An expert on game history selects 38 of his favorite amusements, all of which can be played by children or adults with common items such as cards, dice, checkerboards, and pencil and paper.

Collection of 38 old and new games, none of which is available in any book on the subject. They were selected not only because they are different but because they fulfill some function not adequately satisfied by standard games.

A leading inventor and collector of games, Sid Sackson is also an expert on game history. For this highly entertaining volume, the self-proclaimed "game addict" has selected over 60 popular games from around the world. A brief but fascinating introductory chapter to the history of card playing is followed by a valuable glossary of terms associated with this popular pastime. Additional chapters supply instructions, detailed illustrations, and an abundance of clear examples for playing such intriguing diversions as Sampen, Kowah, Kabu, Cha Kau Tsz' and Khanhoo from Asia; Skat, Blackjack, Old Maid, Fan Tan, Eights, Klondike, La Belle Loucie, Accordion, and Hearts from Europe; Whist, Blackout, Cribbage, Spoil Five, and Casino from the British Isles; Pif Paf, Samba, Bolivia, and Canasta from Latin America; and Poker, Pinochle, Contract Bridge, Rummy, and Oklahoma Gin from the United States. Most games can be played by children or adults with a common deck of 52 playing cards (a few will need additional cards from a second deck).

"An essential book for anyone interested in gameplay." —Games magazine If rules are made to be broken, then dust off those old games lying dormant in your closet, because your game playing just got a lot more exciting! New Rules for Classic Games, by games expert R. Wayne Schmittberger, is a complete guide to hundreds of new twists and variations guaranteed to expand and enliven your game repertoire. How about: Wraparound Scrabble: Worlds can run off an edge of the board and be continued on the other side. Another variation allows words to be spelled backwards! Extinction Chess: Think of every type of piece as a species; your goal is to prevent extinction of any of these species. Trivial Tic-Tac-Toe: An entertaining and challenging cross between Trivial Pursuit and tic-tac-toe. Auction Monopoly: Every property, no matter who lands on it, is sold to the highest bidder. You’ll find these and other exciting new challenges for card and dice games, chess, checkers, party games, and popular board games such as Monopoly, Scrabble, Risk, Parcheesi, Boggle, Othello, and Trivial Pursuit. And to make sure your game playing never gets stale, New Rules for Classic Games gives you rules for little-known games that can be played with equipment you already have and tips for doing your own rule writing!

With complete rules on more than 300 popular card games, including the new international laws of contract bridge, this comprehensive book also includes special sections on: choosing games for particular occasions, teaching card games to children, the etiquette of card games, technical terms used in card games, and more.

Includes six games, such as Resources, Space Exploration, and Peace Conference, in which two to four players must cooperate rather than compete to achieve high scores.