Jigsaw Puzzles. Collectors Press, 1999. Hardbound, 223 pages; over 500 color photos of die-cut cardboard puzzles of the 1930s through 1960s. Lengthy appendix with biographical information on artists who painted the pictures used for puzzles.

Slocum, Jerry, and Anne Williams. The Art of the Puzzle: Astounding and Confounding. Katonah, NY: Katonah Museum of Art, 2000. Catalog for puzzle exhibition contains two long essays on jigsaw puzzles and mechanical puzzles, complete checklist for exhibition, and preface by Will Shortz.

Tyler, Tom. British Jig-Saw Puzzles of the 20th Century. England, 1997. Hardbound, 132 pages; historical information on major English puzzle companies; nearly 400 color pictures. Anne Williams says, “Very informative, very well illustrated book that picks up where Hannas left off.”

Williams, Anne D. Jigsaw Puzzles: An Illustrated History and Price Guide. Radnor, PA: Wallace-Homestead, 1990. The definitive guide to American jigsaw puzzles and the cutters and companies that made them. Includes information about many companies that made games as well; details on history of 30 major manufacturers, collecting tips, valuation guide, price guide, 3 indexes, 64 color photos and  750 b&w photos.

—. The Jigsaw Puzzle: Piecing Together a History. Berkley/Penguin, 2004. Hardcover, more than 100 illustrations, color and black and white; covers the history of jigsaw puzzles from the 1750s to the present. Foreword by Will Shortz. Includes full history and  information about luxury puzzles, marketing, collecting and collections, making jigsaw puzzles for fun or sale, selected websites for puzzlers, extensive notes, bibliography and index.

—. Cutting a Fine Figure: The Art of the Jigsaw Puzzle. Lexington, MA: Museum of Our National Heritage, 1996. Catalog for 1996 exhibition includes list of makers of hand-cut wood jigsaw puzzles and two essays: ”Jigsaw Puzzles: A Boston Area Tradition” and ”Parker Brothers and Pastime Puzzles.”

mechanical

Mechanical Puzzles

Slocum, Jerry, and Anne Williams. The Art of the Puzzle: Astounding and Confounding. Katonah, NY: Katonah Museum of Art, 2000.  Catalog for puzzle exhibition contains two long essays on jigsaw puzzles and mechanical puzzles, complete checklist for exhibition, and preface by Will Shortz.

Slocum, Jerry, and Jack Botermans. Puzzles Old and New. Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press, 1986.
Excellent book on mechanical, dexterity, and paper puzzles, including those made by the Embossing Co., McLoughlin Bros., Parker Bros., Pressman, Selchow & Righter and other game companies; 160 pages of  historical data, color photos, puzzle plans, bibliography.

—. New Book of Puzzles. W.H. Freeman, 1992. 101 classic & modern puzzles to make & solve.

—. The Book of Ingenious and Diabolical Puzzles. New York, NY: Times Books/Random House, 1994.
Guide to antique and modern puzzles with color photos includes 600 antique & new puzzles on 160 pages, with history & photos.

—. Optical Illusions and Other Puzzles. Books UK, Ltd., 1995. Optical illusions, hidden figures & other puzzles.

 

Slocum, Jerry. The Puzzle Arcade. Palo Alto, CA: Klutz Publ., 1996.
Mechanical, word and logic puzzles for all the family from 7 to 100 years. – Spiral bound with puzzles in pouches; includes  hints and solutions.

—. Swipe This Pencil. Klutz Press, 2003.

—. The Tangram Book. Sterling, 2003.

—. The 15 Puzzle Book. Beverly Hills, CA: Slocum Puzzle Foundation, 2006.

—. The Tao of Tangram. New York: Sterling, 2007.

—. Tangram Master. New York: Sterling, 2008.

—. The Famous 15 Puzzle. New York: Metro Books, 2009.

—. The Cube: The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Bestselling Puzzle – Secrets, Stories, Solutions. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2009.

Reviews of Books

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Mancala: Not Quite the Hole Story

by Wayne Saunders

For families and students, Sue and Jon Hanson’s recent paperback, All About Mancala: Its History and How to Play (Mahomet, Ill.: Happy Viking Crafts , 2003, $17.95), provides beginning and experienced mancala players with rules and strategy tips that are wonderfully clear. Accompanied by line drawings of positions in hypothetical games that remind us of the best sort of teaching manuals, the book also avoids omissions that frustrated players seek in most equipment sets and game books.

What propels the book to a higher lever still are the comprehensive introductory chapters that competently though anecdotally summarize the history and culture of the games and, remarkably, classify the myriad versions according to an elaborate but clearly-conceived schemata that gives the reader much to think about when consulting the rules of just a single game. WARI, it turns out, is not simply a vanilla-flavored variant from West Africa, but a two-rowed, straight-rowed variant not requiring the end reservoirs it usually has for convenience only, employing “specific-count capturing” rather than “pull-across” or “skip-cup” or “wegue” capturing, playable either in single games or, more traditionally, in “rounds,” as a “capture game,” though with a “disable game” secondary strategy, all cups “owned” and also “active” rather than “inactive” or “restricted,” with a “fixed” rather than a “strategic” setup, with counterclockwise play, with “single-play” rather than “continued” or “limited continued” or “simultaneous” or “go-again” play, and using a form of “secondary capture” called “series capturing” (instead of “passing fours,” “bonus cup,” “grand,” “alternative cup,” “reservoir,” or “nasty” capturing). The Hansons themselves are the source of these useful terms and distinctions that one is glad to have listed in a single place. But will families and students make good use of them?

Among the problems some reviewers have had with the book is that it plays fast and loose with the facts about the very games it wants to preserve. Kerry Handscomb, for example, in his review in issue 16 of “Abstract Games” magazine, claimed with some justification that “the division between authentic games and house variations is unclear” and that “the divisions between [American] games brought by immigrants, proprietary games published by American companies, and Hanson’s own inventions are very fuzzy” (p. 5). The Hansons’ own statement—“when a rule was missing or poorly explained, or one player might have too much of an advantage[,] we had to modify these games so they would be playable, but not too much or they would lose their original flavor” (viii)—must send chills down the spines of purists and academics everywhere, and that includes me, I confess, who wants to know even more than he wants to play. The claim that CHECKERS came from Africa or Asia (p. 5) is simply wrong, and what the authors call “PALLANGULI” (pp. 85 ff.) has been shown by Alex de Voogt to be more properly referred to as “RAJA PASU” ( “Mancala Boards [Olinda Keliya] in the National Museums of Colombo,” Board Games Studies 3, p. 96). The inclusion of homemade variants, often as teaching aids for more complicated but authentic traditional games, and an entire section on a four-player variant that is manufactured exclusively by Happy Viking (pp. 46-54) should be enough to clue the reader that the book isn’t intended as academic ethnology. But then what is it?

The back cover reveals the authors to be “game enthusiasts” who sell their own crafted games at a Wisconsin renaissance fair in the summer, but who otherwise teach and write (Sue) and create engineering designs (Jon). All About Mancala was the result of customers asking for more and more extensive rules for the game equipment they bought (or wanted to buy), replacing a series of booklets the Hansons produced that included one on American variants and one on the Hansons’ own four-player CROSSROADS MANCALA. Putting together a complete book was not the result of years of painstaking research, but rather of scrambling to find “information on history and culture” of the games that were, by and large, already in their product line. It was “intended for anyone interested in playing mancala from families who play it for recreation to teachers who use it as a learning tool” (from a form letter sent to me by Sue Hanson), and I would guess that no attempt was made to elevate the project to the level of serious scholarship.

We might ask, conversely, if scholars can get much out of the section on American variants, one of them being the Hansons’ own commercial venture. But the inclusion of such games raises interesting questions that the literature has not much addressed: How have the popular American forms of MANCALA, which are produced almost exclusively by game and toy companies, derived and evolved from more traditional forms? (The book draws a possible connection between the common American CROSS CAPTURE variant and the Philippine SUNGKA, p. 33.) And what is the difference between games designed and disseminated by tribespeople and those designed and sold by American entrepreneurs? The Hansons produced their CROSSROADS MANCALA in response to customers asking for a four-player variant; are “traditional” games never invented in the same way? Have the authors not taken advantage of the ideas embodied in traditional forms to expand their possibilities and suggest to us the openness of the genre and the ubiquity of cross-cultural influence? We too are a tribe. If we can persuade the Hansons in their next edition to broaden their research, add some endnotes, and update their bibliography, we will have from them one of the most comprehensive general-use volumes on games that, well, anyone could ask for.