Are you a fan of Words with Friends (or its low-tech forebear, Scrabble)?
Are you a Wordament Grandmaster (Level 193 and counting!), or as we knew it
in the 20th century, Boggle? Word-forming parlor games were a popular
pastime in the 19th century, too, and I have one to share with you today.
McLoughlin Brothers’ *Logomachy: Or War of Words* debuted at the 1874
Cincinnati Industrial Exposition, where it won a Highest Premium (or silver
medal) for best new parlor game.
1881 edition, with glorious Victorian advertising art
Our modern consumer culture was born in the Victorian era, and affordable
amusements like boxed card games abounded. Period catalogues from
McLoughlin Bros. are filled with scores of games, and editions of games, in
every price range.
*Circa 1895 McLoughlin Bros. trade catalogue, featuring a 50 cent edition
of Logomachy and other card games. Games came in several price tiers.*
The rules are similar to *the card game casino*, and would have been
familiar to players of the time. And they’re easy to pick up for modern
players, too! Cards are printed with individual letters of the alphabet
(and *charming illustrations*—my 1889 version has children in 18th century
costume), and the object is to collect as many cards as possible by forming
words. Unlike Scrabble, where you try to use as many letters from your hand
as you can, in Logomachy you can only use one at a time. The suspense comes
in declaring your intention to form a word, and racing your opponents to be
the first to finish, before one of them claims your word and all the
points. Uncommon letters like Q, Z, X, and J are Prize Cards, and
contribute to higher scores.
*A complete set from 1889, with cards, instruction manual, and imitation
leather box. *
Logomachy remained popular for decades. McLoughlin Bros. was acquired by
Milton Bradley in 1920, which continued to publish the game through the
1950s.
1922 ad for Logomachy, now marketed as a children’s game
Logomachy is a fun and fast-paced game for competitive word buffs. If you
don’t happen to have your own set, you could easily play with a set of
Scrabble tiles, or print your own letter cards. You’ll need 72 cards with
the following distribution of letters:
A comeback for Logomachy is long overdue! But until new versions are made,
sets can be found (in varying condition and sometimes missing parts) on the
antique and vintage market.
Challenge your friends to a war of words today!
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