What’s In That Game Box? – Stratego (1972)

Ever scoured the Internet looking for what exactly you were missing from the old board game you pulled from your closet, only to find no one who could give you the answer?  Well, stop that fruitless searching through endless google results, as this week we look at the still-popular Milton Bradley classic, Stratego, the 1972 “fascinating two-handed strategy game.”

Box art for the 1972 Stratego game.

The contents of Stratego are as follows:

The game box (with a large picture of a uniformed older gentleman, perhaps a Field Marshall, about to make a move on the Stratego game board).

The game board (featuring a map of the geography in which the battle will take place in the center, bordered on either side with 12 squares showing the piece values.)

Two plastic trays to fit the game pieces in

Two sets of 40 army pieces, one in blue and one in red, consisting of:

Bomb [x6]
Captain (Labeled: 5) [x4]
Colonel (Labeled: 3) [x2]
Flag [x1]
General (Labeled: 2) [x1]
Lieutenant (Labeled: 6) [x4]
Major (Labeled: 4) [x3]
Marshall (Labeled: 1) [x1]
Miner (Labeled: 8 ) [x5]
Scout (Labeled: 9) [x8]
Sergeant (Labeled: 7) [x4]
Spy (Labeled: S) [x1]

The Rules sheet.

Aside from the inner cardboard filler to help hold all the pieces in an orderly fashion, that’s it.  Stratego remains a popular game, and this version brings back many memories for those who played it.  For those who haven’t played the game against a friend, what are you waiting for?

Box contents of the 1972 Stratego game.

Red and Blue armies for the 1972 Stratego game.

What’s In That Game Box? – Globetrotters (Irwin Toy, 1984)

Ever scoured the Internet looking for what exactly you were missing from the old board game you pulled from your closet, only to find no one who could give you the answer?  Well, stop that fruitless searching through endless google results, as this week we look at a forgotten 1984 Irwin Toy classic, Globetrotters: The Game of Travel and Adventure.

Box art for Globetrotters: The Game of Travel and Adventure

The contents of Globetrotters are as follows:

The game box (with the Globetrotters logo superimposed on an image of a blue “satellite-style” world map, all on a black background).

The a large fold-out game board (94cm x 56cm) showing a map of the world.

Six plastic player tokens (black, blue, green, red, white, and yellow).

A set of 90 Memory Markers (15 each of black, blue, green, red, white, and yellow small round plastic tokens).

A set of Traveler’s Cheques (play money) in a classic MasterCard design, which features an image of Thomas Cook.  Each is in a $100 denomination, and appear very realistic, albeit tiny (approx. 10.5cm x 5cm).

Two six-sided dice.

A special black-colored 12-sided die.  The die shows numbers from 1 to 10, plus an X enclosed in circle, and an image of an airplane.

A set of 16 Keys, in two colors (purple and red).  The keys are labeled with the following destinations:

AFRICA (Red)
ASIA (Red)
CAIRO (Purple)
EUROPE (Red)
HONG KONG (Purple)
LONDON (Purple)
LOS ANGELES (Purple)
N. AMERICA (Red)
NEW YORK (Purple)
OCEANIA (Red)
PARIS (Purple)
RIO (Purple)
S. AMERICA (Red)
SYDNEY (Purple)
TOKYO (Purple)
TORONTO (Purple)

A set of 70 Airline Tickets, each with two destinations, and consisting of:

ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST; COLOMBO, SRI LANKA
ACAPULCO, MEXICO; ROME, ITALY
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA; ATHENS, GREECE
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA; VANCOUVER, CANADA
ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR; GREENLAND, NORTH ATLANTIC
ANTARCTIC PENINSULA, ANTARCTICA; PORT MORESBY, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
BAGHDAD, IRAQ; HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
BANKGKOK, THAILAND; NEW ORLEANS, U.S.A.
BELGRADE, YUGOSLAVIA; KALGOORLIE, AUSTRALIA
BERLIN, GERMANY; BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA
BOGOTA, COLUMBIA; MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA
BOSTON, U.S.A.; BARCELONA, SPAIN
BRASILIA, BRAZIL; BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA; BOMBAY, INDIA
CAIRO, EGYPT; TAHITI, SOUTH PACIFIC
CALGARY, CANADA; JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
CANTON, CHINA; NEW YORK, U.S.A.
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA; SAN FRANCISCO, U.S.A.
CASABLANCA, MOROCCO; KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
CHICAGO, U.S.A.; ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
DARWIN, AUSTRALIA; NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, CANADA
DENVER, U.S.A.; BRUSSELS, BELGIUM
FIJI, SOUTH PACIFIC; RIO de JANEIRO, BRAZIL
GLASGOW, U.K.; LENINGRAD, U.S.S.R.
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO; ATLANTA, U.S.A.
HANOI, VIETNAM; JERUSALEM, ISRAEL
HAVANA, CUBA; WARSAW, POLAND
HELSINKI, FINLAND; LISBON, PORTUGUAL
HOBART, AUSTRALIA; HAWAII, NORTH PACIFIC
ISTANBUL, TURKEY; AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
JAKARTA, INDONESIA; KINSHASA, ZAIRE
KATMANDU, NEPAL; LAGOS, NIGERIA
KIEV, U.S.S.R.; GUATEMALA CITY, GUATEMALA
LA PAZ, BOLIVIA; DALLAS, U.S.A.
LONDON, U.K.; PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A.
LOS ANGELES, U.S.A.; CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA
MADRID, SPAIN; KARACHI, PAKISTAN
MAJORCA, MEDITERRANEAN SEA; TOKYO, JAPAN
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO; ALGIERS, ALGERIA
MIAMI, U.S.A.; MONTEVIDEO, URUGUAY
MONTE CARLO, MEDITERRANEAN SEA; SEYCHELLES, INDIAN OCEAN
MONTREAL, CANADA; COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
MOSCOW, U.S.S.R.; MADRAS, INDIA
MUNICH, W.GERMANY; MANILA, PHILIPPINES
NAIROBI, KENYA; ST.LOUIS, U.S.A.
OSAKA, JAPAN; SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
OSLO, NORWAY; TAIPEI, TAIWAN
PARIS, FRANCE; LAS VEGAS, U.S.A.
PEKING, CHINA; DAR-ES-SALAAM, TANZANIA
PERTH, AUSTRALIA; CALCUTTA, INDIA
PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA; QUITO, ECUADOR
RANGOON, BURMA; CARACAS, VENEZUELA
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA; QUEEN MAUD LAND, ANTARCTICA
SAN DIEGO, U.S.A.; YOKOHAMA, JAPAN
SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA; MINNEAPOLIS, U.S.A.
SEATTLE, U.S.A.; AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS
SEOUL, S.KOREA; DAMASCUS, SYRIA
SIBERIA, U.S.S.R.; SANTIAGO, CHILE
SINGAPORE, OCEANIA; FLORENCE, ITALY
STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN; TUNIS, TUNISIA
SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA; SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
TEHERAN, IRAN; DUBLIN, IRELAND
TORONTO, CANADA; MACAO, SOUTH CHINA SEA
TRIPOLI, LIBYA; LIMA, PERU
VIENNA, AUSTRIA; DELHI, INDIA
WASHINGTON, U.S.A.; SHANGHAI, CHINA
WEST INDIES, CARIBBEAN SEA; MAR del PLATA, ARGENTINA
WILKES LAND, ANTARCTICA; REYKJAVIK, ICELAND
WINNIPEG, CANADA; KHARTOUM, SUDAN
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND; HONG KONG, SOUTH CHINA SEA

A set of 30 ADVENTURE Americas and Africa Cards.

A set of 30 ADVENTURE Eurasia and Oceania Cards.

A DEMONSTRATION GAME pamphlet outlining gameplay of a typical Globetrotters game.

The OFFICIAL RULES pamphlet.

Aside from the inner black plastic tray which holds all the pieces in an orderly fashion, that’s it.  This hard to find game has a lot of charm, even though some of the destinations it features are in countries that no longer exist (such as the U.S.S.R. and Czechoslovakia).  Regardless, it can be a lot of fun to play, with the added advantage of teaching some basic world geography!

Box contents for 1984 Irwin Toy game, Globetrotters

Samples of game cards from the Irwin Toy game, Globetrotters

Tokens, dice, markers, and Keys from the Irwin Toy game, Globetrotters

What’s In That Game Box? – Bermuda Triangle (1976)

Ever scoured the Internet looking for what exactly you were missing from the old board game you pulled from your closet, only to find no one who could give you the answer?  Well, stop that fruitless searching through endless google results, as this week we look at the somewhat obscure Milton Bradley classic, Bermuda Triangle Game, the 1976 Sinister Mystery Cloud Swallows Ships game.

Box art for Bermuda Triangle Game (Milton Bradley, 1976)

The contents of Bermuda Triangle are as follows:

The game box (with background art of a cargo ship in troubled waters, and a foreground of the game’s contents set up and ready to play).

The game board (featuring a detailed map of the Bermuda Triangle area, from Florida to Puerto Rico, overlaid with a 46 space ship path.)

The two-piece Bermuda Triangle Cloud.

The three-ringed Cloud Spinner.

16 plastic ship tokens (four each in blue, green, red, and yellow) with a small magnet embedded in their centers.

A single six-sided die

A set of 8 Port Cards (stating HOME PORT BONUS $20,000 on one side, and Bermuda Triangle Game HOME PORT on the other side)

A set of 24 Product Cards, consisting of:

BANANAS $10,000
BANANAS $20,000
BANANAS $30,000
BANANAS $40,000
LUMBER $20,000 [x2]
LUMBER $30,000
LUMBER $40,000
LUMBER $50,000
LUMBER $60,000
LUMBER $70,000
OIL $60,000
OIL $70,000
OIL $80,000
OIL $90,000
OIL $100,000
SUGAR $30,000 [x2]
SUGAR $40,000
SUGAR $50,000 [x2]
SUGAR $60,000
SUGAR $70,000
SUGAR $80,000

The Rules booklet.

Aside from the inner cardboard fillers to help hold all the pieces in an orderly fashion, that’s it.  This is a great game, and one that deserves more attention than it gets.  For those who already have a copy, pull it out of the closet and have fun!

Game board for Milton Bradley’s Bermuda Triangle

Cloud and Spinner for Milton Bradley’s Bermuda Triangle

Product Cards for Milton Bradley’s Bermuda Triangle Game

Home Port and Product Cards for Bermuda Triangle

Ships for 1976 Milton Bradley game, Bermuda Triangle

What’s In That Game Box? Masterpiece (1970)

Masterpiece 1970 box front

Ever scoured the Internet looking for what exactly you were missing from the old board game you pulled from your closet, only to find no succor in your time of need?  Well, stop that Diabloesque mouse clickfest through endless google results, as this week we look at Parker Brothers’ 1970 classic board game, Masterpiece: The Art Auction Game.

There have been several versions of Masterpiece over the years, and you can read more about that here: The Best Classic Board Games – Masterpiece (1970) This edition of What’s In That Game Box deals only with the standard 1970 version.  The contents are as follows:

The Game Box (shows six game characters bidding on a painting, and the back of the auctioneer’s head)

The Game Board (with a green back and brown front with green trim)

6 plastic player tokens (Blue, Black, Custard Yellow, Green, Red, White)

Two 6-sided dice

24 white plastic clips (for attaching the Value Cards to the Art Cards)

24 Art Cards (used with permission from the National Gallery, London, England), which are:

• Lady with a Fan, Frans Hals
• A Young Woman standing at a Virginal, Johannes Vermeer
• Aix: Paysage Rocheux, Paul Cézanne
• Cartoon: The Virgin and Child with SS. Anne and John the Baptist, Leonardi da Vinci
• Cornelis van der Geest, Sir Anthony van Dyck
• Courtyard of a House in Delft, Pieter de Hoogh
• Danseuses, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas
• Femme assise dans un Jardin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
• Le Chapteau de Paille, Peter Paul Rubens
• Les Parapluies, Pierre-Auguste Renoir
• Lower Norwood, Londres, Effet de Neige, Camille Pissarro
• Mrs. Siddons, Thomas Gainsborough
• Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, Alesso Baldovinetti
• Rain, Steam and Speed – the Great Western Railway, Joseph Mallord William Turner
• Saskia as Flora, Rembrandt van Rijn
• Sunflowers, Vincent van Gogh
• The Avenue, Middelharnis, Meyndert Hobbema
• The Beach at Trouville, Claude-Oscar Monet
• The Cornfield, John Constable
• The Duke of Wellington, Francisco de Goya
• The Shrimp Girl (Sketch), William Hogarth
• The Waitress (La Servante de Bocks), Édouard Manet
• Une Baignade, Asnières, Georges Seurat
• Venice: A Regatta on the Grand Canal, Giovanni Antonio Canaletto

24 Value Cards, as follows:

• $1,000,000
• $750,000
• $700,000 (x2)
• $650,000
• $600,000 (x2)
• $550,000
• $500,000 (x2)
• $450,000 (x2)
• $400,000 (x2)
• $350,000
• $300,000 (x2)
• $250,000
• $200,000 (x2)
• $150,000
• $100,000
• FORGERY (x2)

6 Character / Distribution of Masterpiece Value Cards (Baron Dietrich von Oberlitzer; “Bitsy” Rich Wong Dobrowski Keyes;  Count Francois du Bonnet; Millicent Friendly; Roxy “Big D” Warrenson, Dallas, Texas, U.S.A.; V. Elton Whitehall Esq.)

A supply of play money (in denominations of $1 million; $500,000; $100,000; and $50,000)

Rules pamphlet

Aside from the cardboard inner box content separators, that’s it!

Masterpiece 1970 box contents