thursday13 - get your game on

Now that the holiday season is upon us, the husband and I have been looking at games and toys for our daughter.  When it comes to the board games we put extra thought into our decisions, knowing full well it'll be us that are playing these games with her.  Thankfully she is beyond playing Cootie. Finally!!


We just started teaching her the adult grown-up version of monopoly.  After our first game it was decided she didn't like being in jail.   Good thinking.

In the spirit of the holiday season my Thursday 13 is a list of  games I played with my older brother when we were kids.  He is three years older and always had an advantage over me, but I always went back for more. Good times!!

1. Battleship:
These kids always looked like they were having a blast. I didn't mind this game but was really horrible at it and I don't recall ever winning. Probably because I wasn't clever about battleship placement.  Hey, I was eight.

2. Billionaire:
This game didn't make much of an impression on me, as evidenced by my lack of billionaire status. I really just liked writing on the pad with the plastic pen.

3. Careers:
Fame? Fortune? Happiness? None of the above.. my brother beat me at this game too. lol

4. Chinese Checkers:
I used to play this game by myself all the time. I loved jumping marbles over each other on the metal board. I even like rolling them around to see which divots they'd get stuck in. The other side has a regular checker board on it. We played that too.

5. Jackstraws:
Finally, a game that didn't rely on cleverness; just a rock-steady hand.  The ladder was my favorite. Oo, and the sword! 

6. King Oil:
This game was ultra fun because you got to move the derricks around and check for oil wells. My brother loved this game so much he bought a vintage one for his son.  May he always strike a gusher.   I wonder about the cross popularity of this game and the tv show Dallas.

7. Mastermind:
UGH!!  Man did I hate this game. Was your color right or wrong? The position right or wrong? The white pegs mean right, right? The black pegs mean wrong color? What? Which? Where?  I could never keep it straight. Boy did this game make me feel dumb.  

 

8. Mille Bornes:
I liked this game, but not as much as just regular card games like crazy eights and war and gin rummy. At the time I thought we were cool playing this game because it was foreign. lol

9. Monopoly:
Never the banker because I couldn't count as fast or well as my big brother. That is still true to this day. lol. In fact, I still have this game, the exact version pictured.  It's a little worse for the wear but not bad for 45 years old. 

 

10. Othello:
I still have this game also. Loved how smooth the pieces felt in my hands and loved flipping them over. 

11. Payday:
I remember us owning this game but to be honest I can't recall how to play it.  I'm sure I lost at this one too though, so no worries there. hah!

12. Risk:
Ugh.  Seven extra men at the beginning and yet I could never win this game! I still hate it. (But only because I suck at world domination)

 

13. Uncle Wiggily:
This is another game I was too young when I played to really remember.  I do remember, however, opening the box and a giant spider jumping out at me.  The hell with you Uncle Wiggily! That was the last time I ever touched that game. 

Did you play any of these games when you were a kid?  What was your favorite toy or game from your childhood?

Visit Thursday13 for more entries.