Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
FiGuRe 1.6
L i k e
Snakes and Ladders
,
The Mansion of Happiness
taught moral values.
The cities on the map weren't named; instead, they were numbered. The goal
was to correctly name the city indicated by the number. If you didn't, you lost a
turn. In the advanced version of the game, the player had to provide the popula-
tion of the city as well.
Milton Bradley, a lithographer based in Springfield, Massachusetts, had been
seeking improved methods of printing before he segued into the games business.
As production methods improved for printing and mass production, the games
industry enjoyed a surge in popularity and distribution. Costs went down and
availability to the public increased as more efficient means of producing games
became accessible.
In 1860, Bradley founded his game company, named for himself. He specialized
in creating small, portable games that soldiers fighting in the Civil War could
carry with them and play in their down time. These games were backgammon,
chess, checkers, dominoes, and a game of his own invention,
The Checkered
Game of Life.
The portability of these games allowed more and more people to
enjoy them and furthered the development of games in the United States.
