- History and Useful Information -

Welcome.  This website provides history, useful links and current information about traditional games from around the world.  It was originally written in 1997 for the edification of others in the original spirit of the Internet and continues to be regularly updated and enhanced. You will find various bits of it plagiarised on other websites - rest assured that everything on this website is the original. The author welcomes your comments.

The games featured on this site have survived for centuries and millenia simply by being passed down from generation to generation and most continue to thrive even in today's modern world. They continue because they are good fun to play. Many of them are children's games and there is no doubt that games are great for developing life skills - hand-eye coordination, mental agility, not to mention social skills.

None-the-less, some traditional games are in decline and perhaps need some help. If you are organising a league, competition or maybe just play a less well-known pub game in your local, the author is happy to mention it on this website for free. See the Leagues and Pubs page.

There are two ways to reference material on this site.  You can use the 'Game Index' from the navigation buttons above or you can drill down to your area of interest using the categories below.

Board Games	The histories of all the major board games played today from all over the world.  Including Western board games favourites like Chess (descended from Shaturanga),  Draughts (descended from Alquerque),  the ancient Egyptian game of   Nine Mens Morris  and  Backgammon (descended from Senat) and childrens favourites Snakes and Ladders, and Chinese Checkers (a modern version of Halma). Just as importantly, games which are even more popular but less well known in the West  such as Go,  Shogi,  Chinese Chess,  Mancala and  Pachisi (Ludo).  Plus some unusual games like the ancient Norse game of Tafl, the Madagascan game of Fanorona and some really ancient games like the Royal games found at Ur.
Table Games	Table games including Carrom from Asia and the Billiards family through Snooker to the American and European derivatives, Bar Billiards, Bagatelle, Pool and Carom Billiards.  Also, the Shovelboard and Shove Ha'penny family, Squails and Crokinole plus the table-top versions of Skittles, Indoor Quoits and Bagatelle.
Pub Games	The history of British pub games and other unashamedly traditional British pastimes: Dominoes, Cribbage, Quoits, Shove Ha'penny, Billiards and Snooker, Skittles, Darts, Bar Billiards and a few splendidly eccentric extras for good measure like Ringing the Bull, Toad in the Hole, Bat & Trap, Knur & Spell and Aunt Sally.
Lawn Games	Traditional Lawn games including Bowls, Cricket, Croquet, Tennis and Badminton.
Dice, Cards and Tiles	Mah Jong,  Dominoes,   Cribbage,  Shut the Box

 

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jm at tradgames.org.uk
Copyright © 1997 - now by James Masters.