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Board Games in 100 Moves
Surprising stories behind the games you know and love to play.
Journey through 8,000 years of history, from Ancient Egyptian Senet and Indian Snakes and Ladders, right up to role-play, fantasy and hybrid games of the present day.
More than 100 games are explored chronologically, from the most ancient to the most modern. Every chapter is full of insightful anecdotes exploring everything from design and acquisition to game play and legacy.
Journey through 8,000 years of history, from Ancient Egyptian Senet and Indian Snakes and Ladders, right up to role-play, fantasy and hybrid games of the present day.
More than 100 games are explored chronologically, from the most ancient to the most modern. Every chapter is full of insightful anecdotes exploring everything from design and acquisition to game play and legacy.
176 pages, Hardcover
Published September 17, 2019
10 people are currently reading
140 people want to read
About the author
Ian Livingstone
131 books164 followersSir Ian Livingstone is an English fantasy author and entrepreneur. Along with Steve Jackson, he is the co-founder of the Fighting Fantasy series of role-playing gamebooks, and the author of many books within that series. He co-founded Games Workshop in 1975 and helped create Eidos Interactive as executive chairman of Eidos Plc in 1995.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
August 26, 2020
Requested from the library about a lifetime ago and finally turned up this week, complete with home delivery! I could get used to this.
A necessarily brief overview of the entire history of board games; when I learnt that not-mentioned-on-the-cover James Wallis had written this book with Ian Livingstone I thought of the massive board game encyclopaedia my family owned. But that was a long time ago and books surveying the field are now thin on the ground. Besides, there is no longer any point providing long lists of rules for classic games: “look them up on the Internet” say the authors, persuasively.
I found this endlessly entertaining; there was something I’d like to argue with the authors about on almost every page. I also learnt all sorts of odd facts; did you know that Waddingtons inserted escape maps into games sent to British prisoners of war? Or that Buddha banned games with eight or ten rows? Or that Ludo is based on a good game?
However, the DK style necessarily leads to brevity in some areas. I would have found the omission of many great games like shogi, Stratego and Labyrinth easier to cope with if there hadn’t been long pages on the detail of games company mergers and specific now-forgotten games of the 70s. Nintendo’s origins as a playing card company are mentioned, but Hanafuda, the classic game they made cards for, is not.
The book also appears to have been designed to sell into both US and UK markets rather than being localised for each. And although this book purports to be about multiplayer board games, physical building and stacking games, dice games and card games are also included. Fair enough, though it seems like an odd choice given the brevity of treatment. However, I think five separate mentions of a series of solo game books might be a bit much, even if one of the authors wrote them.
The book starts with a list of 100 key examples of games taken over time, much like the history of the world in 100 objects. These choices are necessarily arbitrary; but I would have liked to see a more global selection here and without so much weighting towards very recent games that may not stand the test of time.
Obviously the authors were somewhat separated from the picture editors, and picture selection is dictated by what’s available and a budget. This is an extremely attractive book that is a pleasure to read and look at. I would have preferred to see more rigour in using pictures from early or definitive editions of games. A fifteenth century chase game is illustrated with a nineteenth century illustration, and Master Mind, the great game of cheap injection moulded plastics, is illustrated with a wooden set.
Anyway, I’m at risk of spending longer writing the review than I did reading the book. It’s splendid! Everyone should read books about board games! I want to go and play a load of these games now!
A necessarily brief overview of the entire history of board games; when I learnt that not-mentioned-on-the-cover James Wallis had written this book with Ian Livingstone I thought of the massive board game encyclopaedia my family owned. But that was a long time ago and books surveying the field are now thin on the ground. Besides, there is no longer any point providing long lists of rules for classic games: “look them up on the Internet” say the authors, persuasively.
I found this endlessly entertaining; there was something I’d like to argue with the authors about on almost every page. I also learnt all sorts of odd facts; did you know that Waddingtons inserted escape maps into games sent to British prisoners of war? Or that Buddha banned games with eight or ten rows? Or that Ludo is based on a good game?
However, the DK style necessarily leads to brevity in some areas. I would have found the omission of many great games like shogi, Stratego and Labyrinth easier to cope with if there hadn’t been long pages on the detail of games company mergers and specific now-forgotten games of the 70s. Nintendo’s origins as a playing card company are mentioned, but Hanafuda, the classic game they made cards for, is not.
The book also appears to have been designed to sell into both US and UK markets rather than being localised for each. And although this book purports to be about multiplayer board games, physical building and stacking games, dice games and card games are also included. Fair enough, though it seems like an odd choice given the brevity of treatment. However, I think five separate mentions of a series of solo game books might be a bit much, even if one of the authors wrote them.
The book starts with a list of 100 key examples of games taken over time, much like the history of the world in 100 objects. These choices are necessarily arbitrary; but I would have liked to see a more global selection here and without so much weighting towards very recent games that may not stand the test of time.
Obviously the authors were somewhat separated from the picture editors, and picture selection is dictated by what’s available and a budget. This is an extremely attractive book that is a pleasure to read and look at. I would have preferred to see more rigour in using pictures from early or definitive editions of games. A fifteenth century chase game is illustrated with a nineteenth century illustration, and Master Mind, the great game of cheap injection moulded plastics, is illustrated with a wooden set.
Anyway, I’m at risk of spending longer writing the review than I did reading the book. It’s splendid! Everyone should read books about board games! I want to go and play a load of these games now!
March 25, 2021
A quick and fascinating look at the history of board games.
My favorite random fact is that they have essentially been called "table top games" since the beginning of recorded history.
This is a great primer for someone new to the hobby (like me) trying to get a bit of background on the evolution of board games, tabletop games, and role-playing games. It was published in 2020 so it is very up to date.
So, yes, I now know a little bit too much about this hobby.
My favorite random fact is that they have essentially been called "table top games" since the beginning of recorded history.
This is a great primer for someone new to the hobby (like me) trying to get a bit of background on the evolution of board games, tabletop games, and role-playing games. It was published in 2020 so it is very up to date.
So, yes, I now know a little bit too much about this hobby.
August 26, 2021
I really learned a lot the history of games from this book and enjoyed reading it. This book taught me about some early games I'd never heard of, brought back memories of games that I played as a child, and gave me many ideas for new games I'd like to try. If you enjoyed playing board games with your family as a child or participated in game nights with friends at night, you should definitely pick up this book.
January 9, 2022
This gave me such a detailed look into board games that I did not expect in the slightest. A thorough, to the point, well rounded look into games and their history. The writers are generally unbiased, which I love. There are opinions mixed in here and there, but they're tasteful and light-hearted.
I learned so much from this book that I want to share with others. I hope that every board game fan gets to read this book.
I learned so much from this book that I want to share with others. I hope that every board game fan gets to read this book.
March 29, 2022
A fascinating introductory book about the history of board games that has a lot of neat information. I took my time reading through the book, but it is relatively short (less than 200 pages). I appreciated all of the pictures and facts included about each board game. The book is also told within chronological order, includes a timeline, lists board game award winners, and provides an index and references.
April 27, 2021
A great introduction into board game world, with short tour of the games history & its creators, covering the variety of games available to play, see beyond Monopoly or Cluedo!
February 23, 2020
3.5 I am not a winter person at all. I find a book, a cup of tea and a comfy chair is a great way to stay cozy. The other thing we do at our house is regularly play games - card games, dice games, board games and more. So, Board Games in 100 Moves: 8000 Years of Play definitely caught my eye!
There's a great introduction from Ian Livingstone on the history and importance of games and how games and culture are interwoven. Right at the front of the book is a timeline of the 100 games that are featured in this book, each with a colour image.
The first entry is 3100 BCE! Did you know Backgammon is 500 CE and Chess is 600 CE!? I was fascinated to see how long many of the games have been in existence. And how the rules for each are available. Hands up if you had marathon Monopoly games with your family and friends. Invented in 1935. I still have my childhood set. Scrabble - 1938 - and again, I play it regularly still. Oh, so many more faves and memories - Clue, Candy Land, Yahtzee and the list goes on.
The book has been divided into categories based on the materials used to make the game - Wood and Stone, Paper and Print, Cardboard, Plastic, Imagination and The Future. Within those chapters you'll find details on other games and how they came to be. Mousetrap? Twister?
Board Games in 100 Moves makes for fascinating reading. It's well written and researched. Livingstone makes his living in the game industry, so although is it factual, Livingstone's personal thoughts and biases do pop up.
I appreciated that actual images of the games - boards, boxes etc. were included. The book is well made and sturdy. This is a fun book to browse.
There's a great introduction from Ian Livingstone on the history and importance of games and how games and culture are interwoven. Right at the front of the book is a timeline of the 100 games that are featured in this book, each with a colour image.
The first entry is 3100 BCE! Did you know Backgammon is 500 CE and Chess is 600 CE!? I was fascinated to see how long many of the games have been in existence. And how the rules for each are available. Hands up if you had marathon Monopoly games with your family and friends. Invented in 1935. I still have my childhood set. Scrabble - 1938 - and again, I play it regularly still. Oh, so many more faves and memories - Clue, Candy Land, Yahtzee and the list goes on.
The book has been divided into categories based on the materials used to make the game - Wood and Stone, Paper and Print, Cardboard, Plastic, Imagination and The Future. Within those chapters you'll find details on other games and how they came to be. Mousetrap? Twister?
Board Games in 100 Moves makes for fascinating reading. It's well written and researched. Livingstone makes his living in the game industry, so although is it factual, Livingstone's personal thoughts and biases do pop up.
I appreciated that actual images of the games - boards, boxes etc. were included. The book is well made and sturdy. This is a fun book to browse.
August 16, 2022
Board games have been around for millennia, particularly in Europe and Asia. They have been used to teach facts about nations and movements, create strategic thinking, push propaganda, and improve understanding of processes and systems. Some require skill, some rely on chance. These games, from Hnefatafl to When in Rome, are the subject of the book I finished this evening: Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone.
I like board games, but I was not fond of this book. The history is choppy and poorly cited. The author also avoided most descriptions of game rules. I appreciate that the rules of many ancient games have been lost, but for games the author knows and with which I am unfamiliar, a few rules or general description would have been appreciated. I might even have tried acquiring some of those games.
There are definitely informational gems in these pages like the Hindu roots of Chutes and Ladders, the assertion that Chinese Checkers is neither Chinese nor checkers, and the history of The Game of Life. I did not know that Monopoly was invented by Elizabeth Magie in 1904 as The Landlord’s Game. She designed it to show players “that the system of buying and renting property will lead to greater wealth for the rich and poverty for everyone else.” The book includes an illustration of her original 1904 patent for the gameboard. Charles Darrow designed his own version of the game and sold it to Parker Brothers, the same company that rejected Magie’s version, in 1935. Twister, a floor game more than a table game, was circling the drain until it appeared on The Tonight Show on May 3, 1966, when Johnny Carson played with Eva Gabor. I have no doubt Livingstone is a preeminent game historian, but he didn’t package his knowledge sufficiently in these pages.
I like board games, but I was not fond of this book. The history is choppy and poorly cited. The author also avoided most descriptions of game rules. I appreciate that the rules of many ancient games have been lost, but for games the author knows and with which I am unfamiliar, a few rules or general description would have been appreciated. I might even have tried acquiring some of those games.
There are definitely informational gems in these pages like the Hindu roots of Chutes and Ladders, the assertion that Chinese Checkers is neither Chinese nor checkers, and the history of The Game of Life. I did not know that Monopoly was invented by Elizabeth Magie in 1904 as The Landlord’s Game. She designed it to show players “that the system of buying and renting property will lead to greater wealth for the rich and poverty for everyone else.” The book includes an illustration of her original 1904 patent for the gameboard. Charles Darrow designed his own version of the game and sold it to Parker Brothers, the same company that rejected Magie’s version, in 1935. Twister, a floor game more than a table game, was circling the drain until it appeared on The Tonight Show on May 3, 1966, when Johnny Carson played with Eva Gabor. I have no doubt Livingstone is a preeminent game historian, but he didn’t package his knowledge sufficiently in these pages.
December 21, 2019
This is a super little book - well illustrated and informative.
Calling out 100 games from the dawn of gaming history to the 2010s you get a glimpse of the development of how people pass their time.
I found it by turns interesting and superficial - and some of my favourite games weren't mentioned! But hat having been said, this is a lovely short book that has some great insights, humorous asides, historical curios and modern masterpieces.
In a growing world of Books-about-Games-and-those-who-play-them, this is a nice addition.
Recommended for a quick light read.
Calling out 100 games from the dawn of gaming history to the 2010s you get a glimpse of the development of how people pass their time.
I found it by turns interesting and superficial - and some of my favourite games weren't mentioned! But hat having been said, this is a lovely short book that has some great insights, humorous asides, historical curios and modern masterpieces.
In a growing world of Books-about-Games-and-those-who-play-them, this is a nice addition.
Recommended for a quick light read.
January 16, 2020
This was a nice little book that surveys 8,000 years of table top gaming from Ancient Egyptian Senet and Indian Snakes and Ladders, right up to the advent of role-playing games (such as D & D), fantasy, and the hybrid games of today. Livingstone chronicles the history of table top gaming through the use and discovery of certain materials ( wood and stone, paper and print, cardboard, plastic, etc.) as well as various game mechanics.
Overall, a great introduction to the history of board games.
Overall, a great introduction to the history of board games.
October 7, 2020
Much more involved than I expected! I found myself doing further research on some obscure games, and even requesting more books from the library! As with any listing, there are bound to be titles that the reader feels have been overlooked. This is a well-researched history of gaming to the present day. It could certainly have been more comprehensive, as games and their histories have exploded in recent decades, but then it would be a different book. I found the organization of the history by material - stone, wood, paper, cardboard, plastic, digital - to be sensible and easy to follow.
May 14, 2022
With the intersection of games, history and DK, I was always going to enjoy reading this one.
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September 4, 2024تجربۀ عجیبی بوده که ببینم کتابی دربارۀ بازیهای رومیزی چاپ شده باشد. برای ما که در ایران زندگی میکنیم شاید کتابی دربارۀ بازیهایی رومیزی گزینهای خیلی خیلی دور برای چاپ کردن است. از خوشیهای جهان امروز ارتباط با جهان بیرون است که چنین کتابهایی به ما میرسد و مهمتر خوشی این خبر که «بازی» امری بزرگتر از قبل است. کتاب انگار یافتن جهانی مشترک با کسانی بود که علاقۀ مشترکی داریم.
بازی مهمترین اتفاق زندگی من است. اگر جوانتر بودم شاید شغل شریف گیمری را انتخاب میکردم (یا شاید الان هم بشود.) از روزی که بازیهای رومیزی را هم کشف کردیم سالها میگذرد. بازیهای رومیزی حالا بخشی از قفسۀ هر کتابفروشی شده و حتی فروشگاههای مخصوص به خودش را دارد و همۀ اینها باعث خوشحالی است. (البته اکثر بازیها -مثل اکثر کتابها- فقط ترجمه هستند و راه برای ساخت بازی تالیفی خیلی سخت است.)
کتاب دربارۀ تاریخچۀ بردگیم است. به عنوان یک علاقهمند کتاب پر از کشفهای گوناگون است. از اولین بازی که یافت شده چطور به اینجا رسیدیم؟ چرا بازیهایی چنین خوب هستند؟ جامعۀ بازیکنها و بازیسازها چطور به این نقطه رسیدند؟ و مهمتر از همه پر از بازیهایی است که در این سالها تجربه کردم.
مهمترین ویژگی کتاب برای من کشف دوباره و نگاهی کلی به این تاریخی بود که خودم در این سالها طی کردم. از بازیهای سادهتر و -حالا به نظرم احمقانه- تا رسیدن به بازیهای جدیتر و زیرکانهتری که دوست دارم هر بار تجربهشان کنم در آنها بهتر شود. از تاریخچۀ «دیاَنددی» تا اولین مونوپولی و بازیهای کارتی بانمک امروزی. کتاب بهم یادآوری کرد که چطور به اینجا رسیدیم و تماشای آدمهای علاقهمند و خورهای که در کنار هم ماجراهایی را خلق کردند و منجر به تجربهای مشترک شود واقعاً شگفتانگیز بود؛ و بازیهای رومیزی هنوز معجرۀ دورهم بودن را محقق میکنند.
بازی مهمترین اتفاق زندگی من است. اگر جوانتر بودم شاید شغل شریف گیمری را انتخاب میکردم (یا شاید الان هم بشود.) از روزی که بازیهای رومیزی را هم کشف کردیم سالها میگذرد. بازیهای رومیزی حالا بخشی از قفسۀ هر کتابفروشی شده و حتی فروشگاههای مخصوص به خودش را دارد و همۀ اینها باعث خوشحالی است. (البته اکثر بازیها -مثل اکثر کتابها- فقط ترجمه هستند و راه برای ساخت بازی تالیفی خیلی سخت است.)
کتاب دربارۀ تاریخچۀ بردگیم است. به عنوان یک علاقهمند کتاب پر از کشفهای گوناگون است. از اولین بازی که یافت شده چطور به اینجا رسیدیم؟ چرا بازیهایی چنین خوب هستند؟ جامعۀ بازیکنها و بازیسازها چطور به این نقطه رسیدند؟ و مهمتر از همه پر از بازیهایی است که در این سالها تجربه کردم.
مهمترین ویژگی کتاب برای من کشف دوباره و نگاهی کلی به این تاریخی بود که خودم در این سالها طی کردم. از بازیهای سادهتر و -حالا به نظرم احمقانه- تا رسیدن به بازیهای جدیتر و زیرکانهتری که دوست دارم هر بار تجربهشان کنم در آنها بهتر شود. از تاریخچۀ «دیاَنددی» تا اولین مونوپولی و بازیهای کارتی بانمک امروزی. کتاب بهم یادآوری کرد که چطور به اینجا رسیدیم و تماشای آدمهای علاقهمند و خورهای که در کنار هم ماجراهایی را خلق کردند و منجر به تجربهای مشترک شود واقعاً شگفتانگیز بود؛ و بازیهای رومیزی هنوز معجرۀ دورهم بودن را محقق میکنند.
March 6, 2024
A fine history on the evolution of many of the games we know today…and how they’ve changed across the centuries…
Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone and James Wallis covers the history of games.
Contrary to the title, this covers games other than board games…notably card games such as Tarot Magic the gathering, tabletop (dnd specifically), and dominos/mahjong.
As it covers thousands of years of human gaming involving ancient cultures, the book has a wonderful array of history art and game artifacts accompanying each relevant chapter.
To take into account the development of gaming, the opening section includes a timeline of 100 games across the years providing some valuable knowledge drop on when certain notable games were first introduced to humanity.
There’s a lot of knowledge dropped here, so don’t be intimidated but just how deep a game dive it is…
Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone and James Wallis covers the history of games.
Contrary to the title, this covers games other than board games…notably card games such as Tarot Magic the gathering, tabletop (dnd specifically), and dominos/mahjong.
As it covers thousands of years of human gaming involving ancient cultures, the book has a wonderful array of history art and game artifacts accompanying each relevant chapter.
To take into account the development of gaming, the opening section includes a timeline of 100 games across the years providing some valuable knowledge drop on when certain notable games were first introduced to humanity.
There’s a lot of knowledge dropped here, so don’t be intimidated but just how deep a game dive it is…
May 23, 2020
I'm not entirely convinced a book like this should be read cover to cover, but I did it anyway because we have this pandemic going on and I have the time. I enjoyed reading about the evolution of game play, and I liked how the author did manage to put some historical content in with the games, especially eurogames. I wish a little more thought had been given to the 7800 years of games before the most recent 200 years; the subtitle does boast 8000 years of history, after all. I understand the information is probably sparse, though.
December 9, 2025
The best part of this book is all the gorgeous pictures of games! The text is concise and informative. I can only imagine how tough it was to keep this brief and not make it a much longer book. There are parts that seem very self-serving where the author wants to talk about his games and his company even when it doesn’t seem to really add anything to the conversation. Of course with any book like this there will also be questions of “why didn’t he include …?”, but I enjoyed the read and learned some new things about the history of games!
December 27, 2021
It's a good book about board games... the only thing I didn't like very much is that some of the 100 games shown in the beginning are not talked about - or even shown - in the middle of the book.
This made me wonder if I had a summarized version of it, instead....
Other than this, it's a good introduction to Board games and a starting point to many hours of delight while playing them!
This made me wonder if I had a summarized version of it, instead....
Other than this, it's a good introduction to Board games and a starting point to many hours of delight while playing them!
January 28, 2020
Short, informative look at the history of gaming, but the author clearly has some bias both for and against certain games. Nice, quick read, but I would have appreciated a little more depth and variety.
January 12, 2021
Interesting, but a bit self-centered
Like all DK books, beautiful photographs and nice visual production. The content is so-so: a good timeline of games, but chapters comments are a bit superficial, and there’s a bit too much self-reference (authors were involved with Game Works).
Like all DK books, beautiful photographs and nice visual production. The content is so-so: a good timeline of games, but chapters comments are a bit superficial, and there’s a bit too much self-reference (authors were involved with Game Works).
February 4, 2023
Un libro fascinante que funciona también como libro de diseño/arte.
Aunque pasar las páginas es contemplar con tristeza cómo los juegos de mesa comienzan como piezas de artesanía hasta convertirse en productos en serie.
Aunque pasar las páginas es contemplar con tristeza cómo los juegos de mesa comienzan como piezas de artesanía hasta convertirse en productos en serie.
December 21, 2019
Good looking, but fairly shallow. Definitely for newcomers.
December 19, 2020
Chronological history of board games had some interest although it felt more of a birds eye view rather than a detailed history.
February 1, 2021
Very good board games history lite by a games legend. Very interesting, just not digging deep enoough for me
May 13, 2021
Purely informative book.
Earlier part of the book is not very interesting. At best a 2 hr book.
Earlier part of the book is not very interesting. At best a 2 hr book.
March 10, 2023
- available in SG NLB 794 (Sengkang
March 7, 2024
Just a wonderful exploration of the history of games and gaming. Despite the enormous scope it manages to go into more depth than expected.
November 6, 2025
This one could be filed under "not quite what I expected." A bit of background: I live in a board-gaming household. We've got about 150 games in our collection. Some classic boxes, some new award winners, and some still waiting to be played. We watch gaming videos, visit local gaming stores, and so on. Long story short, we really enjoy board games.
The "ancient" history section was the best part of the book. The games played and enjoyed by civilizations past was well-researched and enjoyable reading. Even the history of "Monopoly" was engaging. The coverage of modern titles, however, seemed a bit aimless. While I might agree that some current games are noteworthy, I'm not sure they needed to appear in this book. "The Mind", for example, is fun, but not all that compelling.
A word about layout: I really, *really* did not like the text turned on its side for individual game history and data. Here's my test for such things: if it was a good idea, you'd see it more often.
The "ancient" history section was the best part of the book. The games played and enjoyed by civilizations past was well-researched and enjoyable reading. Even the history of "Monopoly" was engaging. The coverage of modern titles, however, seemed a bit aimless. While I might agree that some current games are noteworthy, I'm not sure they needed to appear in this book. "The Mind", for example, is fun, but not all that compelling.
A word about layout: I really, *really* did not like the text turned on its side for individual game history and data. Here's my test for such things: if it was a good idea, you'd see it more often.
August 21, 2020
A good annotated timeline, but not much more than that.
Heavier on simple description than on really insightful analysis of board game history.
Heavier on simple description than on really insightful analysis of board game history.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews