Around the World in 80 Turns: The Games of Neopia

     Sorcerer’s skirmish – Origin: Meridell

     This game has two variants, one that takes place in Meridell and another in Darigan Citadel. The object of the game is to capture the opponent’s Eyrie sorcerer first. It features small, magical play tokens that all have different attack, defense or speed stats. To capture an opponent’s token, your attack stat must be greater than their defense. When moving your pieces on the game board, take note of various potions: red, green, and blue. These may hold the key to either victory or defeat. But be warned: what you can do to your opponent they can do to you as well!

     This game is modeled after a little known skirmish during the second Meridell/Darigan Citadel war called the “Battle of the Mages”. According to historical records, a squadron of Darigani mages attacked a fort on the eastern plains at the same time as Meridellian mages attempted to overpower a Darigan weapons storehouse. Both sides were met with immediate resistance and ended their attack in a draw. This game is used as a teaching tool as much as a war strategy game.

     Island Kuub

     Land of Origin: Krawk Island

     A popular lawn game of traveling pirates, this once niche sports has become popular in almost every corner of Neopia. The object of the game is to knock down everything on the opponent’s side of the field. Players take turns throwing long batons underhand across a field towards five wooden blocks called kuubs. Once a kuub has been knocked down, it must be tossed to the opposing side. Only when it has been knocked down by your opponent can they aim for your blocks again. If they fail to knock it down, it will create a new baseline from where you can aim your batons. Only after all five kuubs have been knocked down can the “king”, the tall block that looms over the center of the battlefield, can be knocked down. If it is knocked down before this point, it’s game over for whoever hit the king.

     This game would often be played by bored pirates between deliveries and acted as a peaceful solution for disputes that would take the place of brawls. Small towns in Meridell were among the first to enjoy playing this game owing to its easy set-up and readily available supplies. The town of Seaside hosts a tournament every year that attracts Neopians from across the realm.

     Dice of Destiny

     Land of Origin: Lost Desert

     Who doesn’t enjoy a game of chance mixed with a bit of skill? Dice of Destiny combines a lucky roll with selection strategy. Often pairs will face off against one another to see how many rounds they can go before failing to shut every box.

     Legend has it that this game was discovered by Lost Desert explorers that wandered into a trap-laden tomb. Upon triggering the trap, the explorer had to roll their way to a fateful escape… or so the story goes. There is no single origin to this beloved game, but its history traces back hundreds of years to sailors who would pass the time by gambling. Others have pointed to a number of old tavern records where visitors would enjoy dice games. One thing is for sure, though, there’s a high chance that this game is your destiny!

     Cellblock

     Land of Origin: Darigan Citadel

     This game of skill pits your mind against your opponent’s. It features two tokens: one that looks like Lord Darigan’s face, and one that resembles Meridell’s shield. Deceptively easy from a glance: after all, the way to win is to line 5 pieces in a row. But, be warned! There are some Neopians who live and breathe Cellblock—Master Vex is the best player in the world!

     Despite being a game based out of the Citadel dungeons, Neopians in the tri-kingdom area have been raving about Cellblock (much to Master Vex’s surprise). He has commented to Neopian Times reporters that it is an odd thing to see Meridellian and Brightvalian tourists seeking him out just for the opportunity to play. This game is among one of the more recent additions to the library in response to the increased collaboration of Darigan and Meridell ingenuity.

     Kou-jong

     Land of Origin: Shenkuu

     The addition of time trials has made this formerly one-player game into a group challenge. Remove matching tiles with an empty space beside it to avoid getting stuck. Before you make your first move, take a moment to scan the board. If all the surrounding tiles are on the same level or are covering your target tile, you won’t be able to make the match.

     First played by Emperor Yun and his court, Kou-jong quickly became popular among the middle class. Some sets, usually those owned by the nobility, are hand-crafted with ornately decorated tiles of nature scenes, flowers, architecture, or mythological petpets. Some of the tile imagery involves symbolism for happiness or success. The oldest sets known to Neopian-kind are prized family heirlooms guarded under lock and key or the occasional alarm. There are differences from the traditional Kou-jong sets and the Neopia Central kit, the latter of which involve more game pieces, tile racks, and a less complex scoring system. For a deep dive into how these differences change the game, reach out to one of our librarians.

     Snow Wars

     Land of Origin: Terror Mountain

     This simple game involves setting up two boards with differently sized pieces (snowmen, catapults, cannon, a snowball pile, and a castle). Players take turn calling out game spaces with a combination of one letter (from A-F) and one number (from 1-10). Recognizing the size of each game piece is critical in finding everything on your opponent’s board before they do!

     Often played during the long, harsh winters in Terror Mountain, both children and adults alike will play this game while huddled around a fire cozy. Lands in Neopia that have colder winters are more likely to play Snow Wars, although it is rarely found in the occasional Mystery Island resort as a sort of oddity.

          Time Tunnel

     Land of Origin: Kreludor

     Decoding on the moon? It’s more likely than you might think. Use your deductive reasoning skills to figure out what the code is for each level.

     Originally, the resistance hero Gorix used his wit to decode the dreaded “3-mods”. He later used his same skill to unseal a mysterious vault door. Ever since then, Neopians have celebrated his accomplishments through a game of a similar vein. You may not become an intergalactic hero, but you can still put your brain to the test.

     Faerie Bubbles

     Land of Origin: Faerieland

     Our “bubble room” continues to be by far our library’s most popular gaming option. Instead of playing on a small arcade machine, you can hop onto our bubble blaster and fire magical bubbles that stick to one another and the walls. As an added bonus, the famous Faerie Bubbles soundtrack is piped into the room, creating an interactive, lifelike experience.

     The object of this game is to clear each level of bubbles. Take note of the different elements that each bubble possesses, as they all have different powers when combined in groups of four or more. Fire burns away all surrounding bubbles (except water, of course!), water removes all water bubbles on the field, light changes the element of all surrounding bubbles, dark randomizes your bubbles, and air? Well, let’s just say you should probably avoid that one. Don’t let your bubbles fill up the room or it’s game over (and did we mention the room gets smaller as the level progresses?

     This game was created by Faerieland scholars who wanted to find ways to better connect with their Neopian friends. This helped Neopians wrap their heads around magic in a fun, creative way. What once started as a means to bring Neopians to Faerieland has now spread worldwide to being a global phenomenon. As our patrons like to say, “This game is a blast!”

     Thank you for joining the International Game Library’s spotlight on interactive games. If you have recommendations to add to a future list, reach out to our media specialist, parody_ham.

     You’re always welcome here no matter how you play, whether through a board game, with dice, or in the theater of your mind. To learn more about game history and events, stay tuned to Brightvale University’s "Weewoo Watch”, our weekly newsletter.