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Traditional games

Traditional games

Digital versions of games that exist off-screen and are played at a table, in an arcade or in a casino: board games, cards, gambling, pinball or quiz shows. The rules come from the original game; the computer acts as opponent, referee or table.

Also known as: traditional video game

This is a basic entry: it has the definition and the classification. Full entries add history, games and a demo.

History

  1. 1952
    Origin

    A. S. Douglas's OXO (noughts and crosses) and Christopher Strachey's checkers, both from 1952, are among the first computer games with a screen.

    Early history of video games (Wikipedia)

Subgenres

  • Board gameYou play a board game on screen, a classic or a new design, moving pieces around a board turn by turn. The challenge is the original game's, with the computer as opponent or as a table for online play.
  • Card gameYou play with a deck on screen: solitaire, poker and other traditional card games, or new designs built around cards. The challenge lies in managing your hand, weighing the odds and, against other people, reading your opponent.
  • GamblingYou bet money, real or play money, on casino games of chance: slot machines, roulette, poker or blackjack. The outcome depends mostly on luck; you decide how much to risk and when to walk away.
  • Game showRecreates a TV game show, real or invented: you answer questions, spin wheels or beat challenges against the clock and other contestants. The challenge follows the show's format, with its host, rounds and prizes.
  • MazeYou move through a maze, usually seen from above, and the challenge is choosing your routes through its corridors wisely to collect items, find the exit or escape whoever is chasing you.
  • PinballSimulates a pinball machine: you launch the ball and keep it in play with the flippers, aiming at ramps and targets to score points. The challenge lies in the ball's physics and your reflexes.
  • Social deductionEach player is secretly given a role, and a few are traitors trying to take out the rest without being found out. You talk, accuse and vote on whom to throw out, so you win by reasoning from the clues and by knowing how to lie or how to spot a liar.
  • Trivia gameYou answer general-knowledge or topic-specific questions, often against the clock or other players. The challenge is what you know and how fast you can recall it.