I love to play games. It does not matter if the games are modern board games, card games or period games. In 1995 our local group did an event that needed games. I spent all summer embroidering a huge variety of game board. It was the easiest and lightest way I could think of to transport games. They are still in use over twenty years later. The games live in my game basket which still goes to events. I have found that if I put out a game board somebody will come by and offer to play.
The games I keep in my event basket are shut the box, nine mans morris, gluckhaus (house of fortune,) the roman game, game of the goose and tablero de jesus. It is a mix of strategy games, games that two people can play or games that a group can play. I toss in a handful of dice, glass rocks to use as money (coins are dirty and might imply gambling,) and a deck of period cards. All of these games and pieces fit is a small wooden box which has a picture of the Lewis Chessmen painted on it (a 12th Night gift from a friend.)
I have continued to stitch game boardsĀ and donate to gift baskets or use them as prizes for an event. I even taught my embroidery machine how to stitch medieval games.