The McLoughlin Brothers publishing company prospered in the late 1800s printing mostly children's books and puzzles. Their outstanding print quality and colorful art were the company's hallmarks. They began in to produce...
How to Play Peg Pastimes
Instructions for playing these historic games from around the world, plus a bit of history about each game.
How To Play Jarmo – A Mongolian game from Poland. (Yes, you read that right!)
When the Mongolian Empire reached northwestern Europe in the late 13th century, they brought this game with them. It was carried on by the Polish and other eastern European peoples. It's a challenging battle game wherein the...
Choko – Take the initiative in this game from the Gambia!
It looks like a simple place, jump, and capture game, doesn't it? But the game Choko from the Republic of the Gambia in West Africa includes an interesting twist. In the drop phase (placement) you'll encounter a rule called...
Hullar become Tobits, if you play this 2-player board game cleverly!
From the Republic of Khakassia comes this traditional strategy board game called "Tobit." On the face of it, it's another jump-and-capture game like AlQuerques or Checkers, but when the Hullar (basic playing pieces) are...
Surakarta – The sliding, looping capture moves are unique and challenging!
In Indonesia, on the island of Java, we find this fascinating strategy board game. It's commonly known by the name of the Javan city of Surakarta, also by the name "Roundabouts."
How To Play Yote – a traditional strategy board game from West Africa
Yoté is a traditional strategy game played in west Africa - specifically Senegal, Mali, and Burkina Faso. The game comes from the nomadic Fulani people, and has been played there for many generations. This version of the...
How To Play Shisima a traditional game from Kenya – the “game of water bugs”.
Generations of Kenyans (and others in the region) have enjoy this strategy game of three-in-a-row. It looks familiar, being a representation of similar games that developed independently around the world. The name means...
How To Play The Serpent Game — a game from the Zuni tribe of the American Southwest
The Serpent Game, also called Fighting Serpents, is a traditional game of the Zuni and other tribes in the southwest USA. This game was recorded by the invading Spanish explorers in the 1600s. It's akin to Alquerques, which...
How To Play Seega, the ancient Egyptian strategy game
Seega is a game from Egypt and North Africa which has been popular for centuries. It's a two-player strategy game of elimination, but there are some interesting aspects to the game in the set-up and capture methods. Play it...