Fun and Games

Board games − at some time in our lives, most of us have awakened on Christmas morning to find the newest or most popular board game festively wrapped and sitting under the brightly ornamented tree. What smiles those games brought to us then, and what smiles they might bring now, if we were to add a splash of fun and games to our stories.

Choosing a game to embellish our contemporary stories would be easy−just tune in to the explosion of Christmas advertising in autumn, do an internet search for popular games, or venture out to a brick and mortar to eyeball the offerings. But what about stories in a historical setting?

Some historical board games

The game of Checkers has been around forever−okay, maybe not forever, but Checkers as we know it, has been around since 1400 B.C.. Bingo, Backgammon, Parcheesi and Chess, or versions thereof, date back centuries.

However, the 19th century brought about an increase in the design and distribution of board games. It is opined that the boost in interest and subsequent appearance of new board games rose as people found they had more leisure time.

Though some games were likely just for fun, others pointed toward social issues of the day or served as educational tools. Depending on the shape of our historical work, including one of these games might spice up dialog or even reveal qualities in our characters:

• The Checkered Game of Life (c. 1860), created by Milton Bradley, exposed the challenges people face on the road to success. A derivative of this game, known to most of us as The Game of Life, is still on store shelves.
• The Landlord Game (c. 1904), was created by Elizabeth Magie. A supporter of a philosophy known as Georgism, she developed the game to help explain and promote the concept that property owners (landlords) become rich and renters do not. The game was not only played in households, but used as a teaching tool at the university level. A deeper look into its history reveals a dispute over ownership of the game. This was resolved circa 1935 by Parker Brothers. By that time the game was known as− surprise!−Monopoly.
• Suffragetto (c. 1908), of British origin, addressed the social and political issues faced by women in that time period. The game pitted cops against suffragettes. Cops tried to protect the House of Commons from entry by suffragettes while at the same time attempting to breach Albert Hall (where the suffragettes held their meetings). Meanwhile, suffragettes attempted to protect Albert Hall from penetration by cops while they sought to gain access to the House of Commons.

Games from other eras

A few other games that might appear beneath the Christmas tree (or any day) in our historical fiction, include Snakes and Ladders aka Chutes and Ladders (c. 1870),  Sorry (c. 1934),  Clue (c. 1948), Candy Land (c. 1949), and Risk (c. 1957). These games have survived decades and can still be found on today’s market.

Should we be inclined to conduct additional research on the subject of board games, the search words “history of board games” would likely glean sufficient fodder. Also searches on Milton Bradley, Parker Brothers and Hasbro, publishers of games in the 19th and 20th centuries, would prove enlightening.

If, however, we were to choose to invest precious time in other aspects of research, in most time periods it would be safe to wrap up a game of Checkers and plop it under the Christmas tree, or set the board between two characters in a shady spot on a hot summer day.

No matter the season or occasion, coloring our work with a bit of Fun and Games can add another aspect of interest for our readers.

Jeannine Brummett lives in South Carolina with her husband of nineteen years, Don, who shares his three adult sons and three grandchildren with her. Reading is big on her list of things to do, but she also thrives on TV crime dramas, NBA basketball, and marvels at the critters and fowl life that live at the pond behind their house. She loves to sing praise songs, attend Bible Study, and help at a local food pantry.