Games have been known to have been played as far back as prehistoric
times, games are generally distinct from work, which is usually
carried out for remuneration. Because a wide variety of activities
are enjoyable, numerous types of games have developed.
Games of chance, such as craps and snakes and ladders, appear
at a variety of levels of material culture; what they seem to
share generally is a sense of economic insecurity. They are
associated with cultures that place a high value on personal
responsibility, keeping one's word, and maintaining personal
standing in the face of misfortune; in other words, with "cultures
of honor". Games of pure skill are likely the oldest sort
of game and are found in all cultures, regardless of their level
of material culture. This category includes games of physical
skill, such as hopscotch and target shooting, and games of mental
skill such as checkers and chess.
Games of strategy, such as checkers, go, and
tic-tac-toe, require a higher material basis. They are associated
with cultures that possess a written language: not surprising,
since most strategy games are based on mathematics and feature
the manipulation of symbols. They often require special equipment
to be played. They are associated with hierarchical societies
that place a high value on obedience.
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