Remember us!
The game of sprouts was originally developed by math professors at Cambridge University in 1967. As simple as this game may appear, there are complicated math properties involved in solving the game and as a result, Sprouts has been written about in the magazine; Scientific American. Due to the complexity of Sprouts, it was the focus of study at the famous Bell Laboratory.
In its forty years history, Sprouts has never been popular as a recreational game but it has been popular in academic circles however, this all may eventually change as more people become aware of how challenging it is and will want to play sprouts recreationally.
To prepare for play, you start with a piece of paper and draw three random dots in an attempt to be the player who has the most bushy, tangled sprout at the end of the game. This is done while following four simple rules. It sounds easy, when you think that all you have to do is connect the dots, but the game is a whole lot more than meets the eye.
There are basically four rules that you must follow in the drawing of the sprouts; two dots must be connected by each sprout, existing sprouts must be not crossed over by newly drawn ones, with every new sprout drawn and new dot must be added along its length and each dot may only make contact with a maximum of three sprouts.
There has been one variation added to this game since its creation, this change has been to add plus signs in place of dots and has been referred to as Brussels sprouts. With every turn, a player draws a sprout that joins an arm of one plus signs to another.
Tag Archive for '9 years and up'
![[del.icio.us]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/delicious.png)
![[Facebook]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/facebook.png)
![[Google]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/google.png)
![[Mixx]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/mixx.png)
![[Propeller]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/propeller.png)
![[StumbleUpon]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/stumbleupon.png)
![[Technorati]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/technorati.png)
![[Twitter]](http://kidsgamesblog.com/wp-content/plugins/bookmarkify/twitter.png)
If you’re a fan of games involving logic and spatial relations, then Molecular Flip is a one that you must try. It can be played alone or in a group, creating a highly spirited atmosphere where players attempt to be the first to solve the puzzle. Writing anything down is strictly forbidden and so pens/pencils must be kept out of reach, however mental notes are allowed to be taken.
To begin play, 9 coins are randomly mixed so that there is an arbitrary arrangement of heads and tails. You can play this game on any flat surface but a table is preferred since you’re going to want to be comfortable once you begin since play can continue for hours. With the nine coins, make three evenly spaced rows of three creating a perfect square which forms the “target square.” This process is repeated, creating a second square of nine randomly flipped heads/tails coins next to the first square. This is referred to as the “flipping square” and all of these squares are identical to their opponents’ making it an even playing field.
You’re objective is to be the first player arrange the pieces in the flipping square so that it matches the arrangement in the target square. The players who follow in order have the option of copying the preceding players’ move or if logic sees fit, to flip another “molecule” that he thinks will get the target square arrangement first and play continues in order until someone has matched the target square.
If it agreed beforehand and there are more than 2 participants in the game, the action can continue even after one player has solved the puzzle, this way there can be a second and third place winner in the game.
This ancient game was the creation of early Nordic hunters and was enjoyed by many once it gained widespread popularity in Italy during the medieval period, eventually reached England in the fifteenth Century and was met with much popularity and in fact it was one of Queen Victoria’s favorite pastimes.
This game requires two players, a game board made in the shape of a cross with lines of many directions creating thirty-three intersecting points. Game pieces include seventeen pieces which symbolize the geese and one piece symbolizing the fox. Once it has been decided who gets to play the fox and who plays the geese, the geese are arranged on the board accordingly and then the fox has the option of being placed anywhere he wishes on the game board.
The geese can prevail in this game by surrounding the fox and blocking all of his potential escape routes. The fox on the other hand, will is successful by eliminating twelve of geese since it would require more than five geese to halt his progress.
The fox always begins the game with the first move and can move in any direction forward or backwards to an open space. The geese on the other hand can move in any direction aside from backwards. The fox will eat a goose when he is able to jump it and land on an empty space and once a goose has been eaten it is removed from the game. As in the game of checkers, multiple jumps are possible as long as there are empty spaces to accommodate the landings.
Turns of each player must be taken and not skipped, even if this puts a player in an undesirable position. It might prove interesting to change the rule a bit and allow the geese to move backwards as well or even play the game with only thirteen pieces as in an earlier version of this game that was popular prior to the Seventeenth Century.
Making the jumps of the fox compulsory can add a whole new element to the game and can force an opponent to retreat to a previous position. The player playing the role of the geese has the ability to keep the fox in check by making sure he has made only the allowable moves.
See board games download category
This is a game of Italian origin and received international recognition when it was presented as a gift to the king of Spain from the king of Italy in the late 1500’s and continued to be played by the royal courts of many European countries. The game board itself is quite a sight to behold, with many versions are finely detailed and elaborately decorated.
This game is played by two or more players and requires a game board which is divided up into sixty-three squares, two standard six-sided game dice as well as a place card for each player.
Once it has been decided which player will begin the game, the participants will each place their card just outside the number one square and play continues in a clockwise direction. Your ultimate goal in this game is to make it through the entire game board, all sixty-three squares, before any of your opponents do the same.
The action begins with a roll of the dice by each player and with them advancing that corresponding number of squares; players can share the same square. Once the dice have been rolled and the game is in play, the square the player lands on has instructions that the player must follow.
Some common instructions that a game space might present would be; roll the dice one more time and move the corresponding number of spaces. On occasion the instructions relate to the goose symbol and on other spaces, are only decorations. If the instructions should read; stop for 1 or more turns, you are ‘imprisoned’ for that amount of time. In some versions of this game, you can be freed by another player landing on your square.
In the standard version of this game, you return to your original square or go back a pre-established number of spaces once the dice have been rolled. You will move forward a pre-determined number of spaces if that is what it calls for. Regardless of direction, you must follow the directions which the game space calls for. If instructions are given to reach a certain square with a reward waiting there, then the player would need to land on that square to win the prize. If he should land on the prize square without first landing on the instruction square, then the prize is not valid.
To win at this game, you must be able to land on square number sixty-three with a precise roll of the dice. If the player does not land exactly on the 63 square, he must move in a backwards direction the number of spaces by which exceeded square 63.
The Royal Game of Goose is truly a game of chance and does not require a great deal of strategy since the outcome is determined by your success in the roll of the dice.
See all board games for download
Conquest is a variation of the game of checkers and is noted for its high level of sophisticated strategy requires for being successful in this game. An element that sets this game apart from the traditional game of checkers is that there is a ‘fortress’ that must be invaded and occupied in the center of the board.
- Players: two
- Game board, similar to a checkerboard only with nine columns by nine rows equaling eighty-one spaces. Nine squares in the center of the board are considered the ‘fortress’ area.
- Two different colored sets of game pieces each totaling eight pieces.
- Two Kings, each matching the colors of the game pieces for each side.
How to begin play & keys to victory
Once it is determined who will begin the game, each player will set up his game pieces on his side of the game board surround his King.
A player’s mission is to invade the fortress area and occupy it with his king and other pieces creating a ‘line of attack’ to defend it from the opposing player advance. The movement of the game pieces is identical to that of checkers, in that pieces are only allowed to move in a diagonal direction and only one space at a time so that they will only land in a square identical in color to that which he had started in.
Game pieces are allowed to move in both a forward and backward direction unlike in standard checkers where pieces are only allowed to move forward.
Another element that separates this game from standard checkers is that you never take nor jump opposing player’s pieces but you can trap an opposing player’s piece between two of yours and sent it to any square on the board you which as a form of exile.
It’s better to play this game in an offensive manner and make attempts to banish as many of your opponents pieces as you possibly can to disrupt his strategy. Avoid becoming obsessed with a defensive strategy.
There is no advantage to beginning first, however it’s a good idea to alternate between games.
See all board games
Herding goats is tough business and matters are met with even more complications when there is a thief about.
1. At two points of a handkerchief, two knots are made to resemble the horns on a goats head. Straws are drawn by the players to see who gets to be the thief in the game. He then walks away and look for a place to hide out while the other players in the game stand in a circle around the goat.
2. A Sheppard is chosen among the players and this is kept secret from the thief. The thief can now be instructed to come back begin searching for the goat.
3. The joined hands of the players will be opened so that the thief may enter the circle, capture the goat while exiting through the same entry point and taking this stolen livestock back to his hideout.
4. The aware Sheppard will be in full pursuit once the thief has grabbed his goat. The roles of the Sheppard and thief are switched, should the thief be captured. The thief can attempt to reveal the identity of the Sheppard by lunging at the goat to get a reaction.
This is a game of South African origin and is similar to the game Awele. Ancient game boards made of stone have been found in many locations.
1. A game board is created by placing four rows of egg carton each with eight pockets and filling them each with beans. Participants in this game are only allowed to move beans on their side of the game board.
2. Straws are drawn by all players to see who gets to go first. The starting player begins by emptying one of his egg carton pockets of beans and moving in a clockwise direction, puts these beans one by one, in other pockets. The player will lose a turn if he should end up in an empty pocket.
3. The player will capture the beans of a pocket if the players last distributed bean is placed there and then will continue with the deposit of the beans.
4. Should a player deposit his last bean in one of the pockets on the inside row, he has the opportunity to take his opponents beans that are inside as well, the player has the option of taking beans anywhere in this row.
5. Once the player has gathered all of his beans, he once again deposits them in the egg carton pockets beginning with where he made the last deposit.
6. It is required that a player make his first deposit of beans in a pocket that contains at least two beans. The winner is the player who captures all the beans of his opponent.
See all board games for kids
A game of Chinese origin where it is known as;”Wei qi” and is now very popular in Japan and Korea.
1. The original style game board is made nineteen horizontal and nineteen perpendicular intersecting lines creating a grid. A modern version of the game board will employ a nine by nine line grid.
2. Players will each take turns placing one of their game pieces where two of the lines intersect. This can include the corners and outer lines of the playing grid. A player is not required to place a game piece on the board and has the option of passing to the next player.
3. When a game piece is put on an intersecting line, it cannot be move and must stay unless captured. The game pieces of GO are referred to as “stones” and the stone that are black in color must always be begin the game. Stones that are captured are removed from play then returned to their owner.
4. When you are able to surround your opponent’s stone you capture it. You can capture one or more stones by blocking all lines intersecting on the board adjacent to the stone. Diagonal free spaces are not relevant.
5. In an attempt to capture an opponent’s stone, a player can move his game piece into a position where he is surrounded on all sides by his opponent’s pieces. When a player does this, he is not putting himself at risk, since when he captures the stone he has given himself an open space.
6. The winner is decided when a player has no stones left to play, the stones on the board are counted and the player with the most stones on the board wins.
See all free downloadble board games
A dice game that requires the ability to bluff your opponent s into thinking your dice value is different to that which you are holding.
1. The player to start the game begins by rolling the dice, viewing the results privately and then telling the other players what the total score is. He can be truthful or bluff.
2. The values are as follows; 6=Ace, 5=King, 4=Queen, 3=Jack, Red=2, Black=1. Other scores can be in the form of pairs. The pair; Red and Black combo is the highest and is known as the “Kiriki.” A “Brick” is a combination of an ace and a king.
3. The dice are thrown by each player and he must state a score that is higher than their previous one even if this is a false statement.
4. If a player is caught in a lie, they are assigned a letter from the word “Kiriki” and if they are caught enough times to spell the word, they are out of the game. If a player challenges someone during the game and they are wrong, a letter from “Kiriki” is added. If one of the players should spell out “Kiriki” through their poor judgment, then they are out of the game.
