I'm a big fan of games that involve boards and cards and dice and nifty little pieces and fake money and other people. I hope they never disappear completely off the face of the Earth.
Is anyone else concerned that video games are replacing real games (I won't mention computer forums replacing real social interaction)?
I'm sure we'll always have cards. At least we will in Michigan. Michigan could not survive without Euchre.
And am I the only person left who has learned Cribbage? Do I have to pass on the game in order to keep it alive?

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"Conservatives say if you don't give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest. As for the poor, they tell us they've lost all incentive because we've given them too much money."

-George Carlin

Within the last several months, I've played a few games of chess on an Internet site.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

Which rock group sang that old Eighties tune "Games People Play"?

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Theodore Lamar Heiks
BA, History/Political Science, Western State College of Colorado, 1984
MBA, Entrepreneurship/Marketing, City University of Seattle, 1993

Was it, by any chance, a group called Inner Circle?

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

You must be talking about the Alan Parsons Project.

I played Rummikub with real people over the holidays. And there's nothing greater than a game of 42 (dominoes) with real people, the computer cannot replace that.

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The way we get into these scrapes and get out of them, it's almost as though someone was dreaming up these situations; guiding our destiny. ~The Boy Wonder, alter ego of Dick Grayson, young ward of millionaire Bruce Wayne.

Just wait, though. Someone will come up with virtual reality games with dominoes. I think I've been digitized.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

As much as I'm an advocate for real games, I'm almost starting to lean toward computers for games like Risk and other strategy-type stuff. For one, the computer is quicker. Also the computer follows the rules and doesn't try to get around them and it is easier to save a long game and come back. Set up is also easier, but on the other hand I kind of like setting up so long as the pieces are cool ones and not little pieces of plastic. But computers don't get buzzed with you if you're drinking beer. They don't talk much. And they cheat! Why is it that regardless of how much artificial intelligence they can create, the challenge level really refers to the propensity of the computer vs. you to get decent rolls?
But computer euchre is lame. Computer yahtzee is dull. Computer Sorry is funny for the first few times because of the animated pieces but then it sucks.
The best games are the ones that look really cool on a coffee table.

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"Conservatives say if you don't give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest. As for the poor, they tell us they've lost all incentive because we've given them too much money."

-George Carlin

I've heard that board games are great for children to help them learn counting and strategy. Games where the computer does it all for you doesn't really teach anything, so in my household we will be focusing on those games vs. computer games for awhile.

That said, one of the best times I had at work was when someone brought in "Catchphrase". We had a blast playing that in one of the conference rooms.

And for a decent sized group "Apples to Apples" is fun.

I spent waaaay too many hours playing Euchre when I was in a Fife & Drum corp and we had a lot of bus time to kill.

And finally Skat and Sheepshead were the card games in college. Usually played with lots of beer on hand.

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Raytri: "I would think two years before the mast would solve whatever character issues a person may have."

Apples to Apples is awesome!
A nifty stupid little card game found in some stores ids Fluxx. The rules keep changing as you play.

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"Conservatives say if you don't give the rich more money, they will lose their incentive to invest. As for the poor, they tell us they've lost all incentive because we've given them too much money."

-George Carlin

dominoes...especially the games played with double twelves in a group.