Circa 1960 Contract Bridge Trump Reminders
No, that's not a black heart, they just have the spade piece upside-down. I thought these were so neat when I was a kid. I might have bought them for my folks as a Christmas present. I think my Dad still has these somewhere.
Chapay: A Russian Game That's A Cross Between Checkers and Shuffleboard
From Bernie DeKoven's deepfun.com:
I love this little game – a Russian variant of checkers that actually has very little to do with checkers, and a lot to do with games like Subbuteo – it’s all about flicking. Here’s what the author of the site has to say: “This well forgotten game of my childhood was named after Chapayev – the legendary hero of Civil War in Russia. The goal of the game is to sweep all opponent’s checkers from the chessboard by flicking your own checkers. Players make flicks by the turn. Red Army (what a surprise!) starts the game. If you destroyed at least one opponent’s checker without losing any of yours, you get an extra flick. When all opponent’s checkers are destroyed, winning army moves one line forward, if the army wins without loss, it moves two lines forward. The army which reaches the opposite side of the chessboard wins the game. It’s pretty easy to win the first battle, however, the farther the Red Army moves – the stronger is the White Army defense…”
Like I said, it’s definitely not checkers. But it’s something else you can play with your very own checker board. And it’s kind of strategic. And kind of like some kind of battle or something Fourth of July worthy. I mean, you can almost feel the British coming. Except that it’s a Russian game. And it’s fun.
Sport, Stunt, Game, or Pastime?
Click the link to see the Hemingway version.
iCade: The iPad Arcade Cabinet. Play Hundreds of Classic Arcade Games on Your iPad
The blurb:
To use the iCade, gently slide the iPad into the docking cradle. The docking cradle uses a standard 30 pin connector to link the iPad to the professional-grade arcade controls. Once the iPad is in place, launch the iCade App (available free in the App Store April 3rd) and it's game on! We didn't want to take any chances you'd run out of juice during your favorite game, so we included a 10w USB power adapter so you can charge the iPad through any electrical outlet. Now you're all set to make an uninterrupted run on the Dig Dug World Record!
via krapps.com
From Bernie DeKoven:
At the beginning of the game, all the cubes are placed on the board, on to any of their 4 blank sides, forming a 5x5 array. Only the cubes on the periphery are available for play.
The object of the game is to be the first player or team to get 5 of your symbols (an X or an 0) in a straight line. To do this, you pick any blank block on the edge of the board, remove it, and then slide the row or column of blocks so as to create a new blank space on one of the edges of the board. You then place the block you selected into that space, positioning it so that your symbol is showing.
The game continues in that manner, players or teams alternating turns, until someone gets 5 of their symbols in the proverbial row. Because each move results in moving part or all of a row or column, blocks are getting continually repositioned - and within there lies the rub, as well as the tickle. You have to see much further ahead, consider a copious complexity of cubic combinations in order to get your symbols (and not your opponent's) to line up in the appropriate array of your aspirations.
The Blurb: With 100 barriers, twists, turns, cliffhangers and more, Perplexus is the ultimate 3-D challenge! The entire experience will leave you perplexed and entertained all at the same time. About $25.
A Girl Performs A 4-Corner Double Dutch While Balancing A Ball On One Foot and Jumping Rope Herself
From deepfun.com:
This is the kind of stuff that gives me chills, that makes me just about want to pray to the spirit of play, if you know what I mean, if there is such a thing. Double Dutch, from 4 corners, while balancing a ball on one foot. And, o, wait. Isn't the girl in the middle also jumping her own rope while she's jumping the two crossed ropes while keeping a ball balanced on her foot? How utterly accomplished is that? How fun, how lovely, how spiritual, how miraculous how the spirit of play has moved these girls to such profound and practiced depth!
Play. Do not doubt its powers. Even when no one wins, everyone wins.
Backgammon board on the other side. $97.
