Author Archives: max

Games for Rainy Summer Days

Birds of Summer - 2 to 6 players, Ages 7 to Adult Click for a larger image A Co-operative Card Game™. Players are parent Birds trying to save their Baby Birds from Predators such as Hawks and Cats. The cards provide 6 Places for Nests, 6 Birds, 6 Predators and 6 Kinds of Food. All the action takes place on the Neighborhood Chart. Predator Dangers are placed near the Neighborhood. Places to make Nests are played first, then Nests, then Food for each Nest, which attracts a Predator. Will we, the parent Birds, be able to chase away the Predator? Clever play will make all the difference, as we talk over our plans and make careful choices, with each player making an important contribution. This game is exciting and educational: memory, math and problem solving skills are nurtured as well. Includes: 35 cards, neighborhood chart, rules. © 2006

I am told that summer is here as I listen to the rain thundering down, watch the road being washed away, and me shivering in the cold room, temp 7 Celsius. The upside? Perfect weather for staying indoors and playing co-operative board games. What would I suggest? Something in keeping with the season? Something educational? I think we have all that, and games which are … Learn More

“The wolf shall dwell with the lamb…” Peaceable Places for all ages

Peaceable Places: A CO-OPERATIVE GAME FOR ALL AGES THREE GAMES IN ONE! “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard with the goat,and the calf and the lion together, and the cow and bear shall feed,and the child shall play with the snake.” ISAIAH 11: 5 – 8. OBJECT Players help realize the beautiful Promise that a time will come when Love will overcome Fear and all Creatures will live together in Peace and not hurt or destroy each other anymore. CONTENTS 12×12”Board, 36 Cards ( Fear, Love,Prophecy, Various Creatures & Child), Rules for ALL AGES, 5 to 7, 7 to 12 and 12 to Adult. Children can grow with the game. “As a young boy and even today, I remain touched by this deeply meaningful Promise.” Jim

Thanks for your patience. The next new game is here! As I write, PEACEABLE PLACES, promised last month, is being assembled behind me. It has evolved into a Multi-Age game, suitable for 4 to 7, 7 – 12, 12 to adult, with separate pieces and rules for each age level. I favor putting all the versions in one edition, rather than milking them with separate … Learn More

Blues Away! A New Marble Game Spin-off

Blues Away - A CO-OPERATIVE STRATEGY GAME © 2016, Jim Deacove THE IDEA Taking turns, players use the Yellow marble to jump and remove as many of the Blue marbles as they can. Some logic, some intuition, lots of brainwork, because no Luck is involved. CONTENTS Special Board with 50 nests, 1 Yellow Happy Days Marble, 20 The Blues Marbles, and Rules for Solitaire and Partner Play. AGES 7 to Adult PLAYERS Alone or Two WARNING! CHOKING HAZARD Small Parts Not for children under 3 years

Last time I wrote I was crying the Blues about losing our steady supply of marbles for the Yin Yang game. After redesigning Yin Yang with disks I had solved that problem, but then I really did have the Blues, lots of leftover blue marbles, that is. My solution? Blues Away! A Cooperative Strategy Game™ for 2 players, aged 7 and up. Also included are rules for solitaire play. Taking … Learn More

New design for Yin Yang Strategy Game

I had a problem. My supplier of Chinese Checker plastic marbles, ½ inch, had closed. I’d been trying to locate a new one, but had had no luck. A few places in China make them, but are selling them for 5 cents each US $. If you are familiar with my Yin Yang game that uses these marbles, you will know that paying that much … Learn More

A Valley Gamemaker

Jim & Ruth-Mary Cooke Article

Mary Cooke/SENIORS YOUNG AT HEART This time of year, for many of us, we are still trying to work through our Christmas gift lists. Each year we vow to cut back, but that challenge is rarely met. The children on our lists, with the multitude of electronic gadgets available, is often the hardest group to buy for. Well, we just may have the perfect answer … Learn More

Working Together: The Origins of Cooperative Play

Diplomatic Mission, the sequel to Maze. Instead of capturing by substitution, you merely need to be next to an opponent’s piece, and the game is over.

by Rey Armenteros — Traveler, Artist, Comic Book Aficionado & Game Enthusiast for Casual Game Insider magazine Issue #11 Spring 2015 (click to download the whole issue) ONCE UPON A TIME … all board games were competitive — players had to duke it out to determine a winner. But an idea began proliferating around the board gaming community that posed the possibility of playing games … Learn More

Cooperative Games: A way to modify aggressive behavior in young children

From a study in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis: We investigated the effects of competitive and cooperative games on aggressive and cooperative behaviors of 70 children (4 to 5 years old) from four classes in three preschools. The experimental design induded both multiple baseline and reversal components. Behaviors were measured during game conditions and in subsequent free-play periods. Results showed that cooperative behavior increased … Learn More