My last laptop wizard fell at Khazad-Dum.

So my laptop is on the fritz and possibly the video card is gone. As it's soldered to the logic board, it's not like I can replace it, either. It's on a day like this that I want to take my magic ring and just chuck it into a volcano.

Yesterday's game was Boggle, Parker Brothers's hidden word game. This was the game we played more than Scrabble. So I guess some households are Scrabble households, and others are Boggle households. And others... Unspeakable Words?

And with that, the board game quiz is over. The final scores will be posted tomorrow, but it's clear no individual will get more than 25 out of 30. However, collectively the group did, so I'll take that as sufficient to meet the terms of the contest. So congratulations to the winners: breast cancer researchers!

Scores: Bob: 18.5 Jason: 13 Wesley: 12 Jeffrey: 11.5 Kris: 10 Heather: 2

Egg timer not included

Only two more days remaining. I think I'm seeing the theme of this website everywhere, even when I play games -- like this one.

Yesterday's game, as you all noticed, was Words with Friends, also known as Scrabble. It has a history a bit like Monopoly, Clue, and Stratego, where there was an initial design by one person and then it was refined by another to become the game we now know. A gentlemen of the unfortunate name Alfred Mosher Butts did the first pass and called it Criss-Crosswords, and the refinement and subsequent renaming was done by James Brunot. The game became famous when Jack Strauss, the president of Macy's, played it and was surprised to discover that it wasn't carried in his store. It was soon after, and became a big hit. And even now families all over the globe use it to torture each other with their superior knowledge.

I could go on, but just watch this (warning: mild language), it'll explain everything I just wrote and more.

Beard: This is probably the longest the neck beard has gotten because of various necessary shavings. So enjoy it while it's there.

Scores: Bob: 18.5 Jason: 12 Wesley: 11 Jeffrey: 10.5 Kris: 9 Heather: 2

Putting the S in the corner gives me triple word score

I think there's a word here amongst these letters, but I'm not sure what it could be... maybe x-rad. Or perhaps seadrx?

Yesterday's game was the game of crazy comparisons, Apples to Apples... also the game that put the company Out of the Box on the map (and I'm guessing made them very rich). I'm sort of sad to see that they sold the rights to this game, as well as those for Blink! and Snorta, to Mattel. But I'm sure they made a big old bag of money, and they still have the "10 Days in ..." games, so you can still kick it old school with them at games conventions.

Beard: Do I need to spell it out for you?

Scores: Bob: 17.5 Jason: 11 Wesley: 10 Jeffrey: 9.5 Kris: 8 Heather: 2

Know your judge...

So I managed to find another game that's not from the 70s that people might know. More of a party game than a strategy game, but despite that I've mellowed towards it through the years. So which card do you think I'll pick?

Yesterday's game was Mille Bornes. This card game was designed by Edmond Dujardin and published in France, but was actually an... homage... (as Wikipedia says, "quite similar") to an earlier Parker Brothers game called Touring, both involving collection of milepost cards during a road trip. Because of this similarity, Parker Brothers ended up buying the rights to the game. As mentioned I first played this in French class, but probably spent the most time playing it on my Unix system at college, and then on my Mac. I'm fairly certain that in both cases that the AI cheated. Or maybe I'm just no good at it.

Oh, and it was reimplemented a second time as Grass.

Beard: Tried Jack Daniels and Amaretto as a beard strengthener tonight. Not sure how the beard is doing, but I'm feeling fine! Yes, sir!

Boobs: Alas, first place was short-lived. Still, thank you to my supporters!

Scores: Bob: 16.5 Jason: 11 Wesley: 10 Jeffrey: 8.5 Kris: 7 Heather: 2

We drove 3/4 of this yesterday

So, there's only four days remaining in the month. This is fortunate, because I'm running out of games that I think people might guess. Today's game is something you might have played in French class, if you took French.

Yesterday's game was Carcassonne, another of the German board games that hit our shores in the early 90s. If you haven't played it, you lay tiles (not shown) and build a map of the countryside. Your meeples are used to score landmarks such as roads, rivers and cities, once they're completed. We've played it to death, but I'm considering picking up the iOS version, just to play with people online. Personally, I think The City is the best version -- and it comes in a nice wooden box, to boot.

Beard: After the holiday primping, it is luscious and full

Boobs: Number 1! (when it updates)

Scores: Bob: 15.5 Jason: 11 Wesley: 10 Jeffrey: 7.5 Kris: 7 Heather: 2

Meeples Will Be Meeples

I'm not sure if this the first game to feature these guys, but it's the first one I can remember.

Yesterday's game was Sorry!, another Parker game. I was surprised to find that it dates back to 1929, even before Monopoly. Like Clue, it was originally published by Waddington's in the U.K., and then brought to the U.S. by Parker Brothers. I haven't played in a while, though I remember it being fun as a kid. If Sorry!'s not your thing, but you still want a nostalgia trip, there's a related dexterity game called Sorry! Sliders which gets better ratings on Board Game Geek.

Beard: Finished off Thanksgiving bearding with a peanut donut from Paula's in Buffalo. Highly recommended!

Boobs: Hey, a new sponsor, thank you! And Bob crossed the magic halfway score, so this will be going up again shortly.

Scores: Bob: 15.5 Wesley: 10 Jason: 10 Jeffrey: 7.5 Kris: 7 Heather: 2

Apparently this falls in the cross-and-circle genre.

Not much to say about the game here, I'll just slide along to the next topic.

Yesterday's game was Clue, originally released as Cluedo in the United Kingdom. The original designer, Anthony E. Pratt apparently had a more grandiose game in mind with ten colors, more rooms and more weapons. The clue cards were also seeded in the various rooms to be picked up rather than being dealt out. However, Waddington's (the U.K. publisher) simplified it down to the form we know now. I'm sorry to say that Wadsworth was never in the game.

Beard: Moved on from pie to eggnog. I'm not sure it's helping the beard, but my middle is certainly more prepared for winter.

Scores: Bob: 14.5 Wesley: 9 Jason: 9 Kris: 7 Jeffrey: 6.5 Heather: 2

Yesterday's caption

These most recent pictures are being taken in the dining room of my parents house. There is no conservatory or library, but there is a piano and some books in the living room -- does that count?

Yesterday's game was of course Advance to Boardwalk... but I kid. It was Monopoly. The grand history portrayed by Parker Brothers and Hasbro, with the down-on-his-luck Charles Darrow presenting his original design, is not quite true. The first version was originally designed by a woman named Elizabeth Magie as a game showing the evils of capitalism. Later it drifted into the public domain where it became the game we now know and, well, perhaps not love. Dread, maybe? If you end up playing it over this long weekend, a few tips to move it along: 1) Don't put money under Free Parking 2) Use the auctions to divvy up the properties quickly 3) Just let Uncle Fred win, as he'll throw a fuss otherwise.

Beard: Had more pie today, it seems to be doing its magic

Boobs: My pleas are falling on deaf ears it seems

Scores: Bob: 13.5 Wesley: 8 Jason: 8 Kris: 7 Jeffrey: 6.5 Heather: 2

Really? You need a clue?

So it's Thanksgiving in the United States, and it's traditional to name some things that you're thankful for. So first, thanks to those of you who have already donated. Another thing that is related to this site: On Monday my wife Mur got a mammogram. Fortunately it was negative, so I am highly thankful that she does not have breast cancer. But the chance was always there, and others do, so for her and them please donate. It's easy, just click on the little $$ and follow the directions. Let's take care of this.

Yesterday's game was Waterworks, Parker Brothers' "Leaky Pipe Card Game." Waterworks was part of a wave of new games created by Parker during the 70s -- I've done a couple of others earlier this month. Unfortunately the company made a number of poor decisions in the early 80s during the advent of videogames, and was eventually bought out by Hasbro whereupon the brand name disappeared. Nowadays Waterworks is published by Winning Moves Games, a company co-founded by a former V.P. at Parker Brothers. Oh, and the game is still fun, but you really need the bathtub-shaped card holder.

Beard: Well-nourished by stuffing and pie

Boobs: Still awaiting some more supporters (see above)

Scores: Bob: 12.5 Wesley: 7 Jason: 7 Kris: 7 Jeffrey: 6.5 Heather: 2

I think this was Mario's first gig

Another classic game. I'm cheating here by not aligning my cards correctly, but as you can see it's not doing me much good without a wrench.

On one hand I'm surprised that only one person got yesterday's game, on the other hand I should have realized that there are a lot of games made from the Cthulhu mythos. The game was Mansions of Madness, Fantasy Flight's second big box Cthulhu series. Arkham Horror was the first. They also have Elder Sign, and through other publishers you can get Cthulhu Dice and Unspeakable Words and Cthulhu Rising and... so perhaps it wasn't quite fair.

Beard: I believe I have passed from "bewhiskered" to "bearded."

Boobs: Still need to hit up the relatives... soon...

Scores: Bob: 11.5 Jason: 7 Kris: 7 Jeffrey: 6.5 Wesley: 6 Heather: 2