Boardgame Tournament: BLACK BOX

Penciled in:

Boardgame Tournament:
BLACK BOX (Parker Brothers, 1978; designed by Eric Solomon .co.uk)

PB got this from Waddington UK ('77) but thought it would be a slow mover in the mass market, so they released it at GEN CON! Alas, folks there were more interested in that new fantasy game (D&D) than boardgames... BB did okay in the market but quickly faded -- and I think it's an underappreciated gem.

Black Box is a game of logic and deduction. A full game takes about 10-20 minutes. One player chooses the positions of four mirror-spheres (balls) within a 'black box' represented by an 8x8 board (ala chessboard) and marks them secretly. The other player then shoots a laser beam into the "box" from any of the 32 perimeter locations, thereby learning where that laser beam exits. The beam can bounce off the balls in the process, complicating the deductions. The shooter may take as many shots as desired, but the score is the number of markers used to indicate the entrance/exit points of the beams, so obviously fewer is better. After one such game the players switch roles, the former 'placer' becoming the 'guesser' in game 2. Scores are compared and either one player wins (lowest score) or they tie.

I'll bring 16 copies of Black Box for the tournament and teach all comers. Allow 1 hour for your initial pair of games. Grand prize is a copy of the game and other stuff. Up to 3 runners-up can be accommodated.

F

 

Well, that sounds interesting. They had hand-held lasers in 1977? I would not have guessed that, certainly not at the price point to be included in a game. Quite intriguing.

 

Only on Venus. The actual game parts are yellow marbles, a plastic board with numbers around the sides, plastic markers to indicate results, instruction booklet (with 80 solitaire games!), and card-stock slipcover.

But I've found that the "mirror-ball & laser" imagery conveys the game mechanics accurately and minimizes the learning curve.

F

 

fyi:

Learn & practice Black Box online at:

http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/software/blackbox/play/

(applet)

F

 

I recall you telling Mark and I about this game (perhaps Rich was there as well?) and being fascinated.

I call dibs!

 

Yes, I got to play it at GaryCon. It's quite interesting and made me think. For those who like using deductive skills (and some intuitive thinking), I believe you'll find it quite enjoyable.

 

I'd give it a try. I doubt I'd have a chance against my fellow brainyack gamers, but it does seem interesting.

 

Frank demo'd this game to me and it was fantastic!! I think most everyone will enjoy this game. Well . . try it out, anyway.

Count me in for the tournament!!!!

Thanks Frank!

 

I love this kind of games! Have you ever heard of Khet?
Until next year I'll not have the opportunity to play with you unless someone is able to create an tournament site or something similar...

 

I'm always up for new games. I really like games that have a puzzle element in them.

 

Despite DMing, like, every slot at the convention, as well as running the auction, I noticed Frank taking the time to teach this game to a single 12ish-year-old. You're a class act, Mr. Mentzer. I'm sure Gary would be proud.