Other Non-Computer Games

Most games before computer games were boardgames, but there were some other games that were so creative, so utterly different, that they just don't belong in the same category. Herewith are a few.

Cosmic Encounter

Originally designed in 1972, this 30-year-old game is still one of the greatest around. It inspired two later games on this list, Illuminati and Magic the Gathering. The game's greatness lies in its self-modifying nature; players can modify the rules of game during the game. It's a little confusing, but it is definitely an enormously enjoyable game; there are still fan clubs that get together to play. How many other games can make that boast?

Dungeons & Dragons

Created by Dave Arneson and E. Gary Gygax, this was the game that launched an entire industry. The original concept, now encrusted with many layers, was clean, simple, and great fun. One person, called the Dungeon Master (DM), designs and maps out a dungeon populated with dragons, monsters, treasures, special armor and weapons, money, and so on. A group of players then gathers around a table and the DM assigns each player a character endowed with varying degrees of such traits as strength, health, agility, charisma, and so on. All interactions are carried out around the table, as the DM describes the situation in which the players find themselves and the players describe their actions to the DM, who in turn calculates the results of these actions. For example, the players might find themselves confronted with an ice monster. Some of them might run to the rear of the group seeking protection; others will charge forward to fight the monster. The wizard of the group might attempt to use a fireball spell to melt the ice monster, while the strongman might hack away with sword or axe.

The rulebook provides the background that the players use to make decisions about fighting or running away; the imagination of the DM weaves the game into a story. There have been many attempts to get D&D working on a computer, but none have approached what a good DM can do with players sitting around a table.

Illuminati

Designed and published by Steve Jackson in 1983. A brilliant card game based on conspiracy theories. Players are dealt cards representing a variety of groups, such as the American Nazi Party, the Boy Sprouts, the CIA, and so on. Each group has special abilities and assets. Players lay down their cards in an effort to take control of groups already on the table. In the process, they build, right on the table, an intricate network of secret control. Did you know that the Republican Party is actually controlled by Goldfish Fanciers, who in turn are commanded by The Gnomes of Zurich? The strategies used in this game are subtle and devious, and the results can be hilarious. The game also includes my all-time favorite game element: a card for "Orbital Mind Control Lasers."

Magic the Gathering

Designed and published by Wizards of the Coast. This game generated quite a sensation when it was launched in the early 1990s. Vaguely like a fantasy role-playing game in its feel, this game used cards to mediate conflicts. What made the game a huge success was a design element that was really a brilliant bit of marketing: There were a huge number of special cards that could be used to implement unique strategies. However, to obtain those special cards, one had to purchase additional decks of cards, each of which contained mostly the conventional cards, but might contain one of the special cards. Addicted players therefore purchased huge numbers of decks, seeking out the surprise cards. The game was well designed, but the marketing trick is what made it a huge commercial success.

Whack-A-Mole

This is a mechanical arcade game. The horizontal playing surface is about four feet wide by two feet deep, and is pockmarked with holes. When the machinery begins running, little wooden moles pop out of the holes for a second, and then pop back down. The player must whack the moles with the supplied soft bat to score points. Simple, dumb, even brutal it may sound, but in fact the game is frigorific. Its appeal comes from the kinesthetic power of the game. Actually whacking them with a bat is fun! This game is hard to find, but definitely worth the search; it will teach you the power of kinesthetic factors.