Warbirds 2004 Review

With the exception of MS Flight Simulator and a few other titles, hardcore simulation games have had a difficult time competing with the fashionable first-person shooters and roleplaying games of recent years. I have to admit that, aside from WWII Online, I barely noticed how far flight simulators have come since the single-player days of Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe, in part because the genre as a whole seems to be garnering much less attention than it did in the past.Warbirds has been around in one form or another since the mid-nineties, and it's the longest running massively multiplayer game of its kind. The latest version is Warbirds 2004, which continues the tradition of extreme realism, but includes enhanced graphics, additional vehicles, artillery spotting, and more.

Graphics
Although Warbirds has a long history, the graphics engine has been faithfully upgraded to the extent that it remains visually satisfying. Plane models look good, explode nicely, and can have a wing or some other part blown off in combat. As is often the case in flight simulators, there's not much for ground detail. Lighting, water, particle, and damage effects certainly aren't on the bleeding-edge of pixel-shaded wonderment, but when the tracers from the fighter behind you are whipping past your head, that will likely be the last thing on your mind. In fact, if the game implemented all the latest eye candy, chances are you'd be turning it down for better performance anyway. Clearly the priority here was smooth online play, and it seems to have worked. On my DSL connection Warbirds 2004 has had minimal lag considering there have been 100 or more players in the game at times.

My biggest complaint about the graphics is that the interface, while functional, looks dated and is somewhat awkward to use. There are a wealth of options and adjustments you can make to facilitate your gameplay, but you won't always find them in the most intuitive places, and you sometimes have to resort to typing obscure dot commands into the chat line.

Learning to Fly
Ever since Battlefield 1942 became a hit, developers have gone to great lengths to integrate some sort of vehicular warfare into their first-person shooters. While there is something to be said for these games, it certainly doesn't feel like a bomb run when you can't fly in a straight line for more than two minutes without getting an "out of bounds" warning. Anyone accustomed to the flight, tank, and submarine simulators of old will notice that the vehicles in recent shooters are, at best, weak approximations of the real thing. They are easy to operate, but they have done away with all the intricasies and subtleties of the complex simulation games that made landing a plane a difficult task, and induced many of us to buy our first joystick.

Warbirds 2004, on the other hand, continues to take its flight model seriously. You have complete control over everything from landing gear to ailerons. The gauges in the cockpit (if the plane had any) are fully functional, and you must work within the structural limitations of of the aircraft you're flying. G-forces are likewise taken into account, causing you to blackout if you make a sharp turn at too high a speed.

There are several barriers to getting involved in a game like this. Although you can play with a mouse, a joystick is pretty much essential, and if you can afford a deluxe model with pedals, so much the better. The flight simulation in Warbirds is unapologetically realistic, and the learning curve is unapologetically steep. Those of you with a lot of flight simulator experience you will find Warbirds easy to adapt to. However, if you're new to flying WWII aircraft, expect to spend considerable time reading the manual and working on the basics. Warbirds also has a single-player component, which gives you a chance to get used to the wide variety of aircraft available before going online, where the competition is, naturally, merciless.

The developers and players alike are keenly aware of the game's sharp learning curve, and they should be commended for going to incredible lengths to help newbies become worthy pilots. Not only are there a full compliment of training missions you can fly offline, there are online training arenas where you can get flight lessons from a real person.

Another barrier is the monthly fee for online play. When it first arrived on the scene, Warbirds was among the most expensive online games available, but the price has gradually come down and you can now play for about the same monthly fee that most MMORPGs charge. Better still, the client is available as a free download and includes two weeks of free game time.

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Saga of Ryzom Review

Feb 05 2005

One of the most difficult things about reviewing a MMORPG is that they are always changing. In a sense these games are in beta for their entire lives, as user feedback flows in and developers continue to fix bugs and add content. Remarkably, certain games feel more complete in beta than others do well after release. Reviews subsequently end up being an evaluation of the current state of the game, rather than the "final answer" we are familiar with from book and movie reviews.

The Saga of Ryzom (SoR) was released in September 2004 and developed by Nevrax, a relatively small game company based in France. It's a blend of sci-fi and fantasy, set on the devastated planet of Atys, which two rival factions are trying to claim. The world has a complex eco-system and evolving civilizations which guilds can interact with to instate their own legacy.

Graphics
A great looking game by any standard, SoR employs a full complement of pixel-shaded, bump-mapped, DX9 jibber-jabbers. The particle and water effects are sufficiently dazzling, and the lush environments are equally impressive. It has seasonal cycles as well as the usual daylight and weather cycles. I've seen more dynamic shadows and such in games, but it could be that I don't have everything turned up to the maximum. In short, no one is complaining about the graphics.

The GUI is very functional and customizable. Movement can be accomplished by keyboard or by holding down mouse buttons, and camera controls follow the conventions of the current crop of MMORPGs. The camera zooms in to a position over your character's head, making it a little hard to get a good look at yourself, but it's a minor concern.

Sound
Although other players assure me that the sound has improved quite a bit since launch, it's still rather sparse. The various melee weapons all seem to sound the same, and there's very little music. The audio that has been implemented is high quality, and will make use of surround sound speaker systems. Word is the composer from Anarchy Online has been hired and more music is on the way. There is a built-in MP3 player, which is a nifty touch.

Character Creation
You won't find the typical elves, dwarves, and ogres in Atys. In keeping with the background story, you play as a form of Homin, which includes 4 races that vary from the gnome-like Trykers to the alien-faced Zorais. A good assortment of sliders allow you customize your appearance more than most games of this kind. Because there are no classes, you decide on a basic skill set and you're on your way in short order.

It is said that characters will age and eventually die. Having offspring is also supposed to be an option, with the ability to pass on ancestral qualities.

Skills
Rather than the common class and level system which predetermines your character's advancement in many ways, SoR uses an open skill-based system where you progress according to which skills you use. Swinging an axe will improve your melee skill, casting will improve your magic skill, and so on. The base skills are fighting, magic, harvesting, and crafting. There is no penalty for working them all up if you so desire.

Combat
The combat system, apart from a few lingering balance issues, is everything it should be and then some. You pick a target and go into attack mode, selecting special moves from a shortcut bar in typical RPG fashion. What separates SoR from the rest of the pack, however, is the "modular action system," which allows you create your own custom special attacks made up from components of the standard attacks. It's truly ingenious and adds a significant amount of depth to what would otherwise be fairly routine skirmishing, without burying you in complicated proceedures when the fight is on. Thumbs up for this clever feature.

Death brings on a experience penality which must be cleared before further progress can be made. While it grows larger each time you die, it's not overly severe and you're not subjected to any grueling corpse recoveries.

It's nice to see that SoR has collision detection, meaning that characters can't pass through other characters and creatures the way they do in many MMORPGs. On the down side, you won't come to a premature demise by falling off a cliff or jumping off a bridge, as such movements aren't possible.

Harvesting and Crafting
Harvesting, as you would expect, involves chopping away at resources with the appropriate tool. There are a wide range of actions associated with harvesting, such as prospecting, and it is not without risks. On occasion a resource will explode or emit harmful gasses during the process, causing the harvester to take damage.

Resources and crafting play a meaningful role in SoR, primarily because the wild beasts in the game don't drop ready-to-use swords and spells. There is something absurd about killing a wolf and finding a magical dagger or a handful of coins on its corpse, as is often the case in this sort of game.

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Guild Wars: Eye of the North

Sept 30 2007

When it comes to online RPGs, none have successfully done away with as many conventions as the Guild Wars series from ArenaNet. Among a host of other things, their approach to expanding the game's content has also been unique, in that there are now three releases that are actually stand-alone games, making Eye of the North (GWEN) the first true expansion for the franchise. Unlike the first three campaigns, Eye of the North is strictly high-level content for maxed-out characters.

The story picks up where the first campaign, Prophecies, left off. You access Eye of the North through a quest that becomes available in the major cities once you reach the level cap of 20. Before long you'll hook up with Gwen, the little girl from Prophecies, who is now all grown up and fighting Charr in the mountains. It turns out that there's a bigger threat at hand, in the form of the Destroyers, who want to destroy pretty much everything, including the Charr. It's a little on the predictable side, but not without its moments.

New Races and Heroes
One purpose of Eye of the North is to introduce some of the new races that will be playable in Guild Wars 2. This includes Dwarves, the Norn, who are giant, shape-shifting humans that fight in freezing cold temperatures wearing bikini armor (sure to be a popular race in the sequel), and the Asura, who look like extraterrestrial gnomes with an extra helping of cuteness. Heroes from these new races become available as you adventure, broadening the AI Hero element that arrived with Nightfall.

Quests
In a departure from the other campaigns, the expansion breaks the central quest line into three branches and you can switch between them at will. This makes GWEN a little less linear than the previous games, although the core quest mechanics remain the same. Despite a graphics engine that is over 2 years old, GWEN has plenty of visually stunning environments.

You don't actually have to complete one of the other campaigns before venturing into the expansion, but it's highly recommended that you do so. Most importantly, it will give you more attribute points and an elite skill, without which you'll find the new content quite a challenge. I tackled it with a Dervish that didn't have these things, and while it can be done, you need to select your party carefully, and hooking up with other players rather than AI-controlled heroes and henchmen can make a big difference.

Loot
Another one of those unique things about Guild Wars is the way levels and items are handled. The level cap can be reached very quickly, and maximum stat armor and weapons can essentially be purchased from a vendor. There are "prestige" armor sets, but their base stats are the same, so they are sought after simply for their appearance. Typically, you can have these items crafted after gaining reputation with certain of the game's factions. This applies to all the new weapons and armor in Eye of the North, as ArenaNet chose not to raise the level cap with this expansion.

Given the competitive nature of PvP combat in Guild Wars, it's understandable that they didn't want to tinker with additional levels or items that would throw that aspect of the game out of balance. While commendable from the perspective of PvPers, it makes the rewards in Eye of the North seem almost insignificant relative to the amount of effort it takes to acquire them. In fact, the only thing in the expansion of any consequence to PvP is a few new skills.

Dungeons and Mini-games
The dungeons, differentiated from other instances primarily by being subterranean, are impressive and well-designed. Often involving several stages, they can take a bit longer and present more a challenge the average Guild Wars encounter. As long as you're doing them for the adventure rather than the loot, you should find them quite enjoyable.

GWEN also offers the Hall of Monuments, which is basically a gigantic display case for your trophies. All of your major Guild Wars achievements and titles are represented here, and they will give you access to certain perks in Guild Wars 2. It's a nice touch, although it has no impact on gameplay, much like most of the items it exhibits.

If you grow weary working up your reputation with the various factions, which does get tedious a times, GWEN includes several mini-games. You can try your hand at Dwarven boxing, fight one-on-one battles against random heroes from any of the campaigns in the Norn tournaments, or play Asuran Polymock, a clever game that pits creatures of predetermined skills against each other. While simplistic, these mini-games are thoughtfully implemented and provide a welcome distraction from questing. About the only thing missing from them is a PvP component.

The Bottom Line
There's some quality content in Eye of the North, but with no new classes, nothing new on the PvP end of the game, and rewards that are largely cosmetic, it feels sparse compared to the other campaigns. Of course, if you've conquered that lot and you still want more, you're bound to find things to like about this expansion. The new Heroes give you more ways to customize your party, the dungeons are engaging, and long-term fans are sure to appreciate the Hall of Monuments. It's also nice to get to know the playable races in the upcoming Guild Wars 2, which definitely has a tough act to follow.

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Fantasy MMORPGs

Nov 09 2009

There are a remarkable number of choices available to massively multiplayer online gamers compared to a few years ago, but medieval fantasy continues to be the most popular setting. In these games you create a character, don a sword or a spellbook, and venture off into a persistent online world in search of experience points. An Internet connection is required and these games typically charge a monthly subscription fee. I rely a lot on user feedback as well as my personal experience when rating these games, so if you have an opinion on the subject, feel free make a suggestion.

Blizzard Entertainment muscled its way into the MMORPG market back in 2004 with this game based on their illustrious Warcraft strategy series. Although it does not rewrite the book on MMORPGs, exceptional artistry, nicely paced gameplay, an engaging world, solid PvP, and a great interface made World of Warcraft a favorite among fans of this genre. It's easily the most refined and popular game of its kind with millions of players worldwide. The Battlechest version includes both the original game and the first expansion, The Burning Crusade.

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Alice in Wonderland Review

Review Date: March 26, 2010
Developer: Gimagin
Publisher: Merscom
Platform: Windows
Genre: Hidden Object

By now, everyone knows the classic tale Alice in Wonderland, where a girl named Alice falls down a rabbit hole and gets swept up in a whimsical tale of fantasy. But while the hidden object game of the same name bares some thematic similarities with its literary predecessor, it also tells a new and refreshing story. With a more modern take on the classic, and a dark and surreal atmosphere, the game does a good job of being unique. It's just too bad that the actual game isn't quite as creative.

In a surprising twist, Alice in Wonderland doesn't actually star Alice. Instead, the heroine of the game is a young woman named Rachel. After buying a new, slightly creepy Victorian house, Alice discovers two startling facts: first, that 10 young girls have gone missing, and second, her new home contains a rabbit hole that leads to another world. This, of course, if Wonderland. And it turns out that the missing girls are all being held captive there. Rachel decides it's up to her to rescue them, and the rest of the game is spent trying to free the imprisoned girls. You'll encounter familiar characters over the course of Rachel's journey, including the white rabbit, and red queen, the cheshire cat, and the caterpillar. But given the game's new take on the story, these characters look much different than you may remember.

This new take on Alice extends to the look of the game as well, which creates a dark and surreal atmosphere. Wonderland looks truly bizarre, and almost has a steampunk-like feel, with plenty of rotating gears and even a few robots. The art for the characters and backgrounds looks great, and even sports a few cool effects like flashes of lightning. The only real stumble are the 3D cut-scenes that punctuate each chapter, which are very low-resolution and don't look anywhere near as good as the rest of the game. 

But while the look and feel of the game may be unique, the game itself is about as standard as hidden object games come. You'll spend the majority of your time searching for various objects, with the help of a recharging hint meter, and solving the occasional mini-game or puzzle. These run the gamut from sliding block puzzles to torn-up photographs and notes that need to be put back together. The mini-games can be skipped after a certain amount of time, but you probably won't need to, as most of the game -- including the hidden object sections -- is pretty easy. In fact, I was often able to complete areas without even looking at the list of objects I needed to find because they stuck out from the background so clearly.

It's a shame that the actual game portion of Alice in Wonderland turned out so generic, because the rest of the experience is simply wonderful. From the twisted character designs to the haunting soundtrack, this is a look a Wonderland that you haven't seen before. But for HOG fans, the gameplay is the exact opposite, as it's composed entirely of often used features that seem to inhabit nearly every HOG out there. That being said, the game isn't particularly bad, just overly familiar. So if all you're looking for is a chance to explore this surreal version of Wonderland without being too taxed mentally, you won't be disappointed.

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World Boardgaming Championships

The World Boardgaming Championships, hosted by the Boardgame Players Association, is a great event for fans of wargames and designer games. The emphasis is very much on tournament play, although open gaming has grown in popularity in recent years.

The main convention takes place Monday, Aug. 1, 2011 to Sunday, Aug. 7, 2011. Associated pre-con events will take place the weekend before the main convention (July 30-31, 2011).

Future dates: July 30-Aug. 5, 2012; July 29-Aug. 4, 2013; Aug. 4-10, 2014; and Aug. 3-9, 2015.

I have attended five World Boardgaming Championships (2005 through 2009), all at the Lancaster Host in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The organizers and volunteers do an incredible job of making sure that events run on time and as efficiently as possible.

If you're interested in tournament-based gaming, the WBC is the event for you. Many of the events are open to players with limited or no experience in the games being played, although some are recommended for expert players only.

There are also areas for open gaming, Rio Grande Games has an area where they show off their new and recent publications, game demos provide oppportunities to learn new games, and a vendor room allows players to buy their favorite games.

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DISCover - A Console for PC Games

Aug 18 2003

The most appealing thing about console gaming, aside from the relatively low cost, is the convenience of being able to simply insert the necessary game disc and start playing, without ever having to address all the technical complications that can arise when running games on a computer. While life in PC game land has been getting a little easier over the years, it's still only a matter of time before one has to deal with dated drivers, game patches, software incompatibilities, and so on. Nevertheless, PCs have thus far always led the way in video gaming for a number of reasons. There are more games available for the PC than any single console platform, PC hardware is always on the cutting-edge, and monitors provide higher resolution images than most televisions, among other things.

Well, what if you could plug your TV into a console designed specifically to "drop and play" PC games? Make way for a new concept in game hardware, coming in the form of a "PC game console" called DISCover, created by Digital Interactive Systems Corporation of San Gabriel, California.

The DISCover Console (Photo Courtesy DISCover)

Revealed at the 2003 Electronic Entertainment Expo, DISCover is essentially a PC with a TV output and a customized version of Windows XP preinstalled. It is designed to install, configure, and load PC games automatically without any user input, including Internet-only PC titles such as EverQuest and Dark Age of Camelot. The units will come in several different models, and will also play DVDs and MP3s. Prices are expected to range from about $300 for an entry-level version, to $700 or more for a high-end model.

The software for the system will also be available separately, for those who wish to convert an existing PC into a drop and play console, and for PC manufacturing partners who want to market their own DISCover-based systems.

The makers of DISCover are hoping it will appeal to console gamers who want to step up to PC games without the PC headaches, and PC gamers that want to play sitting on the sofa in front of the TV.

There is some impressive hardware inside the more expensive models, which feature a 3 GHz Pentium 4 processor, 1 GB of RAM, a 120 GB hard drive, and GeForce4 TI or better graphics. Although you could build a faster PC with the latest technology, the DISCover will carry considerably more computing power than the next generation of PlayStation and XBox consoles.

All models will have modem and broadband capabilities. As well, the boxes can be connected to each other for the purpose of LAN games. Some of the component parts of premium DISCover consoles will, allegedly, be upgradable, and there are a full set of standard PC ports on back for keyboard, mouse, and other peripherals.

Game patches and driver updates are to be handled automatically over the Internet. The system will connect to the DISCover network regularly, and, if necessary, download and install any new files that your games or hardware require.

It's an interesting, and daring, venture, but, like many people, I am a little skeptical about how successful the DISCover will be. Given the nature of personal computing, getting it work as seamlessly as advertised could be a challenge. Consoles have so far adhered to rigid specifications and allowed little or no upgrades to ensure reliability. DISCover will have to run hundreds of games on a number of slightly different system configurations, which is no small task.

As for playing PC games on a television in the living room, many computers already have TV outputs that make this possible. That said, many PC games built around the mouse and keyboard don't adapt particularly well to couch play, for which a game pad controller is better suited. Then there is the fact that, unless you have a high definition TV, games just aren't going to look as good on a television as they do on a monitor. Of course, the option to use a monitor does exist, and DISCover's ease of use could be exactly what some gamers are looking for, perhaps in addition to their current computers.

Considering that premium DISCovers are likely to be priced in about the same range as an entry-level PC that will do much more than just play games, it will be interesting to see if this console can carve out a place in a very competitive market. Expect to see DISCover consoles on store shelves sometime early next year.

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Ways to Improve Monopoly

We've all been there... a family gathering, a rainy Saturday afternoon... and everyone decides to play a board game.

In homes all around the world, that game is often Monopoly. But so many of us have played it so often -- and games can drag on for so long -- that one more game of Monopoly just might make us scream.

But there's a reason Monopoly has been so popular for so long: It's a good game. The problem is that most of us don't play by the rules. Repeat -- we do not play by the rules.

I don't mean that we cheat -- just that we don't use some of the game's most important rules. In fact, most of us probably don't even realize what we're ignoring.

Paying attention to these official rules will make your Monopoly experience much more enjoyable. A bit later, we'll discuss some variants that could help as well.

All of the ideas below, and many others, can be found at Mark Jackson's fabulous Game Central Station. They are used here with his permission.

The five Monopoly rules most often ignored: Property Auctions -- If a player lands on a property and doesn't want to purchase it, that property goes up for auction. Any player, including the one who initially landed on the square, can bid for it. The property may sell for any price. Limited Houses and Hotels -- There are only so many houses and hotels in the game. When they're gone, you can't build any more. Period. Loans -- The only way to borrow money is to mortgage property. You can't borrow from other players, and you can't borrow from the bank (apart from a mortgage). Free Parking Means Free Parking -- You do not get $500, $5,000 or even $5 for landing on Free Parking. You get nothing. Nada. Zip. On a related subject, all payments required by Chance and Community Chest cards go to the Bank, not to the center of the board. Only Tangible Items Can be Traded -- Official tournament rules make it clear that cash, title deeds, and Get Out of Jail Free cards are the only items that can be part of a deal. Keep it that way. The net effect of playing by the rules is to speed up the game, which goes a long way toward improving it. (Think about it: How many times have you seen a player come back from the verge of bankruptcy because of a big, unearned payday from landing on Free Parking? It's a completely random factor that adds a moment or two of excitement, but can also add hours of time.)

But, you say, just paying attention to the existing rules can't be enough to make Monopoly great? OK...

Try these new rules:

These suggestions are all designed to speed play, reward good strategy, or both. Bid for Start Order -- Going first is a definite advantage, because you can buy properties before anyone else gets there. So why shouldn't you have to pay for the advantage? At the start of the game, bid for first position, then second, etc. In cases where no one wishes to bid, a die roll is used to determine order. From R. Wayne Schmittberger's book New Rules for Classic Games. Once Around the Board -- As an alternative to bidding for player order, don't let anyone purchase property until they pass Go once. This will somewhat even out the advantage of going first. From Phillip Orbanes' book The Monopoly Companion. Movement Cards -- Give each player a set of cards numbered from 1 to 6. On each roll, a player uses one card and rolls one die. That player then moves the total of both. Each card must be used once before any can be used a second time. From Stephen Glenn. End After Two Bankruptcies -- Most (perhaps all) official Monopoly rulebooks offer this as a "short game" variant. After two players go bankrupt, the winner is the person with the most cash, property and buildings. No Future Considerations -- This is really just a reinforcement to "Only Tangible Items Can be Traded." Don't allow players to trade for promises. For example, this should be a no-no: "You don't have to pay me the rent now, but you must give me $100 when you pass Go." Now when it rains again and your family wants to play another game of Monopoly, you're equipped to play the game as it was meant to be played -- or maybe even better!

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Neveron Q&A

If you ever played table-top hexboard strategy games, they probably still hold a special place in your heart. Neveron is a free browser-based strategy game that stays true to this tradition. Players build empires, manage economies, fight wars, and form alliances in a complex sci-fi world. Developer Randy Shepardson answers a few questions about this growing game.

You site Battletech as one of the games that inspired Neveron. Can you tell us a little about Battletech and how it influenced the creation of Neveron, and the history of Neveron itself?
Battletech is an old board game where players would fight each other on hex-grid cardboard maps with large robots (mechs). Over the years it evolved to include tanks, infantry, and space combat and a somewhat cumbersome role-playing game was incorporated. This eventually grew into the popular Mechwarrior series of computer games.

I was a big fan of the original battletech game as a kid. My friends and I would create elaborate campaigns for our armies to fight and we spent countless afternoons moving miniature mechs around homemade maps spread over the floor. I kept a passing interest through college and as multiplayer Internet gaming really caught on I decided I wanted to play a Battletech-style game in a persistent world where you could create empires and wage wars against other players. There were a few games out there that I had high hopes for, but as years passed without any visible progress I decided that if I wanted to play such a game, I'd have to make it myself.

So yes, Battletech definitely inspired Neveron, although Neveron has moved far beyond a simple board game of mech combat. Many of the rules and terminology are carried through, although at this point single combat between two mechs is generally confined to controlled arena settings while the world of Neveron has become a much larger, complex place.

I noticed that Neveron doesn't require any downloads or browser plug-ins such as Shockwave. What kind of technology does Neveron use?
Neveron is entirely browser-based. That has always been a requirement for me, that plus having it free for everyone. I've never been a big fan of playing games that require downloads, and I figure there are probably other people out there in the same boat. The client-side scripting is VBscript and ActiveX, with a small dose of javascript sprinkled in. The bulk of the coding is in ASP and in the database itself (SQL Server). Offline applications we write to help manage the game for us (such as the AI programs for combat) are generally in VB.

What are the objectives of the game? Does it ever end or get reset?
Thats a great question, and a hard one to answer. The game doesn't ever reset. Neveron has been around about 5 years now and let me check real quick .. about 170,000 empires have been created over the years and the oldest one has an ID of 23, so at least one person who probably started playing the first week Neveron came online is still playing.

Nev is a very complex world, and people play for different reasons and set different goals. I'd guess for most the main goal is the growth of their empire. You begin with a single 3x3km zone of land and 100 civilians, 4 machine-gun armed jeeps, and a small pile of cash. The largest empires in the game have armies of over ten thousand elite units and millions of workers driving massive economies supporting them and their factions. Although you can't ever win per se, there is always someone, or more often a group of players, you might consider to be winning. These players are the faction leaders of the most dominant alliances in the game, those who cause lesser players to run in terror when they see they have come under attack by one of these giants. There are dozens of rankings to measure your growth and power, summed up in the faction directory where you might strive to one day lead your alliance into the number one spot.

In terms of gameplay options, is there any AI in the game? Can players practice against computer opponents? What happens when your empire is invaded while you're not online?
There is an AI, and if you are attacked while offline there are a number of systems to ensure your survival. The AI programs will do a decent job of fighting for you, but its very tactical combat system with far too many variables to handle too intelligently. A skillful human player can usually defeat an AI foe with similar forces. There is also an "Automated Battle Resolution" (ABR) system that can relatively quickly resolve battles where there are no active players on either sides. This can facilitate large-scale warfare when neither side has the interest in entering battle and actually fighting out the many lesser engagements.

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Monopoly Online with Middopoly

Middopoly

Link: http://www.jgames.com/middopoly/

Middopoly is a Java game very similar to Monopoly. (This game has several changes -- e.g. Free Parking is replaced with Student Parking, Jail is replaced by a Hospital -- but none that seem to change the basic rules.)

The first thing you'll see when you visit the site is a pop-up window that asks how many players are taking part in this game of Monopoly. Choose a number and click on "Okay." Each player will then enter his or her name.

The next step is for each player to choose a token (this is still in the popup window). The computer will then roll to see who goes first (you'll see the results), and once you click on "Play the Game!" it will start.

From there, everything is pretty self-explanatory. The buttons include "Roll," "Trade," "Mortgage," "Unmortgage," "Buy Structures" (houses and hotels) and "Sell Structures."

On your turn, the first thing to do is click "Roll." After you roll and move (moving is automatic), a button marked "[Playername] Finished" will appear. Do not press this button until you're sure that you've done everything you want to on this turn.

If you land on an unowned property, buttons marked "Buy" and "No thanks" will appear in the middle of the game board. You must choose one before continuing.

Player assets are always listed below the game board, and rent is paid automatically. To play with multiple players, they all have to be using the same computer. No computer opponents are available.

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Best Romantic Games

Romance is in the offing with these games, some of the very best adults-only board games and card games. Needless to say, they're meant for two players.
1. Kama Sutra Game
The cards in the Kama Sutra Game range from sharing sweet thoughts to petting to actual sexual positions. It's a great introduction to the Kama Sutra.

2. French Kiss Massage Kit and Game
There are four different kits available in this series, each with different scents of lotions and oils. The French Kiss version features French Almond massage oil and Vanilla Orange lotion; another has Cinnamon Spice massage oil and Kiwi Spice lotion. Players spin a dial and then apply the oil or lotion to the specified body part.

3. Strip Chocolate Board Game
As clothes come off, chocolate goes on. This is a very yummy adults-only game.

4. Speak Love, Make Love
As players move around they game board, they either give or receive as instructed. Speak Love, Make Love comes with a two-sided board.

5. Fan the Flames
At the start of the game, each player writes a secret wish, something they would like to enjoy with their partner at the end of the game.

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How to Win at Backgammon

 Backgammon

Photo used with permission of The Elliott Avedon Museum & Archive of Games, University of Waterloo.

Backgammon relies on dice rolling, so if your opponent rolls sixes while you roll ones, you're probably going to lose no matter what you do. But because so many dice are rolled during a game of Backgammon, the luck usually evens out, and whoever plays the better strategy is likely to win.

Here are the five basic Backgammon strategies.

1. The Running Game

The running game is the simplest Backgammon strategy and simply involves running your checkers towards your home board as swiftly as possible. As you might expect, if both players play a running game, whoever rolls better will win the game. For this reason, you should commit to a running game only if you open with strong rolls.

Beginners who believe that higher rolls always win a game of backgammon are generally only familiar with the running game strategy.

2. The Blitz

The blitz is an all-out attack on your opponent's vulnerable checkers. Rather than simply running for home, or trying to build points along the board, the blitz strategy involves landing on your opponent's checkers whenever possible to send them to the bar. The advantage of this is not only setting your opponent back some number of pips, but you may also be able to trap some checkers on the bar if your opponent does not roll the right numbers to come back onto the board.

Keep in mind that attacking close to your home row doesn't lose your opponent very many pips, and if your attacking checker remains vulnerable, you are at risk to lose many pips yourself.

3. Priming

Priming is a strategy that involves making a "prime," or connected series of made points along the board. Many experts consider this the essential strategy when trying to learn how to win at Backgammon.

By creating four made points in a row, you form a wall which your opponent cannot get past without rolling a five or six. This wall not only delays your opponents, but also provides an easy target for your other advancing checkers to find safe points.

Priming is most effective when combined with the blitz, which is referred to as the "two-way forward" attack. The blitz puts your opponent's checkers on the bar, and the prime makes sure that coming off of the bar is very difficult, resulting in many wasted dice rolls for your opponent.

4. The Holding Game

Moving away from your home board, the holding game relies on maintaining an anchor point in your opponent's home board. Although it is often wise to advance your furthest checkers early in the game to avoid being trapped, leaving an anchor point in the opponent's home board gives you two advantages.

Defensively, it gives you a safe place to land in case one of your checkers gets sent to the bar. This prevents an opponent from completely priming you into automated defeat.

Offensively, the holding game lets your anchor provide a reasonable threat to your opponent's advancing checkers. If you capture a checker in your opponent's home board, and then your opponent captures your checker in response, you still come out far ahead in pips.

5. The Back Game

The back game takes the holding game a step further, and relies on maintaining multiple made points in your opponent's home board. Obviously, since you only start with two checkers on your opponent's home board, you will only play the back game if your checkers are knocked onto the bar repeatedly. The back game is not an intentional strategy, so much as a way to salvage a game where you are being beaten up.

In addition to increasing the offensive threat of the holding game, the back game also inconveniences your opponent by taking up valuable home board real estate.

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Improve at Texas Hold 'Em

Texas Hold 'Em Poker is a game that rewards good play. There's obviously some luck involved, but a good player will beat bad players the vast majority of the time.

Follow these rules to increase your chances of winning.

1. Know your position.

The best position in Texas Hold 'Em is "on the button." When you're on the button, you're the last person to act in three out of the four betting rounds -- after the flop, the turn and the river. When it's your turn, you have full knowledge of how many other players are still in the hand and you can make a much more informed decision on how much to bet, if any.

The worst position is the small blind. After the flop, the turn and the river, you must act first. Sometimes you can use this to your advantage by playing aggressively, but it's much better to act last.

Also focus on the total number of players remaining at the table. A hand that shouldn't be played with seven players could be strong when you're down to two or three, since there's less competition at the table. Also, the fewer players there are, the more often you're forced to bet (the blinds), so you have to be more aggressive.

2. Concentrate on the other players.

It's easy to get caught up in your own hand and lose sight of the other players. But you need to be aware of how many chips they have (a rough count, not necessarily a specific count), what cards they could have, and what their best hand could be given the community cards you share with everyone else.

Watching player trends can also be helpful. Try to determine who bluffs and who plays a tighter game. If a player has consistently never bet more than $10 and suddenly comes in with a $50 bet, you should be wary. It's a good indication that player has something solid.

If a player loses a fairly big hand and then comes right back with a big bet, that player may be betting recklessly out of frustration. This is not a bad time to push back -- as long as you have a solid hand to do it with -- because someone playing like that isn't likely to fold.

3. Don't let other players see the flop for free.

If you have a hand that's strong enough to see the flop, don't let other players see it for free -- at least raise by the minimum bet. Beginners love to see the flop as cheaply as possible, but it's dangerous to let them do it.

Say your hand is a A-K and other players have a 7-4 and a 10-5. You should be able to get both of them out of the hand before the flop. But if you let them see the flop for just the price of the big blind, disaster could strike. In this case, a 10-9-8 would be about the worst -- you have nothing, and one of your opponents has an open-ended straight draw while the other has a pair of 10s. You've wasted a great starting hand.

4. Don't be afraid to get out after the flop.

Folding a hand after the flop is difficult for some beginning players. "I've already put money into the pot, so I might as well stay in and see what happens," they reason. But that kind of thinking can cause you to lose a lot of chips.

Even if you start with a great hand, the flop could kill you. Say you have an A-K but the flop comes up J-J-5. That does you no good and if someone else has a J you're suddenly a big underdog. Even if an A or K -- or both! -- come up, you'll lose to the three Js. If the flop doesn't improve your hand, and you're not holding a big pair, think hard about getting out.

Sometimes, you should get out after the flop even when you might think it's gone your way. Let's say you stayed in with a Q-6, and the flop is K-10-6. A natural tendency is to concentrate on what went right -- "Isn't it grand? I have a pair of 6s!" But the K and the 10 are very dangerous -- you have the low pair, meaning that any other player with a K or a 10 is ahead of you.

5. Play smart on the turn and the river.

Following these simple tips will help make you a better player at the turn and the river.

If you're holding a draw after the turn -- i.e. you need one more card to make a good hand, typically a straight or a flush -- try to get to the river as cheaply as possible.

If you're sure you have the best possible hand after the turn, make it expensive for opponents to see the river.

If the community cards include a pair, remember that you might be up against a full house.

If the board shows three cards of the same suit, watch out for an opponent holding a flush.

After the river, your decision to check, bet, fold or call can only be based on the realized value of your cards -- you no longer have the potential to improve your hand. If you think your opponent has a better hand, it's usually unwise to bluff here.

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Monopoly Here & Now (U.S.)

Parker Brothers has unveiled a major new edition of Monopoly -- Monopoly Here & Now.

While some versions of Here & Now, such as the U.K. and Canada, were published earlier, the U.S. edition of Monopoly Here & Now was released in September 2006. It updates all of the classic real estate game's properties, property values, player tokens and more. The railroads are changed to airports, and the electric company and water works are now a cell phone service and an Internet service provider.

The most coveted spot on the board, Boardwalk in the original U.S. version, is now New York City's Times Square. Park Place has been replaced by Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox.

In the spring of 2006, Hasbro asked people to vote online to help choose the new properties. These votes determined which landmarks from 22 pre-determined cities made it onto the board, as well as the location of the landmarks on the board.

Monopoly Here & Now is available for a suggested retail price of $29.99.

We have a photo gallery of images from Monopoly Here & Now.

Property Changes

Here's a look at how the properties from the traditional edition of Monopoly have been changed for Monopoly Here & Now, with the most expensive properties listed first.

Blue Properties

Boardwalk is now New York City's Times Square
Park Place is now Boston's Fenway Park

The rent on Boardwalk was: $50 undeveloped; $200 with one house; $600 with two houses; $1,400 with three houses; $1,700 with four houses; and $2,000 with a hotel.

The rent on Times Square is: $500,000 undeveloped; $2 million with one house; $6 million with two houses; $14 million with three houses; $17 million with four houses; and $20 million with a hotel.

Green Properties

Pennsylvania Ave. is now The White House
North Carolina Ave. is now Chicago's Wrigley Field
Pacific Ave. is now Las Vegas' Las Vegas Blvd.

Yellow Properties

Marvin Gardens is now San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge
Ventnor Ave. is now Hollywood
Atlantic Ave. is now the French Quarter of New Orleans

Red Properties

Illinois Ave. is now Orlando's Disney World (this is the property most often landed on)
Indiana Ave. is now Honolulu's Waikiki Beach
Kentucky Ave. is now Phoenix's Camelback Mountain

Orange Properties

New York Ave. is now Seattle's Pioneer Square
Tennessee Ave. is now Houston's Johnson Space Center
St. James Place is now Miami's South Beach

Magenta Properties

Virginia Ave. is now Philadelphia's Liberty Bell
States Ave. is now Denver's Red Rocks Amphitheatre
St. Charles Place is now Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park

Light Blue Properties

Connecticut Ave. is now Minneapolis' Mall of America
Vermont Ave. is now St. Louis' Gateway Arch
Oriental Ave. is now Nashville's Grand Ole Opry

Purple Properties

Baltic Ave. is now Dallas' Texas Stadium
Mediterranean Ave. is now Cleveland's Jacobs Field

Player Tokens

The race car has been replaced with a hybrid Toyota Prius, the shoe is now a New Balance sneaker, and the Scottish terrier has become a labradoodle.

The other game tokens are McDonald's French Fries, a Motorola RAZR cell phone, an airplane, and a laptop computer.

Everything is More Expensive

The new game has higher property values and rents. Players start with $2 million each. Everything in the game appears to be proportional to the original edition, multiplied by 10,000.

Chance and Community Chest

Chance and Community Chest cards have been updated. For example, winning $10 in a beauty contest has become winning $100,000 on a reality TV show, and players are sent to jail for crimes like identity theft and insider trading.

Traditional Monopoly

The traditional Monopoly game, based on streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey, will still be sold.

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Oh Hell - Card Game Rules

Oh Hell is a simple trick-taking card game that nonetheless presents good opportunity for strategic play. The game Wizard, published by U.S. Games, is based on Oh Hell. This game is sometimes referred to as Oh Pshaw or Blackout.

Players

3 to 7 players.

Deck

Standard 52-card deck. Ace is high; 2 is low.

Goal

To score the most points by accurately predicting how many tricks you'll win.

Setup

Shuffle the cards. Choose a dealer. For each subsequent hand, the player to the left of the previous dealer becomes the new dealer.

The number of hands in the game varies according to the number of players:

3 players, 15 hands
4 players, 13 hands
5 players, 10 hands
6 players, 8 hands
7 players, 7 hands

For the first hand of the game, each player receives one card. For the second hand, each player receives two cards. The third hand, three cards, and so on until the end of the game.

After the cards are dealt, the dealer turns the next card face up. The suit of this card establishes the trump suit. (In the last hand of the game, there is no trump suit, so this card is not turned face up.)

Remaining cards are set aside and not used in that hand.

Bidding

The player to the dealer's left bids first. Each player must bid; no one may pass. Legal bids range from 0 to the number of cards dealt for that round. EXAMPLE: If four cards are dealt, legal bids range from 0 to 4.

Players are bidding on the number of tricks they think they'll win in that hand.

Gameplay

The player to the dealer’s left plays first ("leads"). Play continues clockwise. Each player must follow suit (i.e. play the same suit that was led) if possible.

Generally, each trick is won by the player who played the highest rank of the suit led. However, if the suit led was not trump, and one or more players played a trump card, then the trick is won by the player who played the highest rank of trump.

When a trick is won, the winning player sets the trick in front of himself so that it's easy to tell how many tricks each player has won.

Scoring

One player serves as the scorekeeper. As each player makes his bid, the scorekeeper writes them down. All information about the bids is open, and any player can ask for a reminder of who bid what at any time during the game.

Players only score points by precisely predicting the number of hands they would win. A bid that's either too high or too low scores zero points.

Each player who makes his bid exactly scores 10 points plus the number of tricks won. EXAMPLE: Evelyn bid 4 and won 4 tricks. She scores 14 points (10+4). Frank bid 0 and won 0 tricks. He scores 10 points (10+0).

Winning

The player with the highest total score at the end of the game is the winner.

Common Rules Variations Some people play in reverse. That is, the largest hand is played first and each player only receives 1 card for the final hand. I dislike this rule because it makes it harder for a player who's behind to come back and win. Some players run from 1 card up to the maximum, and then back down to 1. Other players start at the maximum, run down to 1 card, and then back up to the maximum. Some people prefer to play that the total number of tricks bid cannot equal the number available. EXAMPLE: If it's the fifth hand, the total number of tricks bid cannot equal 5. This ensures that at least one player will fail to make his bid on each hand. Some players use simultaneous bidding. In this variation, everyone decides what they'll bid for each and then all players reveal their bids simultaneously. Most commonly, this is done by placing one or two fists on the table, counting to 3 and having everyone reveal a number of fingers at the same time. In a Spanish version of the game, known as La Podrida, players who cannot follow suit must play a trump card if they have one. Common Scoring Variations Some people score so that players who miss their bid score 1 point for each trick taken. EXAMPLE: George bid 3 and won 4 tricks. He doesn't score the 10 point bonus, but he does score 4 points. Some players prefer an alternate scoring scheme for a bid of 0. In this scoring option, a player who successfully bids 0 wins 5 points plus the number of tricks in the hand. EXAMPLE: Helen bid 0 and won 0 tricks in the seventh hand, when 7 tricks are played. She scores 12 points (5+7).

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Oklahoma Gin - Card Game Rules

Oklahoma Gin is a close relative of Gin Rummy.

Players

2 players

Deck

Use a standard 52-card deck.

NOTE: An Ace is always low card in Oklahoma Gin; it cannot be used as high card. Also, face cards are worth 10 points each; number cards are worth their face value; an Ace is worth one point.

Goal

Collect sets (three or four of a kind, or three or more consecutive cards of the same suit) to earn points. The game is played over several rounds.

Setup

Choose a dealer randomly to deal the first round; throughout the game, the winner of each round deals the next.

Shuffle the deck and deal 10 cards to each player. Players should look at and sort their cards.

The next card is turned face up in the middle of the table to start the discard pile. This card is very important, because it determines the maximum numbers of points a player can have remaining in his hand when he knocks (see "Knocking" below). For example, if it's a face card or a 10, a player may knock with 10 points or fewer. If it's a 6, a player may knock with 6 points or fewer.

The remaining cards are placed face down next to the discard pile to form a draw pile.

Gameplay

Each normal turn consists of two parts.

First, you must take a card -- either the top card from the draw pile or the top card from the discard pile.

Second, you must discard a card (face up) onto the top of the discard pile.

NOTE: On the very first turn of each round, the non-dealer decides whether or not to take the first face up card. If that player declines, the dealer may take the card. If one of the players takes the card, that player completes his turn by discarding and then the other player takes a turn. If both players decline to take the card, the non-dealer starts the game by drawing the top card from the draw pile.

Knocking

The round ends when a player "knocks." This may be done on any turn (including the first turn) after drawing but before discarding. A player may knock when he has the ability to form sets, discard one card, and have an appropriate number of points remaining in his hand (see "Setup" above).

NOTE: A single card cannot belong to two sets.

After knocking and discarding, the player who knocked organizes and spreads all of his cards face up on the table.

The player who did not knock does the same. If the knocker did not go gin (see "Going Gin" below), the opponent is also allowed to lay off any unmatched cards by adding to the knocker's sets (e.g. adding a fourth card to a group of three of a kind, or adding further consecutive cards of the same suit to a sequence).

NOTE: You're never required to knock. You may continue playing in an effort to develop a better hand.

Scoring

Each player calculates the value of their unmatched cards. If the knocker's count is lower, he scores the difference between the two counts.

If the knocker did not go gin, and the values are equal -- or the knocker's value is greater than his opponent's -- then the knocker has been undercut. The knocker's opponent scores 10 points plus the difference between the values.

Going Gin

If the knocker has no unmatched cards, it's known as going gin and he scores 25 bonus points (some sources say the bonus should be 20 points). Additionally, his opponent cannot score any points, even if his opponent also had no unmatched cards.

Draws

If only two cards remain in the draw pile after a player discards and neither player has knocked, the round ends in a draw. The same player deals again.

Winning

Additional rounds are played until one player's cumulative score reaches 100 points or more. That player is the winner.

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Value of Old Monopoly Games

Answer: Generally speaking, not much -- almost always less than $200 for a standard edition, no matter how old and no matter how good the condition is.

Not long after the game began production at Parker Brothers, more than 20,000 games were being published each week. With that many games in circulation, the remaining supply is still big enough to keep prices down.

So you're not going to be able to finance your child's education by finding an old Monopoly game in your attic and selling it on eBay. In fact, a 1935 edition in decent condition sold in early 2003 for just $76. A 1937 edition with wooden pawns went for only $61.

The most expensive Monopoly set ever was a ruby- and sapphire-encrusted creation put together by San Francisco jeweler Sidney Mobell in 1988. With solid gold houses and hotels, and diamonds in the dice for pips, this game was worth $2 million.

The Franklin Mint has produced a deluxe collector's edition that I've seen available for $500 to $600 retail and $200 to $300 on eBay.

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Top 10 Board Games of 2010

2010's crop of new board games included themes for just about everyone: We were treated to games about painting a cathedral ceiling, exploring monster-filled dungeons, running a busy Chinese restaurant, drafting the U.S. constitution, solving a murder, and much more. It was another great year for gamers.

Here are my picks for the 10 best board games published in 2010. What do you think were the best new board games of 2010? Please share your thoughts here!

You might also be interested in my picks for the best card games of 2010 and the best easy-to-find games of 2010.

Image courtesy of Queen GamesFor 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Wolfgang Panning, Marco Ruskowski and Marcel Süsselbeck, published by Queen Games.
In this excellent family strategy game, players are artisans who work to restore the fresco in a Renaissance church. With the help of five workers, players plan each day by choosing from such tasks as buying paints in the market, mixing paints to create additional colors, restoring part of the fresco, and painting portraits. The first decision you make each day is when to start work -- an earlier time has benefits but also causes workers to be less productive due to lack of sleep. Fresco is a beautiful, engaging board game.

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Board and Card Games Timeline

Games have existed in some form throughout human history, but only have been commercially published with the goal of selling them to a wide audience since the 1800s. These are my picks for the most culturally and historically significant games published since 1800.

If you prefer, you can also experience this list as a 14-week series of free email newsletters. A daily version is also available.

1800 - 1849

1850 - 1899 1900 - 1919 1920 - 1939 1940-1949 1950 - 1959 1960 - 1969 1970 - 1979 1980 - 1989 1990 - 1999 2000 - present Honorable Mentions

The games on the Honorable Mentions list didn't make it into the Top 50 for various reasons, but deserve to be mentioned as culturally and historically significant modern games.

Games by Publisher

The games listed here are also listed on a separate page organized by game publisher.

It goes without saying that this list is subjective. It was written with an admitted U.S. bias. If you think I've missed an important game or included one that shouldn't be there, please post a note in the About.com Board and Card Games Forum.

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Canfield Solitaire - Rules

The most popular solitaire card game, Klondike, is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Canfield. The real Canfield Solitaire, according to Hoyle's Rules of Games, was named after the proprietor of a Florida gambling establishment in the 1890s. Players could buy a deck of cards for $50 and win back $5 for every card they played into the foundations, or $500 if they were able to play all 52 cards into the foundations.

Players

1 player.

Deck

A standard 52-card deck.

Goal

To move all the cards onto the four foundations.

Setup

Shuffle the deck.

Deal 13 cards off the top and set them to your left, face up. Be careful only to reveal the top card. This pile is known as the reserve.

Take the next card from the deck and set it on the table face up. This is the first foundation (and worth $5 back from Mr. Canfield). The other three cards of the same rank will be the other three foundations. If they become available, move them to the foundation row.

Take the next four cards from the deck and set them on the table in a row below the foundation, face up. This is the start of your tableau.

Set the remaining cards on the table, face down. This is the draw pile. (Some players prefer to hold the draw pile in their hand.)

Building the Foundations

Available cards are added to the foundations in ascending order. For example, if the foundations are the 8s, cards would be added in this order: 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Cards added to a foundation must be the same suit as all previous cards on that foundation.

Building the Tableau Piles

Cards may be added to the tableau in descending order, alternating colors. For example, if a card in the tableau is the 9 of clubs, the next card could be either the 8 of hearts or the 8 of diamonds.

Gameplay

The top card from the reserve is always available for play onto a foundation or a pile in the tableau.

The top card from each tableau pile is always available to be played onto a foundation.

Cards from the draw pile are turned face up three at a time as you decide to do so, forming a discard pile. The top card of the discard pile is always available for play. Cards below it may not be played until the top card is played.

To move cards from one tableau pile to another, you may only move the entire pile. When a space is available in the tableau, immediately use the top card from the reserve to fill that space.

If the reserve is exhausted, a space in the tableau may be filled from the top of the discard pile. In this situation, you may leave the space open for as long as you wish.

When the draw pile is exhausted, pick up the discard pile and turn it face down, without shuffling it. This becomes a new draw pile. You may do this as many times as you wish, until you win or until the game reaches a standstill.

Winning

You win by building up all four foundations to 13 cards. This happens about 3 percent of the time.

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Monopoly's Player Tokens

Answer: It's almost impossible to answer this question without limiting the response to tokens included in the standard edition of Monopoly, because so many special editions and special tokens have been created through the years.

In the original Parker Brothers game, there were no player tokens. Players were told to use common household items, such as buttons, as markers. Before long, wooden tokens shaped like chess pawns were included in the game.

I've seen a 1936 edition sold on eBay which had rubber tokens -- including a battleship, bear, car, dog, iron, shoe and train. I'm not sure if those tokens were ever officially produced.

The wooden pawn-like tokens were replaced in 1937 by metal tokens: the car, iron, lantern, purse, rocking horse, shoe, thimble, and top hat. Later in the year, the dog and battleship were added.

In 1942, Parker Brothers temporarily returned to wooden tokens due to war shortages of metal.

In the early 1950s, the lantern, purse and rocking horse were removed from the game. They were replaced by the dog, horse and rider, and wheelbarrow.

In 1999, the sack of money was added.

So today, a new copy of the standard edition of Monopoly comes with the battleship, cannon, dog, horse and rider, iron, racecar, sack of money, shoe, thimble, top hat and wheelbarrow.

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Fan Tan - Card Game Rules

Fan Tan, which Hoyle's Rules of Games indicates may have been named after a Chinese gambling game, is also known as Stops or Sevens.

Players

3 to 8 players. Probably best with 4 or 5 players.

Deck

Standard 52-card deck. King is high; Ace is low.

Goal

To be the first player to get rid of all his cards.

Setup

Shuffle the deck and choose a dealer, who deals the entire deck out. Some players may receive one card more than others. This will even out over several hands.

Gameplay

A key rule in Fan Tan is that each player must play if they can. Breaking or even simply forgetting this rule can ruin the game.

The 7s are always playable.

The player to the left of the dealer plays first and play continues in a clockwise direction. If he has a 7, he must play it; otherwise, he must pass. When a 7 is played, it’s laid in the middle of the table because it forms a foundation for other cards to be played on.

Once a 7 is played, the 6 and 8 of the same suit are playable. Place the 6 to one side of the 7 and the 8 to the other. Future plays are made on these cards, always in sequential order. On the 6s, the sequence is 5-4-3-2-A. On the 8s, the sequence is 9-10-J-Q-K.

Winning

The first player to play all of his cards wins the hand.

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How to Play Clue (Cluedo)

Clue (or "Cluedo" in the UK, where it was invented) is a game where players try to figure out the three main facts of a murder: the murderer, the location of the murder, and the murder weapon. They do this by having their characters run around a mansion and gather evidence.

Here are the basic rules of Clue. (For some strategy tips, check out How to Win at Clue.)

Players: 3 to 6

Contents: Clue game board, six suspect tokens, six murder weapons, 21 cards, secret envelope, one die, pad of detective notebook sheets.

Goal: To correctly name the murderer, murder weapon, and murder location.

Setup

Sort the cards by type and shuffle each pile face-down. Without looking, take one suspect card, one weapon card, and one room card, and slide them into the secret envelope.

Shuffle the rest of the cards together, and deal them clockwise to the players until all cards are dealt.

Place the murder weapons in rooms randomly, no more than one per room. Some modern versions of Clue assign the weapons to specific rooms.

Place the suspect tokens on the assigned starting squares.

Each player takes the closest suspect token that has not already been chosen by another player, and the game begins.

Play

Miss Scarlett takes the first turn, and turns continue clockwise around the table.

On your turn, roll the die, and move your playing piece that many spaces on the yellow squares.

You can move only horizontally or vertically, never diagonally, and can't enter a space or doorway you have already entered this turn.

You can move through a doorway to enter a room, but this ends your movement.

You can't move through a yellow space occupied by another player, but multiple players can be in the same room.

If you start your turn in a room with a secret passage, you can use the secret passage instead of rolling the die. This will put your character in another room across the board, ending your movement.

Suggesting

If you end your movement in a room, you get to make a suggestion. To do this, name a suspect, a murder weapon, and the room you just entered. For example, if you just entered the lounge, you might say, "I suggest the crime was committed by Colonel Mustard, in the lounge, with a dagger." The named suspect and murder weapon are both moved into your current room.

The player to your left must, if able, disprove your suggestion by showing you one card from her hand that matches your suggestion. If that player can't do so, the player to her left must disprove your suggestion by showing you one card from his hand. This responsibility passes clockwise until someone shows you a card, or until all players have passed.

If someone shows you a card, you should cross it off on your detective notebook as a possibility. Any cards you hold should also be crossed off as possibilities. Don't let other players see your notebook.

Special Rule

Your piece might be moved into a room on another player's turn because your character is suggested as a suspect. If this happens, instead of rolling the die or taking the secret passage on your next turn, you can simply make a suggestion in your current room.

In all other cases, you must start your turn by rolling a die or taking a secret passage. You cannot stay in the same room to make suggestions.

Accusing

If you think you have solved the case by eliminating all the false possibilities, and have not just had your suggestion disproved this turn, you can end your turn by making an accusation. Announce that you are making an accusation, and state your final guess of the murderer, the murder weapon, and the murder location.

Once this is done, secretly look at the three cards in the murder envelope. If you are correct, lay the cards face-up on the table, proving to all players that you have won the game.

If you are wrong, you lose the game! Secretly replace the three cards back in the murder envelope without revealing them. Your turn is over, and you are now eliminated from the game. You no longer take any turns, but must stay at the table to disprove the suggestions of others. If your piece is blocking a doorway, it is moved into the room.

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Top 10 Bluffing Games

Everyone who's ever played a hand of Poker knows how important it is to be a good bluffer. That skill will also help you win these games, some of my favorites.
1. Liar's Dice (aka Call My Bluff)
Designed by Richard Borg, published by Milton Bradley / Endless Games / FX Schmid.
Perhaps the ultimate bluffing game, Liar's Dice challenges players to look into the eyes of their opponents and make outrageous claims with complete confidence. On a turn, a player predicts how many of a particular number has been rolled on all of the dice around the table -- but he only know what's on his own dice.
2. Top Secret Spies
Designed by Wolfgang Kramer, published by Rio Grande Games / Ravensburger.
The goal of this game is to move your spy into good scoring positions -- without other players figuring out that you're doing it. No one knows whose color is which until the end of the game, and you win bonus points for deducing your opponents' identity.

3. Incan Gold
For 3 to 8 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Alan R. Moon and Bruno Faidutti, published by Gryphon Games / Schmidt Spiele.
Players dig through mines, trying to find gems while avoiding dangers like cave-ins and explosions. Incan Gold (previously published as Diamant) is all about managing risk -- should you leave the cave with the gems you have, or should you keep digging for more? Taking big risks can win you the game, but it can also assure a last-place finish. The theme also appeals to me -- Diamant conjures a little bit of an Indiana Jones vibe. Diamant takes about 20 to 30 minutes per game.
4. Saboteur
For 3 to 10 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Frederic Moyersoen, published by Z-Man Games.
Dwarves are mining for gold, working together to find the best path to make sure they can get the gold back to the surface and divide it. Unfortunately, some of the dwarves might be saboteurs, looking out for themselves instead of the group. After three rounds of digging for gold, the player with the most is the winner in this card game. I usually carry this game in my car so that it's always available.
5. Hoity Toity (aka Adel Verpflichtet)
For 2 to 6 players, ages 10 and up. Designed by Klaus Teuber, published by Uberplay.
Collecting sets of antiques is the goal in this family-friendly game. Each turn includes two rounds. In the first, all players simultaneously decide whether they're going to the castle or the auction house; in the second, they decide what action they'll take in the building they chose. It's best to pick a building and action that no other player chooses. Adel Verpflichtet won the 1990 Spiel des Jahres, Germany's award for Family Game of the Year.
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6. Shadow Hunters
For 4 to 8 players (best with 7 or 8 players), ages 10 and up. Designed by Yasutaka Ikeda, published by Z-Man Games.
In my experience, this interesting board game never fails to entertain. Players are randomly -- and secretly -- assigned to one of three groups of characters (shadow, hunter, or neutral) and simply try to survive until the end. Players work to figure out who is on their team, and to achieve victory. For the hunters, victory means killing all of the shadows. For the shadows, victory means killing all of the hunters or killing three neutrals. The neutral characters each have unique victory conditions.
7. Balderdash / Beyond Balderdash
For 2 to 6 players, ages 12 and up. Designed by Laura Robinson and Paul Toyne, published by Mattel / Parker Brothers / Schmidt Spiele.
In this party game, the player whose turn it is reads a litte-known word, and everyone else writes down a definition that at least sounds possible and turns it in. All of the definitions, including the correct one, are read and players vote on which they think is correct. Every vote for your (fake) answer earns you points. I always have fun playing Balderdash. (If you have a choice, I recommend Beyond Balderdash over the original -- it adds new categories, such as movies, people, dates and acronyms.)
8. Werewolf / Mafia
For 8 to 24 players, ages 8 and up. Designed by Dimitry Davidoff, now a public domain game with versions published by several companies.
Werewolf takes place in a village infested by two or more werewolves (depending on the total number of players). Each player is secretly assigned a role, which in the baisc game could be werewolf, villager, or seer. At night, the werewolves kill a villager. During the day, the remaining villagers choose someone they suspect to be a werewolf and lynch that player. Werewolves win when there are an equal number of villagers and werewolves; villagers win when they have killed all of the werewolves.

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Best Board Games of the 2000s

Remarkably, traditional board games are thriving even as electronic games become more and more sophisticated. Today's board games are better and more diverse than ever, with games suitable for everyone from players who just want to relax and laugh to those who seek deep strategic challenges. Here are my picks for the best board games published from 2000 through 2009.

What do you think were the best board games of the 2000s? Share your thoughts here.

Image courtesy of Rio Grande GamesFor 3 to 5 players, ages 12 and up. Designed by Andreas Seyfarth, published by Rio Grande Games.
Players compete to run successful plantations, growing corn, coffee, sugar, tobacco and indigo. On each turn, players choose from several roles (such as the mayor, builder, or captain), and each role gives them different abilities. The goal is to use these abilities to construct buildings and ship goods efficiently, becoming the player to earn the most victory points. Puerto Rico won the 2002 Deutscher Spiele Preis, the 2002 International Gamers Award for Multi-Player Strategy Game, and a 2002 Meeples Choice Award. It was also my pick as the best board game of 2002. The card game version, San Juan, is also excellent.

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Ways to Improve Monopoly

We've all been there... a family gathering, a rainy Saturday afternoon... and everyone decides to play a board game.

In homes all around the world, that game is often Monopoly. But so many of us have played it so often -- and games can drag on for so long -- that one more game of Monopoly just might make us scream.

But there's a reason Monopoly has been so popular for so long: It's a good game. The problem is that most of us don't play by the rules. Repeat -- we do not play by the rules.

I don't mean that we cheat -- just that we don't use some of the game's most important rules. In fact, most of us probably don't even realize what we're ignoring.

Paying attention to these official rules will make your Monopoly experience much more enjoyable. A bit later, we'll discuss some variants that could help as well.

All of the ideas below, and many others, can be found at Mark Jackson's fabulous Game Central Station. They are used here with his permission.

The five Monopoly rules most often ignored: Property Auctions -- If a player lands on a property and doesn't want to purchase it, that property goes up for auction. Any player, including the one who initially landed on the square, can bid for it. The property may sell for any price. Limited Houses and Hotels -- There are only so many houses and hotels in the game. When they're gone, you can't build any more. Period. Loans -- The only way to borrow money is to mortgage property. You can't borrow from other players, and you can't borrow from the bank (apart from a mortgage). Free Parking Means Free Parking -- You do not get $500, $5,000 or even $5 for landing on Free Parking. You get nothing. Nada. Zip. On a related subject, all payments required by Chance and Community Chest cards go to the Bank, not to the center of the board. Only Tangible Items Can be Traded -- Official tournament rules make it clear that cash, title deeds, and Get Out of Jail Free cards are the only items that can be part of a deal. Keep it that way. The net effect of playing by the rules is to speed up the game, which goes a long way toward improving it. (Think about it: How many times have you seen a player come back from the verge of bankruptcy because of a big, unearned payday from landing on Free Parking? It's a completely random factor that adds a moment or two of excitement, but can also add hours of time.)

But, you say, just paying attention to the existing rules can't be enough to make Monopoly great? OK...

Try these new rules:

These suggestions are all designed to speed play, reward good strategy, or both. Bid for Start Order -- Going first is a definite advantage, because you can buy properties before anyone else gets there. So why shouldn't you have to pay for the advantage? At the start of the game, bid for first position, then second, etc. In cases where no one wishes to bid, a die roll is used to determine order. From R. Wayne Schmittberger's book New Rules for Classic Games. Once Around the Board -- As an alternative to bidding for player order, don't let anyone purchase property until they pass Go once. This will somewhat even out the advantage of going first. From Phillip Orbanes' book The Monopoly Companion. Movement Cards -- Give each player a set of cards numbered from 1 to 6. On each roll, a player uses one card and rolls one die. That player then moves the total of both. Each card must be used once before any can be used a second time. From Stephen Glenn. End After Two Bankruptcies -- Most (perhaps all) official Monopoly rulebooks offer this as a "short game" variant. After two players go bankrupt, the winner is the person with the most cash, property and buildings. No Future Considerations -- This is really just a reinforcement to "Only Tangible Items Can be Traded." Don't allow players to trade for promises. For example, this should be a no-no: "You don't have to pay me the rent now, but you must give me $100 when you pass Go." Now when it rains again and your family wants to play another game of Monopoly, you're equipped to play the game as it was meant to be played -- or maybe even better!

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What Card to Lead in Euchre

There are a few different schools of thought on what card to lead in Euchre. Regardless of what you end up leading, the biggest consideration on your mind should always be Trump. How many trumps do you have? How many are your opponents likely to have? Are your trumps winners? Will you have voids that will let you trump in? Will your opponents be able to trump in? Will your partner be able to trump in?

Of course, most questions about other people's hands cannot be definitively answered until it's too late. So the best thing to do is to examine your own hand, and lead accordingly.

Drawing Trump

If you have three or more trump cards and some strong off-suit cards, it may be worth drawing trump, to empty the table of trumps. Remember, there are only a maximum of 7 trump cards, so if three are in your hand, that's at most four split among the rest of the table. Leading with trump means that a single drawn trump from each player clears all but one of those trump cards as obstacles for you. Of course, drawing trump is much better when you hold some off-suit aces.

Generally speaking, it's worth leading the right bower here if you have it. Yes, you may theoretically be stepping on your partner's left bower, but you can't know for sure, and if you are long in trump then it's a good idea to guarantee yourself this trick, as well as more remaining trump than anyone else at the table.

Likewise, if your partner called trump, you can presume that a few trump cards reside in your partner's hand, and you may want to lead your lowest trump card. This will still empty opposing trump and (hopefully) allow your partner to take the trick, and the lead.

As a corollary, it is almost always a bad idea to lead a trump suit that the opponent has called. If the opposing team has chosen a suit as trump, chances are that they have more of it than you, and you can't afford to hand them a free trick while wasting your few valuable trumps. 

Ace Advice

Lead with a singleton off-suit ace, if you have one. A singleton ace is a strong lead for two reasons. First of all, if no other cards of that suit are in your hand, there is a higher probability that they are in your opponents' hands, preventing them from trumping your ace. Your best chance for an ace to make it around the table and win a trick is on the opening lead.

Secondly, after leading a singleton ace, you'll have a void in that suit. If someone else leads the same suit, you'll have the option of trumping or sloughing off, both of which can be powerful.

For the same reason, do not lead with an ace if you have more than one other card of the same suit. With only six cards in a suit, if three of them are in your hand, chances are good that one of your opponents will be void in that suit, and be able to trump your ace.

Pay special attention to the "next" suit, the same-color suit as trump. Since the left bower switches suits, this suit only has five cards, and thus even if you hold only an ace and one other card in that suit, leading the ace will often be an invitation for your opponents to trump you. In this case, save your ace for later and hope it can win a trick once trump is all drawn out.

Null and Void

If you can't open with a trump or singleton ace, you generally want to create a void for yourself, in order to open up the opportunity to trump in later. Leading a singleton card here, even though it's not an ace, is probably your best move. Getting a trash card out of your hand opens up the opportunity for you to possibly trump in later if the suit is led a second time.

Leading a non-ace non-trump card is also a clear signal to your partner that you are creating a void for yourself. This is a fact your partner can use to their advantage, leading you back the same suit later in the hand to allow you to trump in. Conversely, if your partner is void in the suit you lead, it is obvious your low card will not carry the round, so your partner can trump in to take the first trick.

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Monopoly: Rent in Jail?

Question: Can I collect rent from other players while I'm in Jail?

Answer: Yes.

In terms of rent collection, Monopoly players conduct business as usual while in jail.

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Monopoly Online at Atari.com

Atari.com

Link: http://games.atari.com/playgames/home.jsp

UPDATE: As of April 2006, Games.com was acquired by AOL and no longer offers Monopoly online. However, the game is now available at Atari.com. Some of the following information may need to be updated; if so, that will happen soon.

Atari.com offers an official site to play Monopoly online. The interface is fairly smooth, although users on dialup connections will have some significant waits while pages load.

Because Atari.com uses Java, once the game is loaded onto your computer, things should flow pretty smoothly no matter what type of connection you have.

Step-by-Step Instructions to play Monopoly online via Atari.com

On the Atari.com home page, click on the phrase "Click here" in the sentence "Click here to play the fun games at Games.com."

Under the tab "Play Games" and in the box marked "Board and Word Games," click on the link for Monopoly.

The next screen lists various Monopoly "game lobbies" (e.g. Boardwalk, Park Place, Reading Railroad). Select one, making sure it has an adequate number of active players -- a minimum of 20 is my recommendation. There is no functional difference between game lobbies.

Logging In

Now you'll be asked to log in. If you've registered with Atari.com, enter your username and password and click "Submit." If you've never registered with Atari.com, you have a choice to make. You can either register (by clicking "register for free" in the text to the left of the login box or the "Register" button below the login box) or enter as a guest (by clicking the "Guest" button below the login box). NOTE: By registering, you'll be able to access all of Atari.com's features, including the ability to chat with other players and to see your skill rating go up or down over time. Playing as a guest will prevent from accessing some features, but you'll still be able to play. After logging in, you may receive a message which says the page that's loading includes both secure and non-secure items, asking if you want to display both. I've always said yes and it doesn't seem to cause any problems. Depending on your Internet connection speed, the next page -- the Monopoly game lobby you chose -- could take several minutes to load.

The Game Lobbies

When the lobby finishes loading, you'll see three distinct areas: The Rank/Name box shows the players in this lobby, and their ratings. The list is sorted by rating. The Join/Watch box is where you can go to either join someone else's game, or watch a game in progress. The chat box to the right side of the screen has three buttons on top of it, "New Table," "Options" and "People."

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Tic Tac Toe - Game Rules

Tic Tac Toe is a simple game which, if played optimally by both players, will always result in a tie. However, many players (especially younger children) still enjoy it, and the game can be made significantly more complex by increasing the size of the board.

Players

2 players.

Equipment

Paper and pencil.

Goal

The goal of Tic Tac Toe is to be the first player to get three in a row on a 3x3 grid, or four in a row in a 4x4 grid.

Setup

One of the players draws a board, creating either a 3x3 grid of squares or a 4x4 grid of squares.

Playing Tic Tac Toe on a 3x3 Board

X always goes first.

Players alternate placing Xs and Os on the board until either (a) one player has three in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally; or (b) all nine squares are filled.

If a player is able to draw three Xs or three Os in a row, that player wins.

If all nine squares are filled and neither player has three in a row, the game is a draw.

Playing Tic Tac Toe on a 4x4 Board

X always goes first.

Players alternate placing Xs and Os on the board until either (a) one player has four in a row, horizontally, vertically or diagonally; or (b) all 16 squares are filled.

If a player is able to draw four Xs or four Os in a row, that player wins.

If all 16 squares are filled and neither player has four in a row, the game is a draw.

Other Variants

Tic Tac Toe can be also be played on a 5x5 grid with each player trying to get five in a row.

The game can also be played on larger grids, such as 10x10 or even 20x20. For any grid of 6x6 or larger, I recommend sticking to a goal of getting five in a row. This turns the basic game of Tic Tac Toe into a much more complex game with similarities to Pente.

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The Complete Guide to Backgammon

Backgammon has been played for about 5,000 years. Its ancestors include Senet, The Royal Game of Ur, and the Roman games Ludus Duodecim Scriptorum and Tabula.

Rules of Backgammon

Photo used with permission of The Elliott Avedon Museum & Archive of Games, University of Waterloo.
The rules of modern Backgammon took shape in the 1600s. By the 1740s, Edmond Hoyle codified the rules. Backgammon is for two players, and can be played by children ages eight and up.

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How Many Letter Tiles are in Scrabble?

Answer:

There are exactly 100 tiles in Scrabble, distributed this way (read more about Scrabble's tile distribution):

Blank/Wild: 2 tiles
A: 9 tiles
B: 2 tiles
C: 2 tiles
D: 4 tiles
E: 12 tiles
F: 2 tiles
G: 3 tiles
H: 2 tiles
I: 9 tiles
J: 1 tile
K: 1 tile
L: 4 tiles
M: 2 tiles
N: 6 tiles
O: 8 tiles
P: 2 tiles
Q: 1 tile
R: 6 tiles
S: 4 tiles
T: 6 tiles
U: 4 tiles
V: 2 tiles
W: 2 tiles
X: 1 tile
Y: 2 tiles
Z: 1 tile

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Scrabble Words: Vowel-Heavy 7- and 8-Letter Words

When your Scrabble rack is filled with vowels, knowing these vowel-heavy words (seven and eight letters long) can help turn your fortune around. All of the seven-letter words include at least five vowels, and the eight-letter words include at least six vowels.

You might also want to learn Scrabble's legal two-letter words and words with a Q but no U. Here are all of our Scrabble word lists, and some simple ways to improve your Scrabble play.

NOTE: These words are legal according to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary, 4th Edition. They may not be legal if you use a different dictionary. The word list used in tournament games in the United States is known as the Official Tournament and Club Word List, created by the National Scrabble Association.

ABOULIA (an absence of decisiveness or willpower)
ACEQUIA (an irrigation ditch)
AECIDIA (plural of aecidium)
AENEOUS (bronze colored)
AEOLIAN (a landform shaped by wind)
AEONIAN (alternative spelling of eonian)
AEROBIA (aerobic organisms)
ALIENEE (a person to whom a property title is transferred)
AMOEBAE (plural of amoeba)
ANAEMIA (alternative of anemia)
AQUARIA (plural of aquarium)
AQUEOUS (consisting mostly of water)
AREOLAE (plural of areola)
AUREATE (golden in color )
AUREOLA (the area of glow surrounding a bright object)
AUREOLE (outermost region of the sun's atmosphere)
AURORAE (plural of aurora)
COUTEAU (a knife)
EPINAOI (plural of epinaos)
EUCAINE (a derivative of cocaine)
EUGENIA (a genus of flowering plants)
EULOGIA (form of the plural for eulogy)
EUPNOEA (normal breathing)
EVACUEE (one who has been evacuated)
EXUVIAE (skins discarded by various organisms)
IPOMOEA (a flowering plant)
MIAOUED (form of past tense for meow)
NOUVEAU (new, fashionable)
OOGONIA (plural of oogonium)
OUABAIN (a cardiac stimulant)
OUGUIYA (unit of money in Mauritania)
ROULEAU (a roll of coins)
SEQUOIA (a large evergreen tree)
TAENIAE (plural of taenia)
URAEMIA (alternate of uremia)
ZOOECIA (plural of zooecium)

ABOIDEAU (a type of dam)
AUREOLAE (plural of aureola)
EPOPOEIA (plural of epopee)
EULOGIAE (plural of eulogia)

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