Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics (2020)

Review 3/51

My Other Clubhouse Reviews.

Yacht Dice (Yahtzee)

A friend of mine in college (Karl) ran a weekly lunch where he would play Yahtzee with people. I thought it was one big troll. I planned to never go.

Then I walked by and saw him setting up for Yahtzee. I got invited to the Yahtzee table. Why not? I thought. I could roll some dice while I eat a chicken sandwich.

That lunch was thrilling. Yahtzee provided the excitement of Poker without the chips or cards. Every roll or hold is a bet. A bet that can be adjusted on each roll. You have to admit defeat sometimes. Put a zero down next to your ones rather than accepting a five next to your fives. The high of getting a Yahtzee is equivalent to revealing a royal flush. There is tons of chance in the dice roll, but also a lot of strategy.

The only place here where the Clubhouse version falters is it limitations on players. Let me throw an enormous Yahtzee party! I want to beat all my friends, not just one.

• Recreate-ability: 2/5
• Chance-O-Meter: 3/5
• Photo Bomb Family: N
• Final Score: 4/5

Review 2/51

My Other Clubhouse Reviews.

Dots and Boxes

I don't like Dots and Boxes. The strategies are basically nonexistent until the final handful of moves. Then the strategy has the depth of "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo". Unlike Mancala, this game reveals why it was dropped in grade school. It is shallower than the kiddie pool, and it is equally unfit for adults.

• Recreate-ability: 5/5
• Chance-O-Meter: 0/5
• Photo Bomb Family: N
• Final Score: 1/5

Now to begin the arduous task of reviewing Clubhouse Games, which is really 51 "classic" games. So of course, any real review will include a review for all 51 games. Let's begin.

Review 1/51

My Other Clubhouse Reviews.

Mancala

The only downside to this version of the game is that it is virtual and you can't throw the marbles at your opponent. I recommend keeping some real marbles at your side so you can recreate the real game.

Mancala is a classic. I don't really know why I stopped playing this in grade school. It features the much lauded "simple to learn, impossible to master" gameplay that so many tabletop games strive for.

I may be gushing over a game that you feel you matured beyond, but it is that good.

• Recreate-ability (How easy it is to recreate at home): 4/5
• Chance-O-Meter (how much hidden information/luck plays in): 0/5
• Photo Bomb Family: Y
• Final Score: 5/5