Weird Old Bar Games You've Probably Never Heard Of
People have been playing games as long as people have been getting bored, which by our estimates has been a long-ass time. Since the invention of the modern day-party and the modern day-bar, people have been gathering in private or public to prove their worth against their friends and foes in games of skill and chance. Here's how it all began.
Pinball
Unsurprisingly, the modern day pinball machine didn't just spring into existence. There were two iterations of "machines" that are now viewed as direct ancestors to the pinball machine.
The first is the game of bagatelle.
Bagatelle boards came in a variety of styles and designs. Below is a bagatelle board designed in the style of a steeplechase game in which players take turns acting as the "bookie" and firing marbles attempting to score points for their various "horses."
The second game considered to be an antecedent to pinball was Gottlieb's Baffle Ball. While strikingly similar to bagatelle, Baffle Ball was mass produced, the coin-operated version finding its way into bars to turn bar owners a tidy profit. Inventor David Gottlieb went on to found a pinball company called Gottlieb, a well-known producer of arcade games until it went defunct in 1996.
Pool/Billiards/Cue Sports
Okay, there are a lot of games that fall under this category — snooker, carombole and pool (to name a few). But generally speaking, they're all thought to be evolved from an outdoor style of play called trucco or "ground billiards."
The Claw Machine
Historical evidence for the development of the classic crane game is a bit light, but the earliest machines date back to the early 20th century. It's believed that the completion of the Panama Canal around this time popularized mechanical steam shovels. The first claw games were not so much claws as they were mini excavators.
Bowling
We know what you're going to say — bowling isn't an arcade game, there are arcades in bowling alleys, not the other way around! Just roll with it.1 Plus, Dave and Buster's is a thing now. Anyway, bowling is old, like really old.
The many versions of bowling have primarily derived from a category of game called "skittles." Yes, really. There are lawn skittles, table skittles, hood skittles and even things called scattles and smite.
One of the most popular variants of table skittles seen in pubs, and dating back to the 18th century, was a game called "Devil Among the Tailors" which you can learn how to play below.
Another version known as "hood skittles" or "Northamptonshire skittles," became popular in the 19th century.
Darts
I couldn't find any videos of old dart games, but I thought you might be interested to know that it's believed that the design of a dartboard is thought to originate from soldiers throwing sharp objects at a tree trunk. The rings served as natural boundaries, and as the cut cross-section dried, cracks may have formed, thus creating different sections. Instead of a video, just imagine people in britches throwing darts at a tree.
Dunk Tank/Bottle Throw
Ah yes, the ancient talent of being able to throw something and hit something else. This "game" probably has something to do with our connection to ancient hunters throwing spears or something.2 One game that does seem to serve as a standardized precursor to modern carnival "throwing" games is a game called Aunt Sally, the basic premise of which was to throw a stick at a clay pipe that was attached to a cutout of a woman (Aunt Sally).
It's also thought that Aunt Sally might have been derived from a game called "throwing at cocks." Throwing at cocks is played by throwing sticks or clubs at a live chicken. The winner is the person who kills the chicken and their prize is (no surprise here) the chicken, which they may then take home and eat.
Today, Aunt Sally has evolved into a lawn sport with it's own set of rules, but it clearly has ties to historic fairs and carnival games. It may very well be that you have found your Aunt Sally in a dunk tank, all thanks to the old practice of throwing things at other things.
