Rythmo - Quantum/Orca Games 1985. A modern version of a Medieval strategy game called Rithmomachia (Battle of Numbers), there is an article about Rithmomachia on the Game Cabinet. Rythmo is a much cut down version which is a lot simpler. It uses a long chequerboard and numbered pawns of circles, triangles and squares. They move in different ways and you use simple tactics and maths to capture your opponent's pieces. You can trap pieces or get them by the numbers, e.g. capture an 8 by moving your 2 to four spaces away, so 2x4=8. Probably good for children as an educational game, but a bit too awkward as a strategy game, which is why it vanished no doubt.
Verdict - Interesting as an oddity.

Reboot Mainframe Game - Crown Games 1995. A simple game based on the children's 'cartoon' series, for cartoon read highly polished computer graphics about characters living in a mainframe fighting the evil virus etc. Anyway, you have 6 characters' 3 good, 3 bad, all collecting 1-6 chips to enter the core and save or destroy the city. You roll a die, move around paying for your chips with Quantum shakes, putting up No Entry signs or magnets, collecting more shakes. Simple enough, interestingly the board is a circular chain of points connected by links, with diodes forcing one-way moves. The rules include a flow-chart! It is all quite nice except for a collosal printing error, which gives only enough chips for 4 players. I wonder if Crown Games is anything to do with Crown & Andrews?
Verdict - Not played, nice graphics, children's game.

Time for some Waddingtons games, from Leeds, quintissentially English, what ho! Actually, they seem to be House Of Games/Waddingtons, many games are in English and French, and HoG seems to be from Ontario, Canada, so requiring bilingual rules. Curious...

Exploration - Waddingtons 1970. A favourite from my childhood, but when I got a copy recently, it was completely different from my memory! Winner is the one with the most cash at the end, after mounting and completing 1 of 4 different expeditions (Diving, Sailing, Mountaineering & Archaeology). You get cash by selling equipment to other players, by reaching special discoveries, by completing your expedition and special awards from the Exploration Club, so finishing first doesn't mean winning. You start by rolling a die and moving round the outside track, collecting and dumping various cards, buying equipment. When you have enough Personnel to make a expedition, you move across the large grid map in the centre of the board, using a special Diradice, to give you limited moves in certain directions, e.g. 1-2 spaces diagonally, 1 in any direction etc. Furthermore, many squares are marked with symbols (sextant, compass, ice pick etc), and you need the right equipment card to cross these squares. You must get to certain squares to pick up cash awards, and to enter certain areas to complete your goal and then return to base.
Verdict - Simple stuff, but I found it curiously evocative of the spirit of adventure, like the Kon-Tiki or Everest expeditions of the 60s and 70s. Today, explorers have such excellent equipment and most of the world has been explored, exploration seems like swanning around in a park. But this game brought back happy memories.

4000AD - Waddingtons 1972. Another one from my childhood, it's a fairly abstract game of space wars. Quite psychedelic, but I have to play it again.
Verdict - A good game as I recall...

Speculate - Waddingtons 1972. A popular share dealing game. You influence the share price and buy or sell accordingly.
Verdict - A good game but dated now.

Ulcers - Waddingtons 19??. A track game where you must compete in business without picking up Ulcers. I passed it on before playing it! Must get another copy.
Verdict - We'll see.

Key To The Kingdom - Waddingtons 1990. A D&D-type fantasy board game, "Conquer the monsters and the whirlpool to free the treasure of the kingdom" it says on the box. Good looking game with large double-sided board, but it's basically a track game with knobs on. At least it has a d8 and a good crack at a new theme.
Verdict - We'll see..

Game Of Dracula - Waddingtons 1977. Children's track game where you move round Dracula's castle, avoiding the Count and his demons. If they catch you, you turn into a vampire and must wear the vampire mask.
Verdict - We shall see...

Ratrace - Waddingtons 1967/73. Track game of keeping up with the Jones.
Verdict - We'll see...

Kimbo (Game Of Fences) - Waddingtons 1961. An abstract game where you move your dobbers to the centre, putting in fences to deflect yourself and opponents. A heavy board which has slots to take the fences. Curious for such an early game.
Verdict - Needs playing...

The Great Downhill Ski Game - Waddingtons 1970. A tile game where you make ski-tracks down the slope, avoiding trees, the first to the bottom wins. The rules claim that the first player doesn't have an advantage, but I can't see how. It has a flat board, but refers to a rolled board in a tube.
Verdict - Looks good...

Campaign - Waddingtons 1971. Another from my childhood, a strategy game of Wellington against Napolean in Europe. 2-4 players move troops across the grid-plan of Europe, make alliances, capturing cities and capitals. Quite abstract, but appealling.
Verdict - An interesting game, must play again...

Wheel Of Fortune - Waddingtons 19??. Version of TV show. Interesting frame mimics the show.
Telly Addicts - Waddingtons 19??. Version of TV show, trivia quiz, but not a track game.

Bewitched - Waddingtons 19??. Young children's track game, aimed at girls, with witch's hats, black cats and green frogs. Incomplete, but it has some magnetic pieces, which is not often used in games as a hidden random element. I can only think of Bermuda Triangle which uses magnets.

Lexicon - Waddingtons 1974. Another word game with tiles...

Keyword - Waddingtons 1953. A license of the game by Parker Bros, a scrabble variant. You must make words like dog, cat for bonuses.
Verdict - Another word game with tiles...

And now, onward to games made by Oxford Games