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Badgeroonie — 2007-04-03T16:54:12+00:00

Open up the box, and this is what you'll find

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melissa — 2006-09-02T14:04:46+00:00

Set up for our boardgames exhibit at the Melbourne Museum

Thread: User Review

melissa — 2005-01-30T16:33:11+00:00

"Plus and Minus" (PM) is a game of addition and subtraction for 2-4 players (or 8, if playing in pairs).

We discovered Plus & Minus this summer while staying at an old house near the beach. It carries no copyright date or publisher information, although a note in the rules establishes that it is from the same publisher as the games "Car-Soc" and "Sorry".

The game itself is very simple. Players each take a board, which carries the numbers from 1-25. Each board also has four "start" spaces at the top and four "finish" spaces at the bottom, beside the 25. The object of the game is to get as many of your four pawns to the finish area as possible.

At the start of the game, each player is dealt eleven cards, which bear either a positive (plus) or negative (minus) value. On their turn, players play one card from their hand. The number on the played card is added to the number on the previous card played (by the previous player), and the player then moves one pawn that distance forward. Unlucky players may even end up moving backwards. The only restrictions on movement are:
(1) a player may not have more than one pawn on the same space; and
(2) players must land exactly on the number 25 to finish; pieces that overshoot the 25 must return to the start area.

Example of play:
Player A starts, and plays a 10, moving one pawn to 10.
Player B plays a 5, moving to (5+10) 15.
Player C plays the 20, moving one pawn straight to (5+20) 25.
Player A now plays the –5 card, moving the pawn from the 10 to 25 (10+20-5)
If Player B (who has a really bad hand) now plays a 3, she will have to move backwards from the 15 (15+3-5). (etc)

The game ends when all the cards have been played, or when one player gets all four pieces to the finish area. Players score 50 points for each piece in the finish area and -20 for each piece still in the start area. Pieces on the board score the number of the square they are on.

Games are played in "rubbers", with the winner being the person with the most points after five games.

We played Plus & Minus with three adults and a six-year-old, and all enjoyed it. It’s a good quick after-dinner game, and would be an excellent tool for teaching (and reinforcing) basic maths skills. Fortunately, for those who can’t find a copy on eBay, it’s also easy to make your own copy, with the card breakdown supplied on the box. A freeware computer version is also available.

While "The most intriguing game ever invented" never caught on to the extent envisaged by the designer (who writes of P&M leagues, charity drives and more), it is a simple and elegant game that is enjoyable for adults and educational (and enjoyable!) for children. Even if you don’t "Play PM until AM", it’s still well worth a look.

Summary
Number of Players: 2-4 (or rules allow for up to 8 if you divide into teams)
Age: 6 and up (involves simple addition & subtraction skills)
Duration: 15-20 minutes
My rating: a solid 7

Card breakdown
Seven 2s, 3s, 4s and 5s
Two 7s, 9s, 11s, 13s and 15s
One 20
and MINUS (one card each) 1,3, 5, 7, 9. (44 cards total)

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melissa — 2005-01-30T13:54:01+00:00

"The Most Intriguing Game Ever Invented"

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melissa — 2005-01-30T13:54:00+00:00

Join the club!

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melissa — 2005-01-30T13:53:53+00:00

Card Mix

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melissa — 2005-01-30T13:53:47+00:00

Sample Cards

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melissa — 2005-01-30T13:53:40+00:00

Game Board

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melissa — 2005-01-30T13:53:34+00:00

Box cover - closeup

Thread: P&M Card Breakdown

melissa — 2005-01-29T23:56:07+00:00

Seven 2's
Seven 3's
Seven 4's
Seven 5's
Two 7's
Two 9's
Two 11's
Two 13's
Two 15's
ONE ONLY 20

And one each MINUS 1, 3, 5, 7, 9

Sadly, no , , , or (although I'm sure you could improvise)

44 cards total.

Game: Plus and Minus

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Thread: User Review

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Thread: P&M Card Breakdown