Sunday Morning Puzzle # 20

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

Trivia Plus

I’m a big game fan. I especially like the many board and card games from the past. I grew up on these games. When I was visited by several relatives and their kids a few weeks ago, we pulled out a bunch of those old games from the closet and had a great time. That “game night” was the inspiration for this week’s puzzle. Most of these games were very popular once, and none are obscure. I believe all are still available at your neighborhood toy store. To solve this week’s puzzle, simply identify the games described below.

  1. In this game, you’ll likely win if you have all four of these (and I like your chances with three out of the four):

Custom, From, Just, Master, Pierce, Pushing, Surplus, Vat, Verification

Note: The words in the four answers here have been replaced by synonyms, and then alphabetized.

What is the game?
2. In this game, you win if you have even one of these left at the end:

AR AT BM CA ED ER ER ES ES HI IE IN IS OY PC RB RR RU SU TL TR.

Note: The answers here were lined up by length and broken into “doublets” and the doublets alphabetized. Some word ends may run together with some word beginnings.

What is the game?
3. This is, I suppose, technically not a game. However, toy stores market it that way. Basically, if you’re supposed to be at a party or gathering, but you are late, you can still talk to folks there using this.

What is the game?
4. The title of this four-color game is the same as a game piece in a completely unrelated two-color game. One of the colors in the four-color game is the same as one of the colors in the two-color game.

What is the four-color game?
5. In this game, most numbers are themselves. However, there are nineteen exceptions. If the game didn’t have these exceptions it wouldn’t be much of a game and certainly wouldn’t be much fun. Here are a few examples of the exceptions:

1 is 38, 4 is 14, 16 is 6, 62 is 19, 9 is 31, 71 is 91, 56 is 53, 49 is 11, and 80 is 100. Be aware, however, that 38 is not 1, 14 is not 4, 6 is not 16, 19 is not 62, 31 is not 9, 91 is not 71, 53 is not 56, 11 is not 49, and 100 is not 80.

What is the game?

Once you have determined all five of the games, take the last letter in game #1, the last letter in game #2, the first letter in game #3, the first letter in game #4, and the fourth letter in game #5 and see if you’ve got game!

2

Is it Ouija?

3

Is number 4 snakes & ladders?

4

Snakes (sorry, how un-PC) and Ladders?

5

Clearly the second game gives us a P for our target word. The fourth game would appear to give us an R. The fifth game gives us a K if we use the Commonwealth version, or a T if we use the American version. So far, I’ve got _P_RT or _P_RK.

If mongrel_8 is right about the Ouija, we get a much-needed vowel. I’m looking at trying to spell “Sport”, which is at least reasonably on-topic. I’ve been trying to make Knights and Castles fit the first clue, but so far it’s not happening.

6
  1. Definitely Ouija
  2. Rook
  3. Chutes and Ladders (assuming he, like me, is American)

That gives us _ _ ORT

My guess is the last letter of game 1 is an “S”, and the last letter of game 2 is a “P”, creating

SPORT

7

It’s definitely p for #2 Battleship, but I’m glad you guys knew Rook - I thought it was Chinese Checkers!

The only game ending in s I can think of right now is Authors - but I just can’t see how having four Louisa May Alcotts is all that advantageous.

8

mongrel: I thought Ouija would be very difficult to get, but you didn’t let that stop you. Congrats.

Voice and eunoia: I never knew the game was also called Snakes and Ladders. There’s no end of limit to what you learn at this board.

Peregrine: You’re really on a puzzle roll these days!

Llamapoet: I glad you knew Rook. Before becoming a bridge fan, I played Rook whenever there was a spare moment on the weekend. Folks don’t seem to play it much anymore. Too bad. Is there internet Rook, I wonder…?

aseymayo: It’s no accident that #1 is the hardest problem in the puzzle. I usually try to start off with a challenge. I’ll give that puzzle a flat two days as is, then if it remains unsolved, maybe I’ll put out a hint or two…

9

www.games.com IIRC has Rook. I go there frequently and play Scrabble, Monopoly, and (when opponents can be found) Mille Bornes. Keep in mind that there is NO technical support, so if things don’t seem to work properly, you are on your own (I find disconnecting and redialing in helps when the Applets don’t want to load).

10

Okay, Bio, time’s up and I haven’t come up with anything. How about a hint?

11

aseymayo

As someone undoubtbly knows, the hints were already given. Certainly you know me well enough by now to know I can’t wait several days before posting hints. The race is already over.