Dr. Busby (1840)

According to the Parker Brothers rulebook...

"This game was the first ever published in America, being brought out of Salem in 1840."

The game consists of 20 cards, divided into 4 families: the Busby Family, the Dairymaid's Family, the Ninnycometwitch Family, and the Gardener's Family. Each family has 5 members, for example the Busby Family consists of Dr. Busby, his Wife, Son, Servant and Dairymaid's black-eyed Lover.

The starting player begins by asking the player on his right for any card not in his own hand. If that player has the card he calls for, he gives it to him and the starting player may call for another card and so on until he calls for a card which the player doesn't have. Then the next player takes his turn, but must first call for those cards which have been called for and obtained by the first player. Thus it becomes a game of memory since any incorrect call ends a turn. When a player has called every card from the player on the right (thus putting that player out of the game), he may continue to call from the next player on the right. At the end of the game, the winner will have successfully called all the cards into his own hand.