I was an executive attending a major computer conference back in the 1970s where 3M Computer Products was promoting its independent “Winchester” discs and other storage devices for use with IBM and other mainframes. We were all presented with a boxed set of four board games with playing pieces, dice, &c. entitled:-
GAMES OF LOGIC FROM 3M THE PROBLEM SOLVERS
See here, where you will find links to photographs of the boards and rules.
The fourth game was Castillion, a new game, presumably developed by or commissioned by 3M. Other than the German Rosenbaum games link above, I’ve never found any reference to the game at all.
Are there any players? Is there any interest in 3M Castillion at all?
Note that there is a more recent game called Castillion which is quite different, see here.
Brian — Thanks for your reply. Boardgamegeek lists many of 3M’s Bookshelf and other games, but as you said, not this set.
A closer look at Günther Rosenbaum’s page made me realise that his set was issued in installments, including a covering letter with part I, which reveals that the 3M executives responsible for this set in were Roy Haworth and Roy Spencer of the 3M Magnetic Products Group’s central London office. Are either of these two names familiar to board game devotees for other reasons?
Günther Rosenbaum’s set is also missing two items.
[ol]
[li]The board for game #2, which is identical to the board for game #1 except in blue, with a different coloured playing surface.[/li][li]The four dice needed for game #3, each a 3/8" / 9mm hardwood cube stained green and drilled, unfortunately to the same depth on each side, slightly favouring the six.[/li][/ol]
Copyright
It is interesting to note that the only copyright or trade mark information relating to Castillion is the copyright notice at the end of the Castillion rules leaflet protecting the 3M brand name and logo. So the name Castillion was only protected implicitly. This is a very surprising omission which would have gone down like a ton of bricks with 3M HQ’s legal department (if they had ever found out)!
It also may help explain why another game has used the same name.
That’s all, save that I will take some photographs and send them to Günther Rosenbaum to complete his description.
