Words by Sara Elsam
Main image courtesy of Peter Harrington Books
For centuries, tabletop games have been used to teach moral lessons. Take for example, Mansions of Happiness (1843), in which you race around a track toward virtuous deed spaces like “temperance” and do your best to avoid “cruelty” and “ingratitude” on your way to eternal bliss. These Puritan titles inspired games of a less spiritual bent, like the Game of the District Messenger Boy, wherein anyone could ascend the corporate ladder toward wealth and glory.