In 1984, Fred L. Worth sued the makers of Trivial Pursuit for $300 million alleging that more than 25% of the game's questions were lifted from his books (Mr. Worth authored two trivia encyclopedias). He lost on the grounds that facts can't be copyrighted. True story.
Yahtzee was invented in 1956 by a wealthy Canadian couple who played the dice game on their yacht, thus leading to the name Yahtzee.
In Scrabble, the highest-scoring word you can open with is "muzjiks" (it's a word for a Russian peasant).
For thousands of years humans have used games as a means to all kinds of ends. Whether it's teaching children important skills or knowledge, training soldiers in military tactics, or simply enhancing the many different ways we socialize, games have been central to the advancement of civilization throughout our history. This guide will provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision when choosing a game for your next social event or class presentation. Yes, that's right, class presentation. Why not go out on a limb and find a way to integrate a board game into your studies, many of our games teach concepts you are learning in your classes. So, start exploring the many games found in the Library by clicking on one of the above tabs.
Dr. Scott Nicholson takes you on a 15 minute ride through the world of modern board games. His video is an excellent primer on how board games have changed and exploded in number over the last 20 years. The Library does not have all the games he mentions in his video.
