Comments on: What do I do with square pegs and a square hole?

Question: What do I do with square pegs and a square hole?

scrute — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:53:02 -0800

What is this game? It belonged to my dad's cousin and she would have played with it during the 1940's, I think.

It has found it's way to us through a circuitous route, and the people who would have played with it, including my grandmother, great-uncle and their neice, have all passed on.

It consists of a wooden grid (with a bottom so the pieces stay in place) along with square pegs in four different colours, and a bunch of triangle pegs in the same colours (two triangles fit in one hole).

I assume it's a game and not just a toy with which to make pretty patterns - Anyone have any idea how to play?

By: inturnaround

inturnaround — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:04:35 -0800

I assume it's a game and not just a toy with which to make pretty patterns - Anyone have any idea how to play?

Why do you assume this? Is there anything there that would lead you to favor that over the other conclusion? Looks like a non-lite Lite Brite to me.

By: HuronBob

HuronBob — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:14:41 -0800

a square version of "Go"?

By: Maximian

Maximian — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:20:33 -0800

I've seen something like this before. I have a vague recollection that you arrange the blocks in an image, which is given in a booklet. But I may be thinking of a different game. In any case, some elderly friends of mine (long ago) had something a lot like what you depict. Watching this space for the definitive answer.

By: advil

advil — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:26:44 -0800

I think this is a pegboard toy (modern version). Though there may have been some puzzle associated with it, it may have just been to develop hand-eye coordination, as the modern version linked above is supposed to do. I also wonder if it is home-made, and thus one-of-a-kind? It is the kind of thing I can imagine my grandfather, a woodworker, making for his kids.

On preview, nothing to do with go -- too many colors, the wrong size, the triangle pieces aren't relevant, and most importantly, go doesn't use the spaces (it uses the intersections). Othello is more plausible, but it is still the wrong size.

By: travis08

travis08 — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:43:14 -0800

This is not a game. It's a toy. You make patterns and pictures with it like a lite-brite. I had one growing up that was made in the 1940's.

By: Soliloquy

Soliloquy — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:01:30 -0800

I believe they are called pattern blocks.

By: goml

goml — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:02:41 -0800

I think it looks almost just like this wooden geometric puzzle shape game.

By: w0mbat

w0mbat — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 20:13:08 -0800

Not a game. My friend's rich Dad had it in his den as an ornament. It's the kind of arty plaything you can buy at the SF MOMA store.