LoC #62 - Top 50 Tabletop Games

[Compound]

Okay, taking it easy on the weekend, so here's five more entries for today.

[Compound]

#39: Taboo

36 Points (On 4 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#10 by Cole Stratton)

Publication Date: 1989

Number of Players:4-10

Designed by:   Brian Hersch

Publisher: Hasbro/ Parker Brothers

Description:
Taboo is a party word game. Players take turns describing a word or phrase on a drawn card to their partner without using five common additional words or phrases also on the card. The opposing partners watch a timer and use a buzzer to stop the game, buzz the player describing if one of the five off limits words or phrases is used, or the describing player makes any gestures. The describing team gets a point for each card they guess successfully and the opposing team gets a point for each card they pass on, make gestures on, or lose for saying one of the off limits words or phrases.

Hey, How Do I Win This?
You get points for each word your team guesses correctly and lose them for each time you use a "taboo" word. Highest total at the end of the game wins

Fun Gaming Facts:
Taboo was briefly the basis for a game show on Spike (at the time The Nashville Network). The host was Chris Wylde. You know. The star of The Chris Wylde Show Starring Chris Wylde.

Yeah, I should probably stop making fun of him since Cole probably knows Wylde personally.

There's also a Bible Taboo. The words I see in the sample photo include "Mary", "Tabernacle", "Faith" and "Redeem." I'm guessing "Ephesians" probably isn't in there though.

Taboo is also likely the only game on this list to have been played on Will and Grace.

Dice:
Yes. Modern versions of the game include a six sided "game changer" die. Which changes the game. Somehow.



Purple and Orange?:
Kinda. Early versions of the game included a board, which was veeery purple, but more recent versions of the game have jettisoned it.

Awards & Stuff:
1992 Spiel des Jahres Recommendation.
1990 Mensa Select Winner.
Games Magazine Hall of Fame Inductee.


Related Games that Received Votes:

Related Games that Didn't Receive Votes:


Hey! It's an Amazon link with the price! $29.95

Next Turn:
Oh look. The hard-core gamers show up.

[Compound]

 

# 38: GURPS

37 Points (On 2 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#6 by Compound)

Publication Date: 1986
 
Number of Players: 2+
 
Designed by: Steve Jackson
 
Publisher: Steve Jackson Games
 
Description:
GURPS, a.k.a. Generic Universal Role Playing System is a tabletop role playing game. In it, one player takes the role of the Game Master, or GM. who designs and runs the game, and the other players take the roles of characters in the setting who then run through the adventure created by the GM. At least in theory. More often that not though, players will respond to "Okay, an evil overload has kidnapped the princess" with "Sweet. We're opening up an interdimensional portal to Vegas. We're going to start a Falafel stand and use our profits to fund an extreme volleyball league."
 
Most GMs respond by drinking heavily.
 
Gurps itself includes many, many, many supplements allowing you to play in almost any background or setting including licensed settings such as Miles Vorkosian, Conan, Discworld, Wild Cards and Casey and Andy. Even Star Trek. And no, I'm not going to explain the legal mess that allows that to happen.
 
 
Hey, How Do I Win This?
Well, you don't. It's generally open ended. You may win a specific adventure or tournament, but in most RPGs just like in life,  there's no "you win" space at the end of the trip.
 
This has been your zen gaming moment of the day.
 
Fun Gaming Facts:
Gurps is a refinement of an earlier Steve Jackson design, The Fantasy Trip, which Steve no longer owned the rights to. It includes an expanded, but still rather small in RPG terms, set of statistics for the character and a much, much detailed system of skills than ever appeared in TFT.
 
Gurps also has a habit of having other games publish a version of their setting using the Gurps rules. This includes White  Wolf's Vampire, Mage and Werewolf settings, R. Talsorian Games' Castle Falkenstein, GDW's Traveller, Pinnacles's Deadlands and ADB's Prime Directive.
 
Steve Jackson is a huge Lego fan, which gives him the inside track on any eventual Lego RPG.
 
Gurps is also the system most often referred to in the webcomic Irregular Webcomic.
 
Dice:
Yes. Gurps uses a 3d6 system for skill resolution as well as using d6s for all sorts of reasons. 'Cause d6s are cool.
 


Purple and Orange?:
Er, no. Gurps is all black and white since it's all texty. Some players may write in purple and orange pens, but that's generally regarded as a "back away slowly and don't make eye contact" sign.
 
Awards & Stuff:
Origins Award- 1988- Best RPG Rules
Origins Hall of Fame -2000
 
Related Games that Received Votes:
 
Related Games that Didn't Receive Votes:
The Hero System, which is superior to Gurps in every way, shape and form. Search in your heart, Gurps players. You know it is true.
 
Hey! It's an Amazon link with the price! $28.90
 
Next Turn:
Yeah, yeah. Non-rpg geeks can wander back in now. And now it's time to burn things!

[Compound]

# 37: Fireball Island

37 Points (On 2 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#3 by Thrifty)

Publication Date: 1986

Number of Players: 2-4

Designed by: Chuck Kennedy & Bruce Lund

Publisher: Milton Bradley

Description:
A plastic tiki idol is placed in the raised middle of a molded, 3d board, where it can rotate freely. Players move their explorer pawns up the sides of the mountain along paths and through caves, trying to reach the top of the mountain, retrieve the idol's giant ruby, and take it down the other side to the waiting boat. However, both the idol and volcanic vents throughout the board periodically spit out "fireball" marbles, which physically roll down the mountain, either plowing through explorer pawns in their path, or toppling triggered bridges as they pass under them.

Hey, How Do I Win This?
Grab the ruby and get back to the boat. Easy!

Fun Gaming Facts:
While many remember Fireball Island as on of the largest games ever mass produced, I'm pretty sure that Battle Masters and Omega Virus were physically larger. Plus, you know, Twister also has a much bigger play area.

Hey, here's a review from the Angry Video Game Guy.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/AfA6KxGAdOk?version=3&amp;" target="_blank" class="new_win">http://www.youtube.com/v/AfA6KxGAdOk?version=3&amp;</a>
That copy, by the way? Very definition of "Poor condition."

Dice:
Yes, a mere d6.


Purple and Orange?:
Yes! Explorers in the game were purple, orange, red and blue.

Awards & Stuff:
None.

Related Games that Received Votes:

Related Games that Didn't Receive Votes:
For a different "race to the center of the map to grab a precious artifact" game, check out Talisman which involves various fantasy adventurers (and sometimes Sci-fi ones)  and a heck of a lot of back-stabbing by the other players.

Hey! It's an Amazon link with the price! $149.98 Hey, it's been out of print for decades.

Next Turn:
Your daughter and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

[Compound]

# 36: Reversi/ Othello
a.k.a Hei Bai Qi

37 Points (On 4 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#12 by Tripe)

Publication Date: 1883

Number of Players: 2

Designed by: Maybe John W. Mollett or Maybe Lewis Waterman

Publisher: Public Domain

Description:
Othello/Reversi is a grid based game where player alternate placing discs. When a disc is surrounded by discs of a different color, the inbetween discs are flipped to the surrounding color.

Hey, How Do I Win This?
At the end of the game, the player with the most pieces in their color wins.

Fun Gaming Facts:
Both Waterman and Mollett claim to have created the game, and both claimed that the other stole the idea. There are also claims that they both stole the game and it was actually the creation of a third, unnamed, person. Probably Steve. And 100 years later, a Japanese game designer invented it, again, and naturally mentioned no previous version of the game.

Reversi was one of the first games published by German games maker Ravensburger.

Oh, hey. Simpsons Othello.

Wow. that color scheme makes my eyes bleed.

Dice:
None.

Purple and Orange?:
Nope. Black and white on green. Or in the Simpsons version, red and blue on yellow. Really. No one with any graphic design experience at all on that project, huh?

Awards & Stuff:

Related Games that Received Votes:

Related Games that Didn't Receive Votes:
Well, of course there's 2004's Classic Dinner Party: Dine with William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway. Oooh. Excitement abounds. "Will? Can you pass the fried chicken?"

Hey! It's an Amazon link with the price! $26.75

Next Turn:
American Woman! You are on this list!

[CJones]

# 38: Fireball Island

I had Fireball Island on my list initially, but I ditched it in favor of Mille Bornes. I still have the game, but I only played it like 3 or 4 times.

[Compound]

# 35: Guess Who?

40 Points (On 3 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#1 by Thrifty)

Publication Date: 1979

Number of Players: 2

Designed by:   Theo & Ora Coster, Theora Design

Publisher: Milton Bradley

Description:
The mystery face game where you flip over a collection of faces with different color hair, eye color, hair, hats, glasses etc. to deduce who the secret person is that your opponent has chosen. You flip over the hooked tiles as you narrow your choices by asking characteristic questions.

Hey, How Do I Win This?
Be the first to guess who your opponent has chosen.

Fun Gaming Facts:
Once again, there are a number of licensed properties that use the base game design like so:

Yes, use the Force to guess the mystery face.

Dice:
Nope.

Purple and Orange?:
Nope.

Awards & Stuff:
1989 Årets Spil Best Children's Game Winner

Related Games that Received Votes:

Related Games that Didn't Receive Votes:
None I can mention without giving future results away.

Hey! It's an Amazon link with the price! $17.99

Next Turn:
#35-#31! Four games! And Justin Beiber, who somehow ended up at #32

[Compound]

# 38: Fireball Island[/c]

I had Fireball Island on my list initially, but I ditched it in favor of Mille Bornes. I still have the game, but I only played it like 3 or 4 times.

If you can figure out how to ship it and if it's in good condition, may I suggest ebay? Good condition copies tend to sell in the $200 range there. that is, assuming you want to get rid of it, of course.

[Thrifty]

I totally forgot that I put Guess Who as number one.  I thought I'd chosen Monopoly.

I have owned and lost, at least half a dozen Guess Who sets in my lifetime.

One question about Guess Who.... do the game cards actually talk?

[D.B. Barnes]

# 36: Guess Who?

[CJones]

# 38: Fireball Island[/c]

I had Fireball Island on my list initially, but I ditched it in favor of Mille Bornes. I still have the game, but I only played it like 3 or 4 times.

If you can figure out how to ship it and if it's in good condition, may I suggest ebay? Good condition copies tend to sell in the $200 range there. that is, assuming you want to get rid of it, of course.

Really?! I used to run a Pack 'n Mail store, so I know how to ship it. And it's in perfect condition. And I know exactly where it is (unlike most of my old games), so I might have to look into that.

[Coragale]

THAT IS A SUBJECTIVE QUESTION AND IS GROUNDS FOR IMMEDIATE DISQUALIFICATION.

[Kete]

# 37: Reversi/ Othello
a.k.a Hei Bai Qi

37 Points (On 4 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#12 by Kete)

I didn't vote for Othello.

[Tripe]

Yeah that would be me that had it at 12. Somebody else might have as well but I know I had it at 12.

[Compound]

# 34: Stratego

42 Points (On 3 of 14 lists)
Highest Vote: (#3 by Tripe)

Publication Date: 1947

Number of Players: 2

Designed by: Jacques Johan Mogendorff

Publisher: Hasbro/ Parker Brothers/ Spin Masters

Description:
"The gameboard is your battlefield. You have an army of men at your disposal and six bombs. Your mission--protect your flag and capture your opponent's flag."

"Secretly place your men, bombs, and flag on the gameboard with these objectives in mind. But remember your opponent is doing the same thing, so you must plan a defense as well as an offense."

"Once the armies are in place, advance your men. When you're one space away from an enemy, attack. You and your opponent declare ranks. The lower-ranking man is captured and out of play.
"You control your pieces and risk your men in battles where the strength of your enemy is unknown. The suspense builds as your men move deeper into enemy territory. Move with caution and courage. The next piece you attack could be a bomb. And when attacked, it could "blast" your man off the board and out of play."

"The first to capture an enemy flag is the winner!"

Hey, How Do I Win This?
Capture the enemy flag before your opponent does the same.

Fun Gaming Facts:
Stratego seems to have been heavily inspired by the 1909 game L'Attaque which uses many of the same concepts-  The board, the number of pieces, the "higher number piece beats the lower number one" concepts, mines, flags, Spies that can kill the highest rank piece, but only on offense, etc.

A collectible version called Stratego Legends was attempted in the late 90s. It was a nice concept (different pieces fought better or worse depending on the land they were on) but ultimately was ignored.

Like many other games, Stratego has also been heavily licensed. versions of the game using the Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Narnia and Marvel settings all exist. As does a "Republicans vs. Democrats" version. I'll just pause here to allow you to insert your own "politician that I'd like to blow up with a bomb" joke.

There you go.

And holy cow, the version I own is worth $225 on Amazon! Man, if I only had kept it sealed.

Dice:
None.

Purple and Orange?:
No. Red and blue are the standard colors.

Awards & Stuff:
Games Magazine Hall of Fame Inductee

Related Games that Received Votes:

Related Games that Didn't Receive Votes:
The Generals- Like Stratego, but based on a Filipino version of the game that uses fewer pieces, a moving flag and most importantly, a referee who arbitrates combat as the strength of the opposing piece is not revealed in this version.

Hey! It's an Amazon link with the price! $17.66

Next Turn:
Or, as it is also called, "lie about your hand."