The weather is warm, the skies are clear, and we are off for … a round of golf, a sailing outing, a healthy hike, or maybe a picnic. But what if the weather turns rainy? While we likely won’t enjoy being outside under thunderclouds, several vintage and contemporary board games simulate all these summer activities and more inside the home. With hundreds to choose from, here are a few of my favourites.
Golfwinks Table Golf
Waddingtons brought out Golfwinks in 1973, a realistic golf recreation which utilizes the action of tiddley winks on felt “greens.” Instructions show arrangements of the modular felt pieces to simulate 18 holes. Players soon realize that tiddley winks offer a lifelike imitation of golf shots in miniature, with realistic score cards and hazards such as cardboard fences, sand traps, and a cardboard “copse of trees.”
There are many other golf imitation games, too. You might try the 1966 3M classic Thinking Man’s Golf, or perhaps In Pursuit of Par from Pursuit of Par Enterprises — a highly rated boardgame made in 1986. All these and more are available on the secondary market.
Regatta
Board games have simulated sailing races from the early days of game design. In 1967, 3M published its version, Regatta — one of the more complex examples. A player is the skipper of a yacht and makes the decisions of when to tack, when to raise the spinnaker sail, and other choices that may increase speed or thwart an opponent. Like many of these sport simulation games, Regatta helps teach some sailing basics to players unfamiliar with the skill.
Around the turn of the 20th century, several publishers brought out sailing games. These were simpler roll and move, with obstacles. A slightly more complex game is Regatta: The Game of Champions from Hudson Enterprises (1999), the official board game of the America’s Cup 2000 race in New Zealand. A card and dice game, there is an element of luck. It may be difficult to find an example, but not impossible.
Outdoor Survival
Designer Jim Dunnigan is responsible for Avalon Hill’s Outdoor Survival, “a game about wilderness skills”. The game is versatile. Firstly, it can serve as an introduction to cardboard game counters, board grids and movement, and the basic principles of war game design. Secondly, it was recommended for use with the original (1974) Dungeons & Dragons game and became a “foundation for exploration and travel mechanics in role-playing games”. Thirdly, it is full of dangers and pitfalls that an inexperienced hiker — lost in the woods — must overcome. We don’t know where these woods are, but they are dangerous!
There aren’t many other games like this, but Camping, Hiking, and Outdoor Trivia from Mountainmen Enterprises (2004), is perhaps a less perilous example.
Picnic Panic
You might think there’s nothing safer than a pleasant picnic. But the 1992 kids’ game Picnic Panic packs a picnic pest — ants! Players throw down a food card each turn, trying to be the first to lose all cards and win. But the picnic basket can explode at any time, scattering the ants. When it’s your turn, you must pick up any card an ant touched. It’s a fast-paced game with some apprehension — just the kind of game kids love.
We’ve touched on just a few of the many games that emulate outdoor sports, activities, and pleasures; there are many more to choose from. They make great rainy-day play, perfect to keep at a summer camp or in the RV cupboard — or maybe to inspire a little outdoor escapism for just about anyone.
