Though board games had their golden era in the 70s and 80s, they are truly experiencing a renaissance in the 2020s. Given the prominence of the Internet in our everyday lives, some would regard this as unbelievable – but it’s true! Many Brits love to make it a whole evening with their friends competing for dominance in a simple board game or working together at some of the more cooperative titles.
But which games came from England? We all know the most obvious answers, like all our favourite bingo games or Scrabble, but there are some games that most of us would never have thought came from England. So, let’s discover some of the most interesting English board games.
Cluedo
Anthony Pratt is one of the greats in the world of board games—this England native created one of the most popular games in the world in the last decades, which even secured itself a cult-favourite movie of the same name.
We won’t go deep into the premise of the game, as we’re sure you’re familiar with it and have played it with your friends and family during your childhood, so we’ll just leave you with some fun facts about the games.
For example, Cluedo was supposed to be called Murder!, but Pratt had to change the name as it was thought of as inappropriate since the game was created during WW2. Plus, The Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, is said to have loved Cluedo so much that she penned the introduction to a special edition of the game.
Jiggle-Joggle
This game is not nearly as popular as Cluedo today, but it is a piece of Victorian board game history, originating all the way back in the 1890s. There are no fancy cards or dice involved—only physical manipulation. Three frogs are attached to their respective strings, and the players pull the strings to make the frogs jump, and the first one to reach the finish line wins.
Toptopoly
This is a quintessential English game created in the 70s by Peter Tritschler. What makes it so English? Well, it’s inspired by Monopoly, but also by the social and political climate in the UK, its class system, and social trends. Ironically, to play this game in its original form, you’d have to have quite a lot of cash, as the original copies are collector’s items.
Unlike Monopoly, you don’t buy properties but class-marked advantages- basically everything that the author deemed available only to the posh. The game is a satirical look at England’s class issue that casts its shadow over the country to this day.
Backgammon
Though there is evidence that a similar game was played in Mesopotamia around 3000 BC, it is widely considered that backgammon is a British legacy. It was brought to our isles during the Norman conquest, and over the centuries, it was shaped into the iconic game we know today.
In the 16th century, it often appeared in literature, which means it was pretty popular with those who had the privilege to know how to write. Nowadays, there are open backgammon tournaments for all!
Conclusion
As board games continue to experience a renaissance, the rich heritage of English board games, both classic and obscure, invites you to explore and rediscover the joy of gaming!