Board Game

A board game is a game in which counters or pieces that are placed on, removed from, or moved across a "board" (a premarked surface usually specific to that game). As do other form of entertainment, board games can represent nearly any subject.There are many different types and styles of board games, including those, at the most-basic level, that that have no inherent theme—such as Checkers—as well as more-complicated games with definite subjects, or even narratives, such as Cluedo.HistoryBoard games have been played in most cultures and societies throughout history; some even pre-date literacy skill development in the earliest civilizations.[citation needed] A number of important historical sites, artifacts and documents exist which shed light on early board games. Some of these include:The Jiroft civilization game boardsSenet has been found in Predynastic and First Dynasty burials of Egypt, c. 3500 BC and 3100 BC respectively.[1] Senet is the oldest board game known to have existed, and was pictured in a fresco found in Merknera's tomb (3300-2700 BC).[2]Mehen is another ancient board game from Predynastic Egypt.Go is an ancient strategic board game originating in ChinaPatolli is a board game originating in Mesoamerica, and was played by the ancient Mayans.The Royal Tombs of Ur contained, among others, the Royal Game of Ur. They were excavated by Leonard Woolley, but his books document little on the games found. Most of the games he excavated are now housed in the...

Card Game

A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary things with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). Some games have formally standardized rules, while rules for others can vary by region, culture, and person.The deckA card game is played with a deck of cards intended for that game that are identical in size and shape. Each card has two sides, the face and the back. The backs of the cards in a deck are indistinguishable, preventing any player who cannot see the card's face from knowing its value. The faces of the cards in a deck may all be unique, or may include duplicates, depending on the game. In either case, any card is readily identifiable by its face. The set of cards that make up the deck are known to all of the players using that deck.The form and composition of European-style playing card decks have evolved over more than 600 years, and a variety of cultural decks have resulted. The deck most often seen in English-speaking cultures, and common in other countries where the deck has been introduced, is the Anglo-American poker deck. This deck contains 52 unique cards in the four French suits (Spades, Hearts, Diamonds and Clubs) and thirteen ranks running from two (deuce) to ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. Commercial poker decks commonly include two to four Jokers, which are used in some games as special cards (the role of the Joker varies by game and...

Gamers Outreach Foundation

Gamers Outreach Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which utilizes video games as tools for charity and community related endeavors. The foundation takes a unique approach towards addressing various community issues by directly using video games in ways that improve the livelihood of others.HistoryGamers Outreach Foundation was founded in 2007; shortly after local public safety officials from Saline, Michigan canceled a Halo 2 tournament planned by the organization’s future founder (and at the time, 11th grade Saline High School student) Zach Wigal, which was to take place in his school’s cafeteria.[1].Wigal, along with close friend and future co-founder Nick Russell, spent 3 months planning a large scale Halo 2 tournament for his high school’s student body. The event was expected to draw roughly 300 participants and spectators. After attaining permission to use the high school facilities in December 2006, the two scheduled to host their tournament on March 24th, 2007.Four days before the scheduled tournament, a local police officer and public safety official (who belonged to the Parents Television Council - an organization which advocates media censorship) heard news of the event, and protested the tournament take place in the high school due to Halo 2’s mature rating and content.The public safety official quickly contacted the Saline Schools superintendent, opposing the school should allow such an event to take place and ultimately convinced her that...