Six Generations (game)

Infobox_Game
title =SIX GENERATIONS (Card Game)
subtitle =
image_link =
image_caption = Six Generations Game Package
designer = Ted Soloview
illustrator =
publisher = Six Generations Publishing
title = SIX GENERATIONS
players = 2-12
ages = 6+
setup_time = negligible
playing_time = 5-30 minutes
complexity = simple

Six Generations is a parlor game created by Fyodor (Ted) Soloview, an American inventor, and distributed by Six Generations Publishing. It is essentially an educational card game for people of all ages, children and adults, in which up to twelve players each create their own family trees spanning six generations. The playing cards used are unique to the game itself.

The game tracks the history of the United States in the period of peak European immigration in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Each character is "born" into the game with his or her own story of genealogy, ancestors and matchmaking. Players view period costumes of Europeans and Americans, consider facts about various European countries and regions involved in the immigrant surge and learn of popular first names of males and females circa the historical period and ethnic groups in question.

Young players are helped to realize through example just how many ancestors (sixty-two) lived through the last five generations necessary to make their own lives possible.

The game itself is loosely based on six generations of an immigrant family which actually came from Europe to the United States during the period in question, and the games "latest generation" cards include "Emily" and "Jacob," an actual later-generation brother and sister living in the United States in 2005 at the time of the game's creation.

Six Generations allows for different modes of play and outcomes.

Game Play

HOW TO PLAY:
Shuffle the deck and deal six cards, one at a time face down to each player.
Players may pick up and hold these cards as a "hand." Place the rest of the deck
face down in the center of the table, accessible to all players.

Each player must play a card, if able, onto the table top.
If he cannot play, a player must draw a card from the top of the deck,
until one he draws CAN be played.

CARDS ARE PLAYED WITH THE FOLLOWING RULES: 1. In the beginning of the game, a player MUST play a 6th generation card.
2. A 6th generation card that “makes a COUPLE” is one that is of the same rank, of the
opposite sex, and is from the same nation.
3. A 5th generation card cannot be played until a 6th generation COUPLE is on the table.
A 5th generation card played on a COUPLE of the 6th generation is their CHILD. Whenever a CHILD
is played on a previous generation, the older generation cards are removed from play (they are
“completed”). Place completed couples face down adjacent to the deck (they are not used for the
rest of the game).
4. A 4th generation card cannot be played until two 5th generation parents of opposite sex
are in play, and so on down to Emily and Jacob. The players may build on these sets as
their turn comes, either placing one card or drawing from the deck if necessary until one
may be placed.

NOTES:
- If a player doesn't have the correct card to play, he must draw from the deck until he does.
- Any player must place no more than one card during his or her turn.
- Sixth generation is the only generation which may be placed on the table without being a child to an earlier generation.
- Only one child can be played on a couple. (Firstborn children are the only ones this game tracks.)
- It is possible for a player to run out of cards (and win the game) before Emily and Jacob are played.
- Each set is built up with a male and female from each generation, #6 down to #1.
- There are a total of six rows the players can build in this game; each row, or line, represents a new generation.

WILDCARD PLAY:If at any time in the game one player gets both #1 cards (Emily and Jacob), they can be played
down below the generations, regardless of whether their parents are yet in play. This is the only
time you can play more than one card out of your hand at one time.

KEY STRATEGY:Since each player may only play one card per turn, when you play a 6th generation card,
do NOT identify the COUPLE it makes until you need to use it yourself at one of your next turns.
By watching the 6th generation cards, even while you are looking for places to play your later
generations, you can sometimes catch a couple others are missing and maybe get rid of one
of the spare 5 generation cards in your hand.

The first person to run out of cards wins the game.

Game Variations

With the same pack of Six Generations playing cards several different variants of the game may be played, converting the original set of seventy-two cards into a deck of universal playing cards. These games include "The Heirs" (see reference link below), "Blind Date", "GenPoker", "23", "Dynastia" and "Meet Ancestors". The publisher website (below) includes details.

References

* [http://www.globeinvestor.com/servlet/story/PRNEWS.20061019.SFTH006/GIStory Toronto Globe & Mail review of Six Generations game]
* [http://www.gamingreport.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=1742 GamingReport.com review]
* [http://www.thedicetower.com/thedicetower/index.php?page=six_generations TheDiceTower.com review]
* [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/17553 BoardGameGeek.com review]
* [http://www.casinocitytimes.com/news/article.cfm?contentId=153620 Casino City Times review]
* [http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/26382 BoardGameGeek review, with instructions on "The Heirs" game]

External Links

* [http://www.sixgenerations.com/ Publisher website]
* [http://www.amazon.com/Generations-Card-Games-Playing-Cards/dp/0976041804/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222460108&sr=8-1 Amazon.com listing]