Zeus and the Olympians inspired competitive game playing in ancient Greece. From there things have progressed in interesting ways. The one thing you can be sure of is that games are fun and entertaining. Playing games can keep you fit, while others can help improve hand-to-eye coordination. Here are a selection of my all time favourites. May the games never end.
1. Football (soccer)
Known as the world game. You can’t beat it. It is the number 1 played sport in the world for good reason.
2. Video Games
Standalone Arcade Games
Atari Games
Commodore 64 Games
Computer Games
Playstation Games
The evolution of video games has been incredible. Considering all of the video games made, you’d have to think the world exists purely to entertain kids and kids at heart.
3. Eight Ball, Nine Ball, Kelly Pool or Snooker
One of the best things you can ever do is buy your own pool table, provided you’ve got the room to comfortably place it in. There is something so soothing about looking at a smooth green clothed table while balls bounce around it.
4. Chess
No game will get you thinking more than chess. Your mind will become very sharp if you excel at playing it.
5. Briscola
This Italian card game was introduced to me by an Italian friend of mine when we were both very young. I played it countless times and enjoyed the game immensely. I can’t ever recall getting bored of playing it. The game is an absolute classic and is suitable for players of all ages. Everyone should learn how to play it.
6. Poker
Seeing a straight, flush, full house, or four of a kind is like nothing else. You need to be willing to lose some money to play this game, but since it is one of the greatest games ever devised, it is worth it. The game is more fun played will small change. Remember, no matter how good you think your cards are, you can never be totally sure that someone else doesn’t have a better hand, unless of course you have the best possible hand. Bluffing means you don’t need the best hand anyway. This game will completely stun you with disbelief once in a while.
7. Baseball or Cricket
The reason I have shown two games here is that in some parts of the world they prefer to play one or the other. In any case, both of these games are about hitting the ball out of the park if you can, or away from players from the other team in the field. The advantage with cricket is that you can play it with a tennis ball when you’re a kid, without having to hit the ball with your hardest swing.
8. Golf
This game is a good excuse to go for a long walk. When you hit a nice shot, you’ll know what the game is all about.
9. Monopoly
Monopoly has to be one of the best board games of all time.
10. Table Tennis
I played this game as a kid. Here I am after having won the club championship with my teammates. As you can see, they’re quite older than me. That’s what’s great about table tennis. It’s a game suitable for all ages and it doesn’t require a lot of space.
I like to think of table tennis as super-fast invisible sword-fighting. It has the honour of being the fastest played bat and ball game in the world.
11. Tennis
My first ever trophy came when I played tennis as a youngster. For some reason I stopped playing the game after only a short period of time, because I think I had more interest in playing football (soccer) at that stage. It is one of the best games to watch on television, especially when you really want someone to win.
12. Darts
The great thing about the game of darts is that it is one of the best games to practice by yourself. A dartboard in the same room as your pool table is the way to go.
Game over Carl Miller!
~ Billy Lo, Game of Death ~
