The Amish aren't all work and no play. The serious, somber side that many outsiders think of when they see the Amish isn't at all representative. Whether it be competitive board games during the winter or sports during the summer, the Amish like their playtime. We'll talk about sports in another post. Rainy days and cold nights bring out the board games in an Amish home.
♠️ Are The Amish Allowed to Play Games?
While the Amish do have "rules" that they follow for their church, known as the ordnung, those rules are largely organic, unwritten, and theologically based. Of course, it varies from church to church. Some Amish churches have much more strict - and enforced - rules, while most Amish churches give their members wide latitude to makes their own decisions about how to spend their leisure time. Obviously, if an Amish person started dealing blackjack in their home and playing for stakes, I think the bishop might have something to say about that. But I could even see a more "adult" game like Cards Against Humanity being accepted under certain circumstances. Still, most of the games played would be family-oriented games.
🎲 Amish Board Games
The board games and card games, naturally, are more popular during the cold, dark evenings of winter, or rainy summer days. These Amish games are a great way to pass a cold night or rainy afternoon.
One Amish man - there is a very entrepreneurial streak among the Amish - has gone beyond playing games and has invented one. Samuel Borntreger of Edgar, Wisconsin has invented a game that is described as a cross between Life and Monopoly and is devoted to the sport of Harness Racing . The game was released in 2013 but appears to no longer be available, the game's description, though, went like this:
The Midwest Harness Racing Game eschews wagering to focus on the business aspects of the sport. Players breed and buy horses, pay for their upkeep and training, and race them to win purses. It is, however, also a roll-and-move game with no built-in end-condition. Players choose a number of rounds to go around the board, and the one with the most money at the end is the winner.
Another game that is very popular among the Amish, and I have played this one before in an Amish home, is Life on the Farm. A description of Life on the Farm is here:
Discover fast ‘moo’ving action and endless family entertainment with this unique and FUN spoof of life on an American family farm.
Race against your “neighbors” to be the first to “retire” with a winning amount of cows and cash. As you wind your way down the “cow path” you’ll stumble upon unforeseen income and expenses as well as wild mishaps that were taken from real farm experiences.
Beware: More cows mean a bigger “milk check” but also higher expenses, and market values vary with each roll of the dice! You can order Life on the Farm from our Amazon affiliate link here.
Aggravation is a popular game. Up to six people can play it. It's a fun, fast-paced dice game where you try to go around the board and while commercial versions are around and can be bought in stores, many Amish make their own homemade boards that can comfortable accomodate a larger group.
🃏 Checkers, Cards, and Others
And, of course, there is checkers. I didn't learn until relatively recently how popular Checkers is among some segments of the Amish population. I once met an Amish man in Holmes County, Ohio who traveled the Midwest playing in checkers tournaments, and he often won. In fact, I played against him at his house and he beat me.
So, when it comes to Amish games, card games are generally discouraged, but themed-card games like Old Maid, Uno, and Dutch Blitz are popular.
Dutch Blitz is especially popular, the description of it from their site says:
It’s kind of like solitaire. But with multiple players. And a lot more speed. And color. And fun. Dutch Blitz demands players to think fast and act fast. It also demands that they keep an eye on their competition. That’s why we think Dutch Blitz is most perfect party card game ever invented. We’re pretty sure some of our fans would agree.
You can order Dutch Blitz from Amazon using our affiliate link.
❓ FAQ Amish Board Games
You generally will not find an Amish person playing a card game where money is involved. It's seen as a sin, a vice, and a frivolous use of money by most Amish (there will be exceptions to everything I say on this site). In fact, many Amish eschew insurance simply because they view it as a form of "gambling".
Ah, the age old trivia game that depends on people having a bunch of generally useless knowledge in their heads. Trivial Pursuit probably isn't that popular among the Amish simply because their intelligence isn't often on the trivial. Most Amish don't know who was Dwight Eisenhower's vice-president (it was Richard Nixon), but that doesn't mean they aren't smart, they can tell you how to milk a cow, which wood makes the best cabinets,and how to make an herbal salve. Those aren't often covered in Trivial Pursuit!
Scrabble is a low-key, low-tech game that simply relies on spelling, so Scrabble is a popular game in Amish homes!
Pam
My husband and I were introduced to Dutch Blitz last year when in Berlin, OH. If the Amish play it anything like we and our friends do, they would definitely not fit the "serious, somber side" some people might expect. We love the game and have lots of fun with it!