In finally performing a full psychological self-evaluation of that portion of my life which has been dedicated to the creation of Boardwalk Solitaire, I have created this introduction.
The first in the lineage was Clock Solitaire , a traditional game I picked up in my youth. This is a game void of skill. The player is entirely at the mercy of the other player. Had I known, in the past, who this other player was, I may have developed faster.
I disregarded the game of Clock Solitaire altogether as a youngster. I also showed no regard for "Red and Black", as I call it, which is another traditional solitaire game. I did hold some interest in games of two players, but my opponent as a youngster was always more skilled than I was, and the improbability of my winning logically presented to me the notion of disregarding this gaming category as well. Still, these were not, for that child, conscious decisions.
There were also games that leveled the playing field for me, when facing off with my elder kin, where luck may have prevailed enough to give me a fighting chance. I loved the game of Stratego as a boy, as it gave me the opportunity to playfully swim through the sea of that secret entity, that other player who was also in the game.
I was then introduced to a game that was home-made. My older brother presented Around The World , a variation that gave more to the human player in facing off with the Dark Knight of my subconscious, than did the seemingly crippled Clock variation. For the first time, the flame inside of me was sparked, and my journey into Boardwalk Solitaire had begun. First, the game was like a Christmas Card made of little sprinkles and crayon and pictures of hugs and kisses (It was home-made). Secondly, the light of a playground was first lit; this game's presentation of choice flashed the secret player across my conscious mind.
Still, I held no conscious grasp of him or of the task I wished to achieve. At this time, I felt that I wanted to make a better game than my elder brother had made. Now as I see, I was drawn like a moth to a flame.
I had not consciously recognized, in the 1970s, or throughout the 1980s, or until the spring of 1998 for that matter, what I was trying to do. I didn't see the other player in his or her full light. My thirst to bring these games closer to my territory, the territory of the player, the territory of mindful skill, was continuously compromised in a secret love affair with another player. The adventurous aspect of even the most mundane form, such as that of Clock Solitaire, was then ultimately revealed.
We are capable, speaking to the chess-playing mind, of enjoying games of chance, where our calculating capacities do not reign entirely. Why? Would you call it luck? How about adventure? Mystery! A journey into the unknown. Games of two players offer the mystery and the adventures of the human opponent. When distracted by a mystery, the mind gives chase. We are captivated by the intrigue of that which we may or may not grasp.
The secret opponent that had always eluded me is lady luck. In the beginning I tried to make sure ways for myself to win, later I found this to be as unfair to her as she has been with me, but now, I simply enjoy the dance. It is in Squattsi, in my opinion, that the most balanced of these games to date, that we stand as equal partners.
Note: At first, Squattsi is an intellectually intimidating game. From wat I have seen, It takes a few rounds to become mentally geared for it. I also suggest climbing the tree from the start - better to start with a simpler variation, such as Hopscotch.There are likely many sports, hundreds of games, and millions of people, and probably other things, like cars and computers, and a certain tree that I have come to know personally, all of which offer little things like Love and Peace and Universal Harmony. I guess I wound up adding one more to the long list which preceded it.