Games Britannia - Monopolies and Mergers

The episode is presented by Benjamin Woolley again, In the episode Benjamin talk on how cultural and political impact on games and how it has had on Britain over the past years.

• Britain where the ones that developed the idea of a board game - this was a way of to export it to America where it was adapted for economic and promoting the dream of free enterprise.

Benjamin then goes on and explores many of the classic games which became a part of teaching before they were used for games of entrainment.

The show then starts looking at game called The Mansion of Bliss. The game was focused on one audience, children; this was to get children to attend schools.

• The Mansion of Bliss is a race game played with a teetotum and accompanied by a booklet, which gives information about each playing space. These outline the rewards or forfeits associated with that space. The first player to reach 'The Mansion Of Bliss', in the centre, is the winner of the board game.

• The game was then later imitated by a game called The Mansion of Happiness in the 1890's in the United States.

The game rules notes:

• "WHOEVER possesses PIETY, HONESTY, TEMPERANCE, GRATITUDE, PRUDENCE, TRUTH, CHASTITY, SINCERITY...is entitled to Advance six numbers toward the Mansion of Happiness. WHOEVER gets into a PASSION must be taken to the water and have a ducking to cool him... WHOEVER posses AUDACITY, CRUELTY, IMMODESTY, or INGRATITUDE, must return to his former situation till his turn comes to spin again, and not even think of HAPPINESS, much less partake of it."

'The Mansion of Happiness'