The Encyclopedia of Games

Games are an almost limitless source of entertainment and pleasure. There are games that can be enjoyed with family and friends and games you can play by yourself; games for pubs and clubs, games to keep the children amused in the car and games for the grandest social occasion. There are games that can enliven a winter's evening by the fire and games for a summer's afternoon in the garden. But what all the games have in common is that they are fun; so the more games you and your family know, the more fun you are likely to have. The Encyclopedia of Games is divided into five parts, covering Card Games, Board Games, Domino & Dice Games, Family Games and Sporting & Activity Games. In each case the rules and methods of play are fully described with the help of diagrams and there is also advice on strategy and tactics. Details are given of the number of players, and equipment required (if any), the degree of difficulty and the likely duration of a typical game. In total, the book covers more that 250 games, plus variations where appropriate.
Some, like Noughts and Crosses (tic-tac-toe) or Blind Man's Buff are already well known, others, such as Owari (a West African game played with stones or seashells) will be relatively unfamiliar. There are games like Chess or Mah-Jongg whose origins can be traced back to early times and games like Call My Bluff which have been invented in the television age. There are games that demand skill and intense concentration (Bridge for example) and others guaranteed to make a children's party go with a swing. But whatever your tastes and whatever the occasion you will find the game you need between the covers of this book.