Here you find links to articles about and reviews of board and table games.
The notes on number of players, age range and game duration are usually taken from the information on the game's box. For the upper age limit I have used 99 years simply because it is shorter than writing "Adult" - and some publishers do actually specify 99 years. Many older games give no hint about the duration of a game. In those cases I have added one shown in brackets that assumes experienced players who are familiar with the rules.
Blockade
2 Players - 8-99 Years - (15min)
I reviewed this game in the Peterborough Standard in 1982. The aim is simple. Get one of your pieces to occupy one of your opponent's starting points. The trick is in using the two square long barrier pieces both to frustrate your opponent and defend your route to their starting points. It's a game I still enjoy playing but my wife does not. She doesn't like games where you need to think about and plan a few moves ahead.
Castle Keep
2-4 Players - 8-99 Years - 20min
The "pre-school" artwork of the box and playing tiles may mislead you into thinking this is a family game that adults will only play to amuse the children. However, there is much to commend this as a game worthy of more serious study. I have never played it with children and it has been on my short-list of games to play with any group over a good number of years
Simply Ingenious
2-4 Players - 8-99 Years - 20min
Based on a larger board game, the aim is to collect a set of each of the six types of hexagonal tile. It's a highly tactical game with no real strategy to it. As the game progresses it becomes more important to assess the risk of picking another tile. When others make the wrong choice and lose some of what they've gained, players will be tempted to take a greater risk themselves.
The Game of Nations
2-4 Players - 12-99 Years - (90min)
This game was published by Waddingtons in 1973 along with a revised "Mine A Million" renamed "The Business Game". Both were aimed at adults and older children. The Game of Nation's box proclaimed it as "A political strategy game. For two to Four players". While role-playing games were appearing on the market, this was the first for Waddington in having no clearly defined aim, beyond surviving.
The Mystic Wood
2-4 Players - 9-99 Years - (60min)
Published by Ariel in the autumn of 1980, this was a follow-up, by Canadian Terence Donnely, to his game "The Sorcerer's Cave" which had a very similar format. Both games have a "board" consisting of large rectangular cards that are laid randomly and a pack of smaller cards representing the people, creatures and objects to be encountered in the world of the game.