← Spark & Whetstone · Teach the Table · Game Night Ledger
The Host's Book For whoever is running the table tonight. Each Teach is short enough to read aloud in about a minute: a line of story, the goal, a turn, the rule people forget, and how it ends. Then pick a set list that finishes in twenty minutes.
Print the Host's Book
The Teach Chess Chess came west from India and Persia; the queen became the strongest piece in Spain around 1500.
The goal Trap the other king so it cannot escape. That is checkmate. A turn Move one piece. Each kind moves its own way; only the knight jumps. The rule people forget You may never make a move that leaves your own king attacked. How it ends Checkmate wins. If the side to move has no legal move but is not in check, it is a draw. Go to the table →
Go Go is written about in China more than two thousand years ago.
The goal Surround more of the board than your friend does. A turn Place one stone on an empty crossing. Stones never move after that. The rule people forget A group with no empty crossing touching it is captured and taken off. How it ends When both players pass in a row, count the crossings each of you surrounds. Go to the table →
Four in a Row The upright version was sold in 1974; in 1988 computers showed the first player can always win with perfect play.
The goal Line up four of your discs: across, up or slanting. A turn Drop one disc into any column that is not full. The rule people forget Watch your friend's threats as well as your own; most games are lost, not won. How it ends Four in a line wins. A full board with no line is a draw. Go to the table →
Mancala (the sowing game) Sowing games are played across Africa and Asia; ô ăn quan is Vietnam's, with two big squares for the mandarins.
The goal End with more seeds in your store than your friend has in theirs. A turn Pick up all the seeds from one of your holes and sow them one by one around the board. The rule people forget Every family plays it a little differently, so agree your rules before you start. How it ends When one side runs out of seeds, count the stores. Go to the table →
Klondike patience Patience began as a parlour game in the early 1800s, played at home with one pack.
The goal Build four piles, one per suit, from ace up to king. A turn Move a card onto one a rank higher of the other colour, or turn a card from the stock. The rule people forget Only a king, or a run headed by a king, can go into an empty column. How it ends All 52 cards home is a win. Stopping is not losing; today's deal can always be won. Go to the table →
Flags Two-player Minesweeper went round on instant messengers in the early 2000s.
The goal Claim more than half of the mines. A turn Open one square. A number says how many mines touch it. The rule people forget Opening a mine is good here: you claim it and go again. How it ends Whoever claims more than half the mines wins, then read each other your check. Go to the table →
Hidden Ranks Hidden-rank games go back to a French game, L'Attaque, from about 1909.
The goal Find and take your friend's flag. A turn Move one piece one square. When two pieces meet, both ranks are shown and the higher wins. The rule people forget Your friend cannot see your ranks, so a bold move can be a bluff. How it ends Taking the flag wins. A player who cannot move loses. Go to the table →
Bingo Calling numbers drawn from a bag goes back to Italian lotto in the 1500s.
The goal Be first to cover a line, or the pattern called at the start. A turn The caller draws a number and reads it out; everyone marks it if they have it. The rule people forget Say the pattern before the first call, and check a winning card against the called numbers. How it ends The first correct card wins the round. Nothing is staked; the fun is the calling. Go to the table →
Twenty-minute tables Cards before bed One grown-up and one child, or two grown-ups · 20 minutes
Read the Teach aloud 1 min Today's Klondike, together: one of you turns cards, one decides 12 min This week's puzzle, read aloud 5 min One question to end on 2 min Two players, one device Any two, about 8 and up · 20 minutes
Read the Teach aloud 1 min Flags, short board, best of two 12 min Read each other your check 1 min One game of Four in a Row 6 min The whole table Three to eight people, mixed ages · 20 minutes
Read the Teach aloud 1 min Bingo, with a child as caller 14 min One question each, round the table 5 min A quiet board Two players who like to think · 20 minutes
Read the Teach aloud 1 min Go on the 9 × 9 board 15 min Count together, then say one move you would change 4 min The minutes are a guide, not a timer. When the time is up, say "that's the table for tonight" and stop, even mid-game. Nothing is kept or sent.