How to Play
The NewVenture YouTube Channel includes three main playlists:
- Peg Pastimes: I present a little history and background information about each game in the collection, as well full instructions and some bits of strategy to help you play (and win).
- NewVenture Games: I share stories about the inspiration and development of my original game designs, teach you how to play them, and brag a little about how great they are.
- Game Stuff: These are videos about table-top games in general. I cover history, research, game collecting and the hobby itself, as well as sharing insights into the creative and production process.
How Milton Bradley saved us all and revolutionized the Board Game industry!
Milton Bradley's first board game was "The Checkered Game of Life" first published in 1861. Building upon the dice-dependent morality "games" of the previous century, he created a game that became the centerpiece of the Bradley catalog for generations. The game is...
What are YOUR favorite Thanksgiving games? Board Games, Card Games, Party Games, RPGs?
Thanksgiving in the USA (and some other countries) is a time to gather with family and friends and review the good things in your life. Like Board Games, Card Games, Party Games, and RPGs. Right? This is a simple holiday...
Cyber Monday is for Board Game Gifts!
Black Friday used to mean just the shopping day after Thanksgiving. Now, of course, it lasts for weeks, including Cyber Monday. Tabletop Games are not left out of these holiday spending sprees, with millions of gamers anticipating great bargains. Board games are the...
Gluckshaus is a Medieval dice game from central Europe. Will the dice roll in your favor?
It wasn't called "Gluckshaus" until the 20th century, but over 500 years ago this little gambling game was first played in central Europe. It's known as Jeu du Sept, Gioco della Barca, Arlequinspiel, and in England as "Lucky...
Troke is a strategy board game “cousin” of Scrabble!
In the 1940s, James Brunot, one of the early developers of Scrabble, collaborated with Arpad Rosti, a famous industrial designer, to invent the board game "Troke." When Selchow and Righter licensed Scrabble in 1952, they...
Take It Personally
When my kids were small, we played games (of course). But we generally played by our own house rules rather than the mundane exercise offered by the publisher. Rules were made to be bent, right? So when the kids pulled out Candyland, we started at the basics. Draw a...
Unboxing my “Scout Game Kit” holding hours of card game and board game fun. BE PREPARED!
The Scout Motto is "Be Prepared" and, being a Scout Leader, I strive to follow that ideal. As part of that effort, I keep my "Emergency Game Kit" in my car at all times. You never know when a Troop of restless kids might...
“Siege of Paris” – a three-player 150-year-old board game
Siege of Paris is a very interesting three-player strategy game inspired by a real-life battle in the Franco-Prussian War of 1871. Legend has it that the game was actually invented DURING the siege!
Stick Dice – A major board game component for thousands of years!
While doing research for our new line of ancient Egyptian board games, I discovered just how popular stick dice have been in board game history! Simple to make and easy to use, they've been a part of game culture since the...
Games for your Hallowe’en Party?
Someone asked me, “What games would you recommend for a Hallowe’en party?” My first question was “What KIND of Hallowe’en party?” Would it be a sit-down affair with room for a table-top game (or several)? A large gathering with room for dexterity or group games? A...
Games Workshops
Over the years I’ve provided many games workshops for audiences of all ages. In addition, I work with Boy Scouts who wish to earn the Game Design Merit Badge. (Yes, there is one!) The workshops depend greatly on the audience, the setting, the materials at hand, and...