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Several times now, in recent years I've had the pleasure of playing Chinese checkers.

And I don't know if you've ever played Chinese checkers before, but it's quite fun. It's quick to play and simple enough to understand.

It is sort of like regular checkers or drafts, as we'd call it here in the UK. But...

In a sort of star-shaped...

Variation, it can include more than two players.

And it's good fun.

I like it.

I think my favourite thing about it is that, despite the name

Chinese checkers, it was actually invented in Germany. And I think the story goes something

like, it was originally called,

I can't really remember what it was called, something to do with a star, the shape of the board itself.

And as I say, it was a game invented by a German company, but they found, I think, internationally, it wasn't selling very well.

And I think this was the early 20th century, maybe the 1920s.

And at the time, there was a bit of a fad, I say a fad.

I mean to say, there was a trend of Chinese games like Mahjong doing really well,

people being interested in this, so they simply change

the name to Chinese checkers. And it sold considerably well, much better, to the point where it became a popular, well-known game, even to today.

I think it's hard to pinpoint, really, what makes a good board game, good enough that it could become long lasting.

You know, something that is a staple of the family board game shelf in a house.

I think there are a few elements that make a board game shelf in a house. I think there are a few elements that make a board game,

something that sticks around, that isn't just a fad, as I say.

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