Glückshaus Is a Simple Medieval Gambling Dice Game

Party is coming! =)

Want to surprise guests? Tell them the story of the game, which was played in the XV century!
Offer them a completely new entertainment, the rules of which can be explained in just 2 minutes, and then enjoy the whole evening)

Interesting? Then this simple instruction is for you!

"Glückshaus" ("House of Fortune", "The Lucky Pig") is a gamble for money. Glück - happiness, prosperity, luck, success. And, really, in this game, the most important thing is luck :)

Easy, fun and very gambling for money (or anything else at will) is perfect for a warm friendly company at a party where you just want to relax and have fun! You can play "House of Fortune" for a very long time, so this is an ideal option if you need to pass the time and not strain yourself intellectually.

Making the field for the game is extremely simple - it all depends on what kind of result you want to get.

You will need a board with fields for numbers from 2 to 12, two dice and coins for each player. In the simplest version, the field can be drawn with a stick on the sand or with a knife on the tabletop, if desired - to draw or print on a sheet of paper.

We went the other way and decided to make a full-fledged beautiful wooden game that will delight us for a long time.

Step 1: A Bit of History

A bit of history for the curious (you can immediately flip the most hurried, but it will be interesting here).
This simple dice game was common among taverns and mercenaries in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was played throughout the Renaissance throughout Europe. She found a new life in reconstruction societies as an authentic, social and relatively thoughtless way to spend time and coins.

Glückshaus belongs to the group of games under the common name "Lucky Seven" (Fr. Jeu du Sept). Glückshaus, which means “House of Happiness”, originated in Germany at the end of the 15th century, but quickly, in various forms, spread throughout Europe. Regional versions of the game took their names from the distinctive features of the playing field: "House of Fortune" or "Happy Pig" in England, "Playing Harlequin" in Holland, "Playing the Boat" in Italy. This is one of the first board games with bets that eventually led to the creation of a casino in the 19th century. Thus, this is nothing more than a game of chance in which coins (tokens, sweets, etc.) are won or lost when two dice are thrown. Two or more players can play, and anyone can join or leave the game at any time.

A detailed analysis of this game is made in the article by Franca Donato “Glückshaus. Late 16th century German Bourd and Dice Game. ” The author cites several quotes that mention a wooden playing board, although he himself comes to the conclusion that ordinary soldiers could play by drawing a field directly on the ground. Usually on boards of 10 or 11 different fields ("windows"). If we consider playing boards from the museum in Munich, dating from 1583, we can conclude that the sequence of the fields (“windows”) could be different, but the approximate meaning is the same: - surely one field is given to the king, another is devoted to the wedding, and a separate field with the figure of a pig

- dice (dice) - a set of 2 pieces.

- surely this is a game for money, otherwise the whole point is lost.

“House of Happiness” may have been popular due to the fact that it allowed countless illiterate peasants and soldiers to do something with their left hand and money, while the right one was busy drinking. This is not the most wonderful pedigree, but it has several advantages: ease of learning, interest from the audience at the expense of the Wedding Jackpot and ease of exit. Side rates may have accounted for a large part of the fun from each batch.

Illustrations: both the 1st and 2nd are the boards for the game "Glückshaus", dating from 1583, are stored in the National Museum in Munich.

Step 2: Rules

The variety of surviving game boards indicates that, most likely, there were several variations of this game. The most common game rules used today by players are taken from the same article by Franca Donato “Glückshaus. Late 16th century German Bourd and Dice Game. ” And they are extremely simple.
It's more comfortable if the game is played with equal bets (all use coins of the same denomination), but it's not necessary. Two or more players can participate in the game.

1. Roll two dice.

2. We look at the results of the throw.

2.1. If dropped 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 or 11 - check the appropriate field. If there is a coin in this field, take it. If it is empty, place a coin on it.

2.2. If there is 7, place the coin on field 7. This field is called “Wedding”, it accumulates coins (“wedding gift”) and becomes a jackpot.

2.3. If there are 2 what is called “Pig”, take all the coins on the board (“put a pig” to other players), except for those that lie on field 7 (“Wedding”).

2.4. If 12, what is called "King," falls, take all the coins on the board. Absolutely everything, because no one can refuse a king in the medieval world!

2.5. If 4 is dropped - a field that is missing on many boards, including ours - the player does nothing, he skips the turn. The action proceeds to the next player (see the next item 3).

In Russian-language articles, they often write about field 4, as a special field of the host of the board. Those if this field has fallen, the player does not skip the move, he gives the coin to the owner of the board. Unfortunately, we haven’t found confirmation of these words, so for ourselves we leave this item optional, you can agree on this option.

3. Pass the dice to the next player in a clockwise direction.

P.S. If a player wants to join the game, he must put a coin (entry fee) on field 7 ("wedding").

P.P.S. By the same rule, the game does not start with an empty board. All players at the beginning of the game join it and each one puts a coin on field 7 ("wedding").

P.P.P.S. From personal experience, we can say that the optimal number of players is from 3 to 6.

Step 3: Laser Cutting and Engraving

Well, now let's start!

We engrave with the laser machine the name and the field of the game and the rules on plywood 4 mm thick, at the same time we cut this basis for the box.

We have added vector (.cdr) files for working with 4mm and 3mm plywood, choose which one suits you best)

Step 4: Adding Scratches

Add the entourage: since the game is medieval, I really want to add the effect of antiquity. All sorts of scuffs and scratches just underline it.
Using a V-shaped knife on wood, we make scratches of different depths (deep and not so deep)

Step 5: Grind

Grind all surfaces with a grinder. I took sandpaper with soft enough grit, well suited for processing plywood and creating a smooth surface - 320 units.

Step 6: Remove the Dust

Then with a clean shoe brush of medium softness we clean well the wood dust that remained after the polishing process.

Step 7: We Glue the Box

Glue the box with wood glue.
We should have 2 compartments: one is the playing field for coins, the second is for cubes (the rules are written in it).

Leave to dry overnight.

Step 8: Dyeing

The most creative process is dyeing.

To emphasize the old days we need 2 colors of stain. One color will be the main (lighter), and the second will be to create an uneven dark color (darker).

You can first experiment on an unnecessary piece of plywood to figure out how you like.

So first cover the box with a lighter stain with a brush. It is necessary to paint the box well from all sides, this is the basis of color.

Wait until dry. Usually a couple of hours is enough.

Then we apply a darker color with a sponge, trying to create a smooth transition to a light one. The center of the front and sides is left untouched. You can walk dry hard brush and intact parts, it will add divorce and scuffs, but we decided to limit this option without a brush.

Then wait until everything is dry. You can leave a little longer, so that both layers of the stain will dry well.

Step 9: Align Color Transitions and Add Smoothness

To make a smoother color transition we go through the grinding process once again, we use fine-grained sandpaper, for example, 320 units. It is important to process the junction of colors, but for a uniform effect, it is worth walking along the rest of the surface too, just a little less.

And then we will go through one more time quite soft sandpaper, for example 800. To increase accuracy of grinding, we carried out the last stage manually, but you can also do this with a grinder.

Step 10: Protect From Moisture and Abrasion

To keep the game in good condition, to prevent damage from moisture (as is often the case at parties) and it is important to protect the box with wax from salting with fingers.
I took for this shoe wax, you can take furniture or any other suitable for wood. Colorless wax will look good, but you can also take a blackout or with effects, for example, semi-antique. The main thing is not to overdo it, so as not to spoil everything created during the dyeing stage.

Done!