Learning through play: discover the rich history of folk games!

The folk and pub games are a rich piece of heritage in their own right because of their diversity, complexity and their social, political, religious and economic connection to various sections of society throughout history.
In this tour, you will learn more about the historical background of several games. However, because of their great diversity, not all games can be covered.
Despite their diversity, they also have many things in common. Most games originated outdoors and were "invented" by using materials that were available. The materials available could vary from region to region and this already provided a first factor of diversity.
Some types of games were invented in different places independently of each other and each evolved in its own way which also contributed to diversity. In addition, many games inspired each other, creating new game variations.
Another general point we can make is that almost all games that originated outdoors evolved over time to a game that could be played indoors within a limited space. In this way, numerous table games came into being.
Some games have always been genuine folk games made by the local cabinetmaker and played in inns and during village festivals and fairs. Others then originated among the wealthy elite, albeit inspired by folk games, and only later found their way back into public life. Still others were originally released as children's games.
Some games have survived in fairly pure form, while others have been heavily commercialized.
Many of today's games are really just new commercialized versions of older games. Consequently, the game is a piece of heritage that continues to live on in all its facets.
We now invite you to discover more about their wonderful world through play. The tour was conceived as a kind of guessing game with hints given game by game.