Ravensburger version of the game
pictured here. Ravensburger added a
number of new and sometimes random items to the game.
Fortunately, the original version of the game can be played with a few
modifications: PUBLISHED GAMES OF SID SACKSON
(M)
with commentary by Nick Sauer and Herb Levy
Maloney's
Inheritance:
This game was
originally published by Research Games Inc. as Holiday
in 1973. The more easily accessible
version is the 1988
Ravensburger version of the game
pictured here. Ravensburger added a
number of new and sometimes random items to the game.
Fortunately, the original version of the game can be played with a few
modifications:
1) Don't use the Joker cards or money bag pieces in the game.
2) Ignore the rules for the x2 days on the day track.
3)
Ignore the special rules for Sunday (i.e. Sunday goes up for auction just
like any other day).
The game was also later republished as Shang-hai by Ravensburger in 1997. Unfortunately, the game was so altered in this version that it would be impossible to play the original version of the game with it. - NS
The Major Battles and Campaigns of General Douglas MacArthur:
This along with
the Major Battles and Campaigns of General George S.
Patton game are a pair of wargames published by
Research Games Inc. in 1973. They
were also published by Waddington's
House of Games in 1974. The map for
the game is double sided and features a map for the Inchon game on the back.
This is the bookshelf box that the games came in.
They were also both released in large flat style boxes as well (see the
entry for Patton
below). - NS
The Major Battles and Campaigns of General George S. Patton:
This along with
the MacArthur game are a pair of wargames 
published
by Research Games Inc. in 1973. They
were also published by Waddington's House of Games in 1974.
The map for the game is double sided and features a map for the Sicily
game on the back. The map layout for
Sicily can be seen in the upper left corner of the sheet in the box.
This is the larger size box that the games came
in. They were also both released in
bookshelf style boxes as well (see the entry for The Major
Battles and Campaigns of General Douglas MacArthur). - NS
Massai:
This is a
two-player abstract published in 1993 by Abacus in their white box game format.
It was also published by
them in a deluxe wooden
box format. The game was originally
published as a
computer game (on a data cassette, no less) called Mind
Thrust by Hayden Publications
in 1981. The game is a weird kind of "test your psychic
powers" game. Players can
either place pieces on the board or
attack. When a player attacks they
secretly pick one stone (using their red marker on a miniature version of the
game board hidden behind a screen). The defender then gets a number of defense pawns based upon
the number of vulnerable pieces they have
and secretly defends that number of pieces.
Both players plans are revealed simultaneously.
If the attacked piece was not defended,
it is lost and replaced with one of the attacker's stones and all of the
defender's adjacent stones are lost.
The first player to connect
both ends of the board with their stones wins.
I am not a huge fan of simultaneously reveal style games but, this one is
better than most. - NS
Metropolis:
Players compete to build a city and earn points for doing so. Buildings (houses, factories, stores, schools, hospitals etc.) score points but WHERE a building is constructed can effect a drastic increase in its value. Another interesting aspect to play is that deals are allowed and encouraged. Players can exchange lots, build blocks together etc. and SHARE points for construction if a deal is struck. The "look" of the game is enhanced by the assortment of brightly colored plastic buildings that materialize on the board as the game develops.
The game has never been released in an English language edition. As a result, there have been several ambiguous (sometimes, incoherent) rules translations circulating. There has been talk for several years of a re-issue of this game (in English with, hopefully clear rules) but, so far, that has not yet happened. - HL
Monad:
This is a trading game that was published by 3M in 1969. It was one of the 3M line that Avalon Hill never reprinted when they purchased 3M's game line. The reason for this was probably because the game has a moderately annoying design flaw. Fortunately, this is easily fixed by adding an additional rule to the game that cards are only returned to their respective stacks after a player is done with their turn. Without this rule, it is very easy for a player to hoard the threes and effectively prevent anyone else from playing the game. - NS
