It is amazing the divide between those who know this game and those who don’t. The Checkered Game of Life is the first modern “parlor game.”

In 1860, this game was made by Milton Bradley.  The man, not the company. He made it in an attempt to find a new use for his printing press. Previously he sold art of President Lincoln,  but had to stop that when Honest Abe grew a beard.

In 1960, the game was 100 years old and was redesigned into the modern Game of Life.  Since then, many modern variants have been made of this newest version.

Rules

In The Checkered Game of Life,  you start at Infancy (the bottom left corner) and move around the board. You could never return to this space (unless you commit suicide. See later)

The original game used a Spinner (like the new version ) because dice were associated with gambling.

You would spin for a number between 1 and 6. Each number gave you choices to make (like in real life, you always have a choice)

• 1 allowed you to move 1 space up or down.
• 2 allowed you to move 1 space left or right.
• 3 allowed you to move 1 space diagonally (all 4 directions)
• 4 allowed you to move 1 or 2 spaces up or down.
• 5 allowed you to move 1 or 2 spaces left or right.
• 6 allowed you to move 1 or 2 spaces diagonally.

Various spaces would grant points. You will have to keep track of these. If you reach 100 points AND land on Happy Old Age, you win. (You could win by getting 50 points, and then arriving here, as Happy Old Age grants 50 points )

Some spaces have hands. If you land on these, you move immediately to the space mentioned (by following the finger it is pointing).

If you land on a space currently occupied by another piece, the other player’s piece moves to the Jail space. They continue from there.

If you land in  Prison,  you lose your next turn,  and then continue from there.

If you land on Suicide, you start again at Infancy and lose all your points.

Making the game.

Of course, I had to make one of my own. I used an old travel chess, magnetic board. Then, using lable paper,  I redrew mine by hand. I use small colored magnets and a dice for mine.

I have designed a printable version for those of you who wish for it.