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.
5 NewVenture Games for Summer Fun without Screen Time
Parents: Do you already feel like surrendering the screen time battle this summer? Don’t give up yet! At NewVenture Games, we hand craft experiences the family can share without staring at a screen. Games for poolside, for a picnic table, and even play-and-pass while...
Why do they call it “Watermelon Chess”? Xi Gua Qi is a great little game of entrapment for two.
The game Xi Gua Qi comes from eastern China, although variants can be found in many lands. It's been around for centuries, and continues to be played today. It deserves the attention.
The 5,000-year-old Royal Game of UR!
Nearly 100 years ago, a British archeologist uncovered four game boards in the digs at the ancient city of Ur. These remain the oldest such sets ever found, and for decades researchers speculated on how the game might have...
How To Play an ancient game resurrected in 1901 and re-named “The Man In The Moon.”
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 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...
How To Play Grasshopper! – It’s about getting from here to there.
A little over 200 years ago, this little game began to catch on in the U.K. It was not a new concept, historically, but an extremely convenient adaptation of game pieces that nearly everyone - or at least every English pub -...
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...
Play a classic board game from India: Aadu Puli Attam
From India, the source of many of the games we play, comes this centuries-old classic board game: Aadu Puli Attam. It's Tigers versus Goats - a popular theme in the predator versus prey genre.
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."
Peg Pastimes – Historic Games in the Classroom
This episode brings you a bit about our Peg Pastimes games in the classroom. The historical aspect of this collection lends itself very well to a wide range of lesson plans.
My Game Research – An overview of resources I use to discover and learn about historical games.
In this video, I talk about research - the hows and whys and some of the resources I use. The Peg Pastimes series is a specific type of research to discover a curate a very tightly defined collection, but some games in my...