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Tiddlywinks / Tiddledy Winks

By , About.com Guide

Gameplay in Brief:

Originally called Tiddledy Winks, this game was a huge fad among adults in the 1890s. Although often derided as a simple child's game, Tiddlywinks continues to have its share of serious adult players today. At its most basic, players compete to flick disks into a container.

Basics:

For 1 to 6 players, ages 4 and up. About 10 minutes per game.

Designer:

Joseph Assheton Fincher created Tiddlywinks. He filed a patent for the game in November 1888. In 1889, he trademarked the name "Tiddledy-Winks" in England.

Publisher:

At least two dozen publishers have released versions of Tiddlywinks.

Genre:

Tiddlywinks is a dexterity game.

Why Tiddlywinks is Part of the Games Timeline:

Tiddlywinks is an almost universally recognized game, and one of the earliest parlor games to become a true fad. Here are the other games I believe are the most culturally and historically significant games published since 1800.

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