Board Game Directions
From LoveToKnow BoardGames
Getting a game out for the family to play should be simple but not when you remove the box top only to discover that the board game directions are missing. Unless you make your own board games and have the rules memorized, then this has probably happened to you at some point. There is no need to panic, however, because there are several solutions.
Use the Internet to Find Lost Board Game Directions
The Internet is our greatest asset and resource where we can find almost every answer to any question we have. And now that you know your instructions are missing, you can put it to use to find those misplaced board game directions.
The first thing you need to do is to find out who made your game. A lot of games will have the name printed on the top of the box close to the name of the game. Not all manufacturers do this, so the next logical place to look is on the bottom of the box close to the UPC code. Once you locate the name, go to a search engine like Google and search for the name. If there is no name (as is sometimes the case for really old games) try searching the name of the game.
As mentioned above if the game is old, then you may run into a slight hurdle of the company being defunct. If the company is no longer in business, then the name of the game may be the only thing you have to go on because there are websites that archive instructions for games. You may have to search through several links before finding exactly what you need.
Well-known game companies that produce and sell hundreds of games tend to realize that instructions get lost. Before the Internet, you would have to call or write the company to get a replacement that you have to pay for. That is no longer the case, and you can visit game company websites like Hasbro, Pressman Toys and University Games to download the lost instructions to your games. They are usually in PDF format which requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software.
Older and Out of Print Game Instruction Archives
Classic versions of RISK and Monopoly differ greatly from the current instructions, but the companies don’t always provide you with anything but the current version. There are several websites that specialize in archiving instructions for board games. Now you can now play those games your grandparents played or get a bit nostalgic over those tiny wooden blocks from the original game of RISK or the wooden Monopoly real estate.
Free Instructions for Download
The Game Cabinet is a great place to start when trying to locate lost instructions. The site offers many downloadable instructions for current games as well as games long since put to rest.
Board Game Capital is another resource for board game directions that specializes in more popular games like RISK, Monopoly and Candyland.
Instructions for Money
Darwin’s Game Closet sells instructions at a cost of $4.00 for 1-10 pages and $8.00 for instructions that have 11 or more pages. The instructions are mailed to you fully printed and bound. It may seem like a stretch to pay for instructions but many game companies will charge a fee to replace them. Darwin’s Closet also boasts having 80% or more of all game instructions available.
Best Solution: Archive Your Instructions
When you first purchase a game and eagerly remove the wrapper, take out the instructions and store them inside of a file folder or a large vanilla envelope. Another solution is to make use of an all-in-one printer and copy and print out the instructions and store the originals, placing the printed pages in the box. You can also scan the pages into the computer and save them as a PDF file and keep an electronic version just in case.
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This page has been accessed 2,363 times. This page was last modified 23:05, 7 October 2008.
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