History of the Board Game - Morals vs. Capitalism | US History | Extra History

[@extrahistory]

You can use code EXTRACREDITS for 51% OFF any premium subscription to World Anvil! www.worldanvil.com/?c=extracredits You'll be getting the tools to build your world all while helping the show out in the process! Thanks for Watching!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Love your content guys! Keep up the good work! Can't never get enough of your amazing content😊😊😊❤❤

[@also_arles]

Finishing up this video made me realize how much I'd like an Extra History card game...😆

[@nubbythecatsister8565]

YESSSSS A NEW VIDEO LETS GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO💓💓💓💓💓💓

[@gyllenspetzfamily7993]

Can you explain why in this video fun and morals are mutually exclusive?

[@subtlewhatssubtle]

Now here's a fun topic, literally. My anthropology professor once said "History has proven one thing: humans *must* play" in part because it's not only how we socialize with our peers, but also how we learn about our environment and practice our responses to it in a situation with relatively low consequences (ie, the inherent risk in coin flips or 50-50% odds can be trialed *before* you decide to chance it on whether the berry you're holding is toxic or not).

[@zachgaskins3731]

It allows us to not only test out ideas in consequence-minimal environments, but also allows us to set up voluntary challenges and obstacles, and see them defeated, which is a sweet dopamine hit.

[@fipachu]

Although learning some basics of statistics is pretty much necessary to temper the most egregious misconceptions about odds your meat computer will come up with observing random events.

[@nuru666]

It's also crucial to the development of abstract thought

[@Ggdivhjkjl]

Ask the colourblind if the berry is toxic.

[@macsnafu]

Right. So the Victorians weren't wrong about childhood preparing people for adulthood. But they still had to suck the fun out of it in an attempt to provide religious moral instruction.

[@Gigawolf1]

"You can't use dice, that'd be gambling!" *hands kids roulette wheels*

[@williamhugheswill9253]

Lol

[@Pr1ya-Night]

How times have changed

[@pokegard]

Shh, they probably weren’t invited yet. So it’s fine I for one will enjoy my medicine before people realize how bad it is

[@bombader2677]

This feels like the "not gambling" of loot boxes and collectable card games of today.

[@TheJacobG]

Now I'm imagining a modern Buddha being like, "Sorry bro. I can't play Fortnite tonight. Trying to achieve enlightenment."

[@hurgcat]

Only those who practice the dandori of Pikmin 4 are attuned to the 8 fold path

[@TheLittlest_TACHANKA]

Wtf

[@Captine3250]

Bit of a fun fact: Civil war soldiers would paint chess or checker boards on some cloth and carry it around with them for entertainment. They would also paint the boards on the lids of cracker boxes when in more permanent camp. Card and dice games were also HUGE in the civil war, with accounts of soldiers throwing away cards and dice before battle as not to be caught with them in death. Of course most of the games played had a gambling aspect to them.

[@MinunRobotnik4]

I won a mug for guessing "Snakes and Ladders" when I was attending a public event held by the Indian Student association talking about "What game was used to explain the concept of karma to children" or something like that. Pretty sure I learned that from one of your other videos. Whatever the wording of the question was, it immediately made me recall Snakes and Ladders, so that's what I answered from the audience. ...or rather I won a mug because I knew the answer, whispered over to my friend sitting next to me what the answer, and when they said the answer I shouted "I KNEW IT." And because they had lost track of whoever actually raised their hand to answer, they handed me the mug. My brother keeps using it.

[@oofman4572]

How does snakes and ladders teach karma? To my knowledge every move in that game is randomly determined by a diceroll, and climbing a ladder has no effect on if you hit a snake in the future. You could even argue that going up ladders DECREASES your chances of landing on a snake since you can pass snake tiles while climbing a ladder, meaning you dont have to risk accidentally landing on said snake.

[@codebracker]

​@@oofman4572i think the idea is that snakes and ladders represent the seemingly random nature of karmic retribution, as in you got a ladder because you did something good in the past

[@sub7se7en]

@@codebracker That doesnt sound right

[@jossgoyanko7006]

​@@oofman4572It's about accepting your fate. The player has no input whatsoever on their progress, just as you have no input on the karmic retribution based on your previous life. You can only accept it and let go of the illusion of choice.

[@crocowithaglocko5876]

I love how EC still keeps sneaking in a Walpole Easter egg whenever they can We see you Walpole

[@stratisgeorgilis7703]

Fun fact; Parker Brothers now prints more Monopoly money per year than the US Mint prints actual US currency

[@huskadog7748]

Id hope the us dollar was less inflated than monopoly money lmfao

[@Rehteal]

Good, that's how it should be.

[@huskadog7748]

@@Rehteal exactly lol

[@MLJFireDragon747]

I wouldn’t be surprised if that isn’t the case anymore.

[@huskadog7748]

@@MLJFireDragon747 don't be so pessimistic, inflation isn't that bad, and you know monopoly money is more common than real money

[@mikewinans5091]

I would have expected Monopoly to be a natural evolution from the Banking card game, but i am surprised to learn that Parker Brothers actually didn’t even make it.

[@billcipherproductions1789]

Same

[@raymickens440]

Fun fact: Monopoly games only last "long" because most people dont play with all the rules or frankly dont play taking advantage of the full mechanics

[@aidendrinkwateroldaccount]

This. Nobody knows about auctions...

[@drillerdev4624]

What do you mean I can't play a +4 on a +4?

[@codeman99-dev]

Yes, with four players the game should last less than two hours. Plenty of games out there with intentionally longer play times.

[@Mx.muffin]

And then you have my family playing Mafia Monopoly that takes hours

[@isackraps]

@@codeman99-dev2 hours is still to long when most go a hour.

[@EdsBrain]

Even though i am a millenial, i couldnt forget the countless christmas days playing board games with the family and majority were parker bros board games.

[@KyleRayner12]

Victorian morals being the reason for the lack of free will in games explains Candyland rather handily.

[@JamesDavy2009]

Ah yes, the candy-themed race to the finish when drawing a card tells you what colour to advance to.

[@iSmartMan1]

If you've ever seen a Parker Brothers game called Rail Barons, my mother knew the man who created it. She still has one of the vanity printing copies of the game he gave her, with the original name Boxcars.

[@tonypringles2285]

cool!

[@LexiLunarpaw]

Havent seen World Anvil in a while! I Love this show!

[@extrahistory]

World Anvil is one of our favorite sponsors, always good to have them back. Thanks for watching!

[@blaster915]

Double combo episode!! Let's go!!

[@extrahistory]

Yes!

[@m-edesharnais5409]

7:27 How many fingers are you growing, Mat?!? 😆

[@zachgaskins3731]

Matt, there's a Spaniard outside who's been looking for you...

[@darknessunknown4384]

@@zachgaskins3731 "Hello, my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father, prepare to die."

[@Codex_of_Wisdom]

Oh hey, Extra Double Feature. Very nice. I also would like to recommend Shut Up and Sit Down's "8000 Years of Board Game History in 43 Minutes." If you have 43 minutes to spare.

[@zacharythomas8617]

Wat?!

[@KingAmroth]

Love the Balatro reference @ 4:35 Also, wrt 5:34, a spinner generates an even distribution whereas 2 dice are more "normal" and favor the middle numbers.

[@codebracker]

Or you could just use a 12 sided die

[@zachgaskins3731]

I would LOVE to see you guys do a limited series on board game history (both US and beyond).

[@Iceykitsune]

To put those Dr. Busby sales numbers in perspective, that's equivalent to over 300,000 units sold today.

[@Traveler-254]

I haven't been around in a long, long time, but seeing "It was Walpole" brought back so many memories good god.

[@diarradunlap9337]

Milton Bradley founded his game company in Springfield, MA (Massachusetts) in 1863. During its run (Milton Bradley merged with Hasbro in the 1980s), it created classic games like "The Game of Life," "Operation," "Simon," and "Connect Four."

[@JamesDavy2009]

They even took over the licences of games that were published by John Sands.

[@also_arles]

The kids at the very start of the opening wearing your merch was a really cute detail!! 😁

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

The kids at the start are wearing EH merch ! So cute and creative detail🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@valmid5069]

So you are telling us…we played it wrong the whole time!? Can’t wait for more historical content from this channel!

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Always love to learn from you guys! Thanks For this 😊😊😊😊

[@metarcee2483]

This explains why young me hated Chutes and Ladders, Candyland, and similar games. I'm a fan of games that let you make all your own decisions, but how effective they are is up to chance, like Risk.. That and trivia games.

[@Celestial_Reach]

Interesting story. Thanks for your hard work guys

[@ponyote]

Okay, now you should do one about Clue and why it's called Cluedo in many countries.

[@Wolfeson28]

"Another case of Monopoly-related violence." "How do those Parker brothers sleep at night?"

[@tonytins]

You can find the rules and guidelines for the Landlord's Game when searching for the patents.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

The art style always complinents the amazing narrative! Huge fan! Hearth please ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@drillerdev4624]

On the "oldest games" lists, I've missed Mancala, supposedly played with seeds on holes punched in the ground as a way of early ante play (and much more geared to skill rather than luck like in the case of dice)

[@denisedyette6464]

I cannot express how much I love this! It’s perfectly fun and educational!

[@Emicoolpro]

Watched this video on Nebula before it released! Great first impressions for Nebula!

[@markadams7046]

American Experience on PBS did an interesting documentary on the history of Monopoly. It's a different narrative than what the makers of Monopoly would tell you.

[@DungeonCreator20]

Obviously we have been forshadowed the dark side of the board game industry but it was nice to see a general sense of “Fun” being the primary driver of board games rather than exclusively capitalist greed or puritan indoctrination tools

[@vivalapita8484]

7:27 You have six fingers on your right hand...........someone is looking for you.

[@aaronbasham6554]

Is his name important?

[@germanomagnone]

3:43 in Italy it is called "il gioco dell'oca" = "the game of the goose"

[@charleswain6124]

You should definitely do one on Games Workshop - a company that now generates more money for the British Economy than the entire fishing industry,

[@peterwight3918]

*slams magazine into lasgun*

[@boyscouts83712]

And thus the creation of Monopoly was born

[@darknessunknown4384]

7:27 "You have six fingers on your right hand. Someone is looking for you."

[@Seadalgo]

Surprised this didn't go all the way up to Tornado Rex; that theme song is still stuck in my head from its rollout

[@rainrune9073]

(0:00) Good job on the rotating cards!

[@PlutoTheSynth]

7:25 i wasnt expecting that jumpscare D:

[@pizzadogg488]

“Real talk I flipping love monopoly” is the most relatable thing I’ve heard all morning

[@Mx.muffin]

The beginning missed the aspect of board games where everyone is constantly arguing at each other

[@NoahJohnson1981]

2:43 I have only heard about snakes and ladders from this and theodd1sout. I always knew it as chutes and ladders. Great video

[@povertymidas]

I was fascinated in games as a kid, if you look into the history of playing cards, chess, etc and how they developed around the world...well it might be an entertaining afternoon for ya!

[@Bob-xn9qo]

Fun fact: my grandmother was neighbors with the Parker brothers

[@stuffedninja1337]

The only person I know who’s *finished* a game of Monopoly is my mother, when she was a kid. Her family and the neighbors used to go up to the mountains during the summer, and the kids would sit in the sun room and play Monopoly for six hours, take a bathroom break, then play another game of Monopoly for another six hours. The 60’s were a wild time.

[@rainrune9073]

Senet was a board game in Ancient Egypt

[@FightCain]

Pretty solid stuff Never even thought how the board game industry started

[@Fezman42]

Snakes and ladders does originate in India and was a Buddhist/Hindu game though I forget which version came first.

[@nubbythecatsister8565]

Monopoly back in the day🤣 Lets hope there dosent come a "Banking Go" XD

[@matejhorvatic4376]

I just started reading "The Monopolists" by Mary Pilon, which talks about the origins of the Monopoly, Parker Brothers etc. Good stuff!

[@mitchmegaw7201]

Great video and great topic! I would love to see one about the history of European board games as well.

[@oopsy444]

BEHOLD!! 7:27 the most cursed frame in all of extra credits history!

[@Fox531CD]

I have _literally,_ had board games on my mind as of late. I just bought a book on the history of them maybe a week or two ago, and then _this_ pops up. ....Have you guys been reading my mind? STOP READING MY MIND! Seriously, though, I enjoyed this.

[@TeddytheCatYT]

The spinners never stopped me from gambling pennies with friends at the age 5

[@paumaganmartinez9330]

Las cartas y normas de banking están subidas en alguna parte?

[@Eggzrgoood]

I love gambling in board games because I am always the winner.

[@frankharr9466]

Games were fun for a lot longer than they were moral instruction. And I recognize the royal game of goose and go fish. But thank you for letting us know about the Parkers. :)

[@grapeshott]

Dice ❌ Spinner ❌ Random Number Generator ☑️

[@Panguinolucy]

2:42 our grandma had a snakes and ladders board that had a theme like that but less severe. Mischief and naughty deeds were snakes while kind acts were ladders-🌻

[@metarcee2483]

I had something similar as a kid.

[@gonaldginkus6228]

🎶 Disappointment in the game of life! 🎵

[@JamesDavy2009]

That was a funny sketch.

[@nuru666]

I wondered how deep you guys dove into your research on this one until you mentioned Ur!

[@doomdimensiondweller5627]

Is the always have a plan shirt a reference to Bismarck ?

[@jesseberg3271]

I think so.

[@privatefellow6589]

From the mist a ship is taking from

[@FakeBlocks]

Please do the Greek war of independence of 1821 against the ottoman empire next I've been asking for this since the first episodes of the sengoku Jidai!!.

[@rosiefay7283]

Will this be part of a series which will take the history of the board game closer to the present? If so, I look forward to the rest of the series!

[@leestudios9948]

Can you do a series of Gwangaeto the Great?

[@christopherg2347]

1:09 "Humans invented games when they realised there was nothing to do between hunting and sex." - a saying I once heard.

[@zacharythomas8617]

I love this channel so much, stay classy.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

DOUBLE COMBO?! THANKS FOR THIS GUYS ❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@hamiltoneuzarraga6546]

No mention of the Nintendo company getting it's start as a card publisher? Particularly the hanafuda cards?

[@crazyman8472]

If you don’t like the rules…change the game. 😎

[@cofagrigusfan24]

as a Dutch, when I saw The Mansion of Happiness a different board game came to mind Ganzenbord (literally translates to: Geeseboard)

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

I really like board games, but I very rarely play them because I have no friends to play with. 😞

[@OneRealSilverRaven]

Oh yeah! This is my JAM! If you guys need an expert on games i was the 7 term president of the UofL campus table top gaming club. We won outstanding sports team 2 years in a row under my presidency besting all the nationally famous teams, and I would LOVE to consult!

[@Ryu_D]

Thank you for the video.

[@grahamcann1761]

You didn't mention Parker Brothers and the Ouija Board. I could (would) say more, but I'm very biased (and prone to swearing on the subject). I worked for Wizards of the coast, and we acquired TSR (Dungeons & Dragons) and Avalon Hill (lots of military battle games). But then we were acquired by Hasbro which had Parker Brothers, Tonka, and many other companies under their umbrella (control); and I have a strong bias, Against the monopoly which is Hasbro! As always, thank you so very much for the videos.

[@davea6314]

At 3:29 "...lead soldiers for boys..."🤔 Brain damage from excessive lead exposure they didn't know about back then.

[@nikujaga_oishii]

If not consumed or inhaled, they'd be relatively safe

[@davea6314]

@@nikujaga_oishii A very young boy is likely to put a lead toy soldier in his mouth. The older boys probably wouldn't.

[@BlackWater_49]

​@@nikujaga_oishiiThe problem is that hand washing wasn't exactly very popular back then (and with young kids isn't even that popular these days) so the lead would make its way into the body through food...

[@universe1879]

4:30 someone snuck in balatro

[@scottfranco1962]

Its exactly the random vs. strategy element that makes the games so different and generates fights. Sorry is popular because it has virtually no strategy, relying on the luck of the draw. The result is that even small children can win. Monopoly has too much strategy, and every family I know of that played it fights over it.

[@kchishol1970]

Would you be interested in creating an Extra History on the history of the role playing game genre?

[@ikebeckman1074]

That’s so cool that we’re talking about games! It’s especially interesting because you just lost The Game!

[@demonicbunny3po]

The Victorian focus on morals over fun is why it wasn’t until the mid 2000s that board games started getting taken seriously and not till the 2010s they started breaking into being a popular mainstream activity and not just a thing you do when it is raining and the power went or something. Modern board games would look at the moral vs fun debate and go “Why not both?” Modern board games are capable of having fun while also being able to teach. As an example, a game I really like is Tesla vs Edison (with the Powering Up expansion) which is mostly a stock market game. It shows how the stock market worked back in the day, how the DC vs AC battle was fought, and a lot of interesting little historical tidbits about events happening at the time. The history is baked into the mechanics and it is a rich, fun experience for it. Creating a fun game about being a moral person wouldn’t be difficult. It just needs a designer willing to make it. And there are already tons of games with churches as a prominent element, mostly the construction or decoration of as the theme.

[@vnewtatnik]

4:07 oh! So nice to see this Lord!

[@zane_0_0.183]

what a banger post

[@Spearofinamorata]

4:07 wait a minute this sounds a whole lot like Go Fish

[@joshzimmer2969]

I see that balatro Joker and I like it!

[@kimberlylewistyner2070]

0:01 it’s 3d!!

[@indahbudiani4773]

WOW -Baldi

[@louthegiantcookie]

Monopoly has destroyed more families than the Spanish Flu.

[@Hebdomad7]

Monopoly is a game forged in the fires of hell and is an excellent example of what not to do when designing a board game. But from a game publisher perspective. It's an excellent example of a successful business venture.

[@JamesDavy2009]

A lot of the time because the rules aren't agreed upon at the start of the game. Free Parking Jackpot was a popular house rule and the Delayed Action rule (complete a lap of the board before you start buying) was in the FAQs. More often than not the auction (when the active player declines to buy a property) gets skipped.

[@VersusMadrid]

I think there is a small mistake at 6:08 with the chessboard setup. Anyone else see it?

[@PhilippHagemeister]

King and queen are swapped.

[@mr_j6662]

If you think about it gambling is a game and that's probably one of the oldest things in history next to murder

[@mkgaca8721]

4:34 i see you balatro

[@Matthewandspencer]

Hey extra history my name is Amadeo I love your videos there so educational and entertaining so after your done this series can you do something on the story of terry fox tell about his story and how he crossed Canada pls eh I would really appreciate your subscriber amadeo

[@llSuperSnivyll]

So Parker got rich because he realized that, in a game, entertainment is more important than the message. Why does this keep repeating...?

[@Blairington]

algorithm cookie... but I'm disturbed about how Matt holding up that many fingers

[@Seriouspugfellow]

Fighting capitalism is like a many headed monster, once you cut one off another two takes its place more fierce and deadly - Severus Snape (Harry potter and the half blood prince)