Announcer> Support for "Reconnecting Roots" is provided by the following.

Muletown Coffee Roasters is all about slowing things down, digging into community, and encouraging good for goodness sake.

Taylor Stitch is responsibly built for the long haul and is proud to partner with brands that inspire hope for a more sustainable future.

♪ Lems Shoes, everything we do is done with intention and we will never stop our endless exploration to keep your feet happy and healthy every step of the way.

Discover more with less.

The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

Through the generosity of our members and donors, the ETV Endowment has made it possible for programs like "Reconnecting Roots" to be shared around our state and the nation for more than 45 years.

♪ Sharing a common passion for music and community in beautiful Paradise Valley, Music Ranch Montana's mission to support musicians and provide a place to enjoy it together is reflected in "Reconnecting Roots."

Announcer> Can you believe there's an exciting new "Reconnecting Roots" episode about games?

Dad Gabe> Nah uh!

Tell me more!

♪ At "Reconnecting Roots" we love our games ♪ ♪ Reconnecting our roots ♪ >> Yes!

♪ From marble eating hippos to guessing names ♪ ♪ Reconnecting our roots ♪ ♪ From Solitaire to Cards Against Humanity ♪ ♪ Scrabble and Twister ♪ ♪ This is insanity♪ Announcer> It's "Reconnecting Roots," the board game episode in which we explore the ways we come together to play our favorite games!

Guaranteed fun.

Player #1> I win!

Dad Gabe> I...lose.

♪ Reconnecting our roots♪ Announcer> All accessories, toys, and board games featured in this ad not included.

♪ Gabe> I'm Gabe McCauley.

Join me as we explore the greatness of America.

♪ Beautiful for spacious skies, amber waves of grain ♪ ♪ Purple mountain majesties on the fruited plains ♪ ♪ We're home ♪ ♪ There's no place like home ♪ ♪ Home ♪ ♪ Home ♪ Gabe> Tracing the roots of progress from then to now and how.

This is "Reconnecting Roots."

New York City, 1934.

The newly elected mayor is determined to clean up the Big Apple by taking a stand against organized crime and gambling.

Reporter> In New York City the "Little Flower" was on an anti-gambling rampage.

Gotham's colorful mayor La Guardia led police in smashing and jettisoning 1,200 slot machines.

Gabe> But these machines weren't the only game in town.

And in 1941 he scored another huge win by issuing a statewide ban on pinball.

According to La Guardia and others, pinball wasn't a game of skill, but of luck, placing it fervently in the gambling category.

He led raids that resulted in thousands of destroyed pinball machines.

It wasn't until 1976 that a champion emerged to fight for pinball's honor.

Roger Sharpe, then considered the greatest pinball player in the world, stepped up to the game and with the fate of pinball resting in his flippers, he schooled the powers that be and proved that pinball was in fact, a game of skill.

The city council overturned the ban almost immediately.

(game dings and chimes) And that's why I'm able to play pinball for everyone on this Twitch stream without getting arrested.

Hey, so big shout out to Roger Sharpe.

I love you, brother.

Oh, hey!

Looks like we got a question.

Why does everyone love games so much?

Wow!

You're right, we clearly love them.

In America, more than 215 million people of all ages play video games regularly.

I mean, you need something to do while you're in the bathroom, am I right?

(game dings and chimes) Even the board game industry is booming.

Making almost 18 billion dollars a year.

So I mean, yeah, why is everyone practically playing games in America?

Is it because we worked so hard we wanna play harder?

Or maybe we've progressed as a country to the point where our free time is our abundant reward.

Games in America are an integral part of our culture and our way of life.

Game on.

(game dings and chimes) Felicia> Hey everybody, Felicia Day here and I'm so excited to go on TV and figure out my roots.

I am convinced I'm part Viking because, I don't know, I have a Nordic spirit about me.

Don't I?

Gabe> Hey, Felicia.

Felicia> Oh, hi.

Gabe> Ready for our interview?

Felicia> I'm sorry, who are you?

Gabe> Gabe McCauley from "Reconnecting Roots."

We're supposed to interview you today.

Felicia> Oh, it's a different "Roots" show I was thinking.

I'm sorry, oh, okay.

Okay.

Gabe> We get that a lot.

I'm not actually a genealogist, so.

Felicia>I mean, you don't look like that guy.

Ha, ha!

Gabe> No, I don't.

Felicia> But... you could role play.

You can be anything you want when you role play, huh?

Gabe> Good point.

Felicia> Huh?

>> Hey everybody, Gabe McCauley here for "Reconnecting Roots."

I'm so excited about our interview today.

Felicia> No, no.

no, no.

I'm so sorry.

Gabe> To find out about- Felicia> No, eh.

That's stealing.

That's not role playing.

That's just stealing my bit.

That's my bit.

That's my phone, too.

♪ Gabe> She is not a stranger to gamers of all stripes.

The multi-talented Felicia Day, actress, author, and creator of the early web series, "The Guild" and the gaming channel Geek and Sundry.

In between playing roles, she's into role playing games.

And dice rolling games.

Like the one she's teaching me today, Sagrada.

Felicia> We have our tools here and then our open goals here.

And we both have a secret goal.

Gabe> Mm-hm.

Felicia> Okay, got it.

Gabe> All right.

And I'm going to make a stained glass window.

So what about games?

Why do you love them?

Felicia> Clearly, I love connecting with people.

Gabe> Okay.

Felicia> It really passes time in a way.

I like, I have an active brain and I really want to be able to have my hands on things and be able to just solve a problem with a friend.

I guess that's basically it.

Gabe> Why do you think it's so popular?

Felicia> I think it's a really healthy social thing to have.

Gabe> Yeah.

Felicia> You know, when I'm texting or on my phone, I'm not with you.

Right?

And if you have something to demand people's attention and put your phone down, you're together.

You're almost forced to be with other people.

And maybe we need that?

I think it's sort of a societal backlash against being lonely and connected versus unconnected and together with people.

Gabe> I think that's absolutely the case.

We're all longing to just do something real again, right?

I can touch this.

You know, there's this limbic resonance that's going on here between you and I. Felicia> Yeah, mm-hm.

Why did you leave me all this yellow?

Gabe> Um, so that you would have a hard time playing something.

Felicia> Well, I don't.

Because I have a five right here and I can do that.

Mm-hm, mm-hm, mm-hm.

Gabe> There we go, round two.

Felicia> There we go, round two!

(claps) Gabe> Do you think we're in a board game renaissance?

Felicia> It's amazing the diversity of games.

If you pick a background, you could probably find a game on it.

Like a city: Barcelona, Dublin, there's a game based on that one.

If you like cooking.

If you like raising pets, there's gonna be one for you now.

It's really cool to see the renaissance that has happened.

Because people's creativity is just pouring into this space in an amazing way.

Gabe> So you've hosted some of these like worldwide gaming conferences, conventions.

Is America influencing the games that people are playing?

Felicia> Well, you know, I mean I think a lot of people know Milton Bradley and Hasbro.

There was a big revolution when German and European games sort of took the forefront and pushed, I think it was Settlers of Catan.

Gabe> Yeah.

>> Which is an amazing game.

I play it a lot on my phone at airports.

Gabe> We played it on the iPad on the way here.

Felicia> And again, you have simple mechanics but they're innovative and they require a little bit more strategy than more casual games.

That opened the door to a whole slew of big box games that had more strategy, worker replacements and resource management.

Gabe> What is it about games that differentiate themselves from other forms of entertainment?

Felicia> I mean, sports is just a kind of game, right?

We're all playing games.

It's just more with your body.

I like sitting.

Gabe> Me too!

Felicia> For me, I would rather play a game than watch a television show.

I love TV, film.

I'm obviously an actor.

When you invite somebody over for a movie are you really interacting?

Are you taking anything away from each other?

Gabe> In fact, if they do interact while we're trying to watch a movie together, I'm like done, nope.

Felicia> Yeah, get out.

Gabe> Not watching a movie with you.

Felicia> Whether you're fighting each other, trying to win or you're doing a co-op game, which are always my favorite.

It's a wonderful experience to be able to have that activity to do together, you know?

Gabe> Yeah.

Felicia> I mean, I just sat down and I don't know if I liked you when we sat down.

And now I like you more because we've played the game together.

See?

Gabe> See how this works!

Felicia> That's the beauty of gaming.

Gabe> Not bad, I've seen better.

Felicia> Mm-hm.

Oh, okay.

Wow!

You've played literally one round and now you're an expert?

Gabe> I mean.

Felicia> This is amazing.

♪ Gabe> Early settlers in America played ancient classics from the old world like chess and checkers.

But...card games were a favorite.

Especially if it involved a little gambling.

Games like Whist, Piquet, and Cribbage became popular.

Along with regional variations like Pedro in southern Louisiana and Clabber in Indiana.

Cards weren't only used in gambling.

Since they're easy to travel with, it's no wonder they were a favorite during, let's say a months long road trip from east to west.

Whoa!

Whoa!

(Wilhelm scream) (cart splashing) Gabe> The earliest commercially available board games in America often revolved around teaching the players moral values.

Like the game with the catchy title, The Game of Pope and Pagan or the Siege of the Stronghold of Satan by the Christian Army.

Or the deceptively pleasant sounding, Mansion of Happiness.

Where players tried to reach said mansion without landing on squares such as robber or drunkard.

Which get you sent straight to the whipping post.

Although these early games were popular, the American board game industry didn't grow until later.

Milton Bradley started off as a lithographer who sold pictures of Presidential candidate Lincoln before shifting his attention to board games.

His first game, the Checkered Game of Life, was a huge hit.

And his innovations like the 18 by 18 game board made games shelf-sized for a generation.

George Parker and his friends loved playing games, but got board of the moralizing and lack of strategy in them.

So, by the age of 16, Parker created the card game Banking.

It's gameplay focused on entertainment and shrewdness instead of good virtues.

George's brothers joined him, and the Parker Brothers Company was formed.

By the mid 20th century, they, along with Milton Bradley and Selchow and Righter were making popular games like Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, and Candy Land.

And rightfully became household names for family entertainment.

(eerie music) (words slam on screen) ♪ Gabe as Dungeon Master> Your journey... Nay, your entire lives have led to this one single moment.

Everyone's fate now rests in your hands.

(rattling dice) You successfully buy Pennsylvania Avenue.

Matt> Nice!

DM Gabe> You all are just one property away from having a complete monopoly and defeating The Great Depression.

Jessica> Wait, the final blow isn't from my great ax, or Chris' chromatic orb, but from getting a monopoly?

DM Gabe> The Great Depression is not to be fought, but to be survived.

Without games you'll go mad from loneliness and boredom.

And besides, you have enough gold pieces for more expensive forms of entertainment.

Chris> All right, I roll to... See how much I roll in the game.

♪ Chris> 16!

DM Gabe> Which means... You rolled an eight and got the last property.

Gamers> Yeah!

Sweet!

Huzzah!

DM Gabe> No!

Argh!

♪ In the monster's place is a portal.

What do you do?

Matt> We run into it.

♪ DM Gabe> You see a blur of colors as you go through a mind-bending journey of time and space.

Suddenly, you're back.

You open your eyes and realize... (oven dinging) It's snack time.

Chris> Oh, come on!

Matt> Man!

DM Gabe> I made pizza rolls.

Chris> All right!

Gamers> Oh yeah.

(record reversing) ♪ (Pac-Man game electronic beeping) ♪ I've got a pocket full of quarters ♪ ♪ And I'm headed to the arcade ♪ ♪ ♪ I don't have a lot of money ♪ ♪ But I'm bringing everything I made ♪ ♪ ♪ I got a callous on my finger ♪ ♪ And my shoulder's hurtin' too ♪ ♪ ♪ I'm gonna eat 'em all up ♪ ♪ Just as soon as they turn blue ♪ ♪ ♪ 'Cause I got Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ It's driving me crazy ♪ ♪ Driving me crazy ♪ ♪ I got Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ I'm going outta my mind ♪ ♪ Going out of my mind ♪ ♪ I got Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ I'm going outta my mind ♪ ♪ Going outta my mind ♪ (Pac-Man game noises) ♪ I've got all the patterns down ♪ ♪ Up until the 9th key ♪ ♪ ♪ I got Speedy on my tail ♪ ♪ And I know it's either him or me ♪ ♪ ♪ So I'm heading out the back door ♪ ♪ And in the other side ♪ ♪ ♪ Gonna eat the cherries up ♪ ♪ And take 'em all for a ride ♪ ♪ ♪ I got Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ It's driving me crazy ♪ ♪ Driving me crazy ♪ ♪ I got Pac-Man fever ♪ ♪ Pac-Man fever ♪ (chime) Gabe> In 1960, Milton Bradley changed the industry once again by including three dimensional plastic pieces such as houses, bridges, and plastic spinners in their games.

(buzzing) Ow.

Other games followed the plastic trend.

Eventually spawning board games that were more like toys and relied on speed.

Gah!

(buzzing) A shocking amount of dexterity, such as Hungry Hungry Hippos and Operation.

Another reason these types of interactive games were made was to compete with the buzzing new industry vying for the attention of gamers.

(buzzing) Charley horse.

Steve Russell created one of the first video games as a college student at MIT.

The game was a sensation across college campuses, where it inspired the creation of computer space.

The first commercially sold video arcade game.

The game didn't catch on, but the creators released Pong the following year under the company name, Atari.

It's success was so big other companies rushed to make their own games.

The golden age for video game arcades had arrived with mega hits like Space Invaders, Asteroids, and pop culture phenomenon, Pac-Man.

By the early '80s arcades were raking in billions of dollars a year and seemed as unstoppable as Donkey Kong.

But why go to the arcade when you can play the same games at home?

The Atari 2600 made this digital dream come true and started a new gold rush of video games flooding living rooms everywhere.

♪ DM Gabe> You step out of the portal and look around.

It's 1983, standing in the living room is a walking, talking Atari 2600 console.

♪ Jessica> Salutations.

We're here to- Atari> They're coming for me!

Chris> Who, exactly?

DM Gabe> Suddenly, the doors blow open and the windows explode as dozens of knockoff systems with terrible games flood the house.

They get a surprise attack round and... all of them hit the Atari with spells powered by their ability to bore and frustrate players.

Chris> I'll try my ray of frost cantrip.

DM Gabe> Fails.

The Atari is bleeding money.

Jessica> I'll use my great ax against them.

DM Gabe> You swing and miss.

A personal computer runs in and starts taking some of the money out of the Atari.

Thanks to the fact that it plays games, and does a bunch of other tasks too.

Matt> Oh, since I'm an artificer, maybe I can build something.

Are there any parts from these consoles lying around from the battle?

DM Gabe> Tons!

These consoles are not only hurting Atari, they're hurting themselves and cause the industry to crash and lose 97% of its value in just two years.

Matt> I'll use their parts to make something new that will save us.

DM Gabe> Roll for sleight of hand.

(dramatic music) ♪ Gamers> Yes!

DM Gabe> You start building and use a spark of magic to create a completely new console.

The Nintendo Entertainment System.

The quality of the system and its games single-handedly revive the industry in America.

Gamers> Yes!

Ha, ha!

DM Gabe> After full night's sleep, you wake up refreshed and in a completely new location.

(DM Gabe cackling) (dramatic music) Felicia> Do you consider yourself a strategic person?

(Gabe chuckling) Gabe> I don't like the way that was phrased.

(Felicia laughing) Gabe> I can be... Felicia> I wasn't casting shade on your gaming ability.

You're fine.

What was the first game that you ever played?

Gabe> The earliest games I remember us playing more consistently, and I would have been a little bit older, would have been Rook.

Felicia> Yeah, I played Hearts with my family.

And it's so funny, because I have the same experience.

I would play like, you know, my grandpa taught me to play Chess, or I played Checkers at my grandma's house.

It's so funny, because it's a generational thing.

We were playing and spending time with our family.

It's very formative.

I would play with my brother and we would get so angry, but at the same time I'm like, oh, yeah, that competitive spirit.

I feel like there's a lot more co-op games nowadays.

Gabe> When you say co-op game, that's your favorite, what do you mean by that?

Felicia> That's a cooperative game.

So, Castle Panic is a really good example of that one, where you're all kind of working together.

You're playing against the game.

It's nice not to have to worry about like, "Oh, I'm gonna crush this person's feelings," because they are terrible at this game.

Ha, ha, ha!

Gabe> We got to go to Gen Con and I experienced a couple of things there.

One being the number of women.

Felicia> That's the wonderful thing!

When I used to do gaming conventions, it would be like 80% men.

Now it's like 50/50, and it's so wonderful to see.

Especially young girls, they feel like they can be included.

Gabe> What can we learn besides just having fun?

Felicia> I think games teach us our temperament.

They teach us...if we're good losers or sore losers.

We kind of need that in this modern world.

The training of sitting down, having a goal, and figuring out the path to get there is certainly part of the way my thought patterns work.

It's very much like serving yourself, figuring out where you wanna be and where you wanna go, and how to take the funniest path there.

I mean, really it's about rules.

What kind of rule set can you put up with in life?

Gabe> Sometimes I enjoy rules, until I don't.

Felicia> Oh, okay.

Gabe> What else do some of these games provide as far as skill building?

Even outside of just like human interaction?

Felicia> When I play with my six-year-old, I play pretty advanced games with her, but I sort of simplify the rules.

She has become a really strategic thinker in that she'll peer over at my cards and see what she needs to do to beat me.

And she'll be like, Momma, don't take that, you're gonna beat me with that.

This is planning ahead.

This is planning many steps ahead.

<Gabe> Yeah.

Felicia> You have to keep like, six or seven goals in mind.

Gabe> Right.

Felicia> And that is not simple thinking.

It's not thinking we use often.

The lack of strategy on my board is stunning.

Gabe> You have no one to blame but yourself.

Felicia> I feel like this is terrible.

You never used your markers.

Gabe> Haven't yet!

I got two more rounds.

(Felicia mimicking high-pitched voice) Felicia> Sorry.

(laughing) Gabe> You mentioned role playing games.

That's kind of like your two passions, playing games and acting, because you kind of get to do a little bit of both.

Felicia> It's true, yeah, yeah.

Gabe> So, what makes that such a fascinating type of game for you?

Felicia> Sometimes with a role playing game, it's just like, you have a person who's a storyteller and they're leading you through a story and you have an incredible freedom to be whoever you want and do whatever you want, and throw it at the DM and see how they react.

So it is, I think it's even a heightened version of that idea that you're bringing people together to make a world with them and interact with them in a different way.

Now, we're not gonna score this, right?

Gabe> Ohhhh!

Felicia> I literally can't put anything there.

Because you were distracting me and you made me put a four here.

Which... Gabe> I did make you do that.

Felicia> Normal Felicia would never have made such a rookie mistake here.

Gabe> "Normal Felicia."

Felicia> Not to mention how many fours I have on the board which is gonna count against me on all our bonus.

I'm supposed to be the expert here and... (Felicia exhales) ...the shame.

Gabe> This is gonna have to be...this.

Felicia> Just don't draw it out.

♪ Gabe> Okay.

♪ Felicia> I have a hole here.

Gabe> All right, well.

Uh... looks like I won.

Felicia> You won.

Gabe> I mean, did I?

Felicia> You know what.

Gabe> Let's say it's a tie.

Felicia> Let's say it's a tie, high five!

See, games bringing people together.

Yeah.

(tense music) DM Gabe> You wake up in your hometown Bar-cade called, "8-bits and Beers."

Game piece> Hi.

Jessica> Friendly faces, all is well.

DM Gabe> But something is amiss.

The regulars are here, but their camaraderie isn't.

Everyone sits alone, playing games on their phones.

Chris> They're under an addiction spell.

I roll to smash the cell phone closest to me.

♪ DM Gabe> It fails.

When you pick up the phone, its addictiveness overpowers you.

Now you're playing on it too.

Matt> Ah!

Oh, man.

Oo, I'll play one of the old arcade games to show how cool they are so people will get off their phones.

♪ Nah!

DM Gabe> Your playing is so bad someone shoves a phone in your hand just to make it stop, and now you're addicted.

♪ Jessica> We might be doomed.

I'm just a fighter.

I don't have any magic to... Magic!

♪ I pull from my satchel...my deck of Magic the Gathering cards, and lay them on the table.

DM Gabe> There is ancient power in this.

The first ever collectible card game.

Your companions are totally free of the spell.

Gamers> Yes!

All right!

Woo!

Matt> Oo, and then I pull out my Pokemon cards.

♪ Gabe> Pokemon's popularity draws even more people away from their phones.

Chris> I cast my popularity spell to raise both of these games to iconic status... throughout the realm.

♪ Gabe> Critical hit!

Both games reach their maximum popularity.

Everyone in the tavern is released from the spell.

Gamers> Yes!

Ha, ha, ha!

Matt> Woo!

Man, I love this game.

♪ Gabe> Dungeons and Dragons entered our realm in 1974 and was the first fantasy role playing game of its kind.

It not only inspired an entire sub-genre of role playing games, both table-top and online, but it's inspired people to role play their characters in real life.

It's called "LARPing," short for live-action role playing.

And today, D and D is stronger than ever, both in terms of its sales and active players.

But sometimes, you just want the classics, the ones you played with your parents during family game nights, maybe some that even your grandparents know.

♪ Whether you're collaborating together or in competition with one another, board games, video games, even an awkward round of Twister continue to be an American way of connecting and spending quality time together.

Family Member> Hey Gabe, it's your turn.

Gabe> Gotta roll.

(light music) ♪ ♪ ♪ Playmate ♪ ♪ Come out and play with me ♪ ♪ Come spend the day with me ♪ ♪ Come run away with me ♪ ♪ Let's chase the sunrise ♪ ♪ A love that never ends ♪ ♪ I know we'll always be ♪ ♪ We'll always be the best of friends ♪ ♪ ♪ Said she couldn't come out and play ♪ ♪ Blamed it on a rainy day ♪ ♪ Saw there was a tear in her eye ♪ ♪ She cried ♪ ♪ When she heard me say ♪ ♪ Playmate ♪ ♪ Come out and play with me ♪ ♪ Come spend the day with me ♪ ♪ Come run away with me ♪ ♪ Let's chase the sunrise ♪ ♪ A love that never ends ♪ ♪ I know we'll always be ♪ ♪ We'll always be the best of friends ♪ ♪ ♪ I know we'll always be ♪ ♪ We'll always be the best of friends ♪ (song ends) (light music) ♪ Gabe> Connect with me, Gabe McCauley, and "Reconnecting Roots" by visiting ReconnectingRoots.com, where you'll find music, blogs, behind the scenes, and more.

Join our email list to stay reconnected.

♪ Announcer> Support for "Reconnecting Roots" is provided by the following.

Muletown Coffee Roasters is all about slowing things down, digging into community, and encouraging good for goodness sake.

Taylor Stitch is responsibly built for the long haul and is proud to partner with brands that inspire hope for a more sustainable future.

Lems Shoes, everything we do is done with intention and we will never stop our endless exploration to keep your feet happy and healthy every step of the way.

Discover more with less.

The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.

Through the generosity of our members and donors, the ETV Endowment has made it possible for programs like "Reconnecting Roots" to be shared around our state and the nation for more than 45 years.

♪ Sharing a common passion for music and community in beautiful Paradise Valley Music Ranch Montana's mission to support musicians and provide a place to enjoy it together is reflected in "Reconnecting Roots."

(bright piano music) (APT chime)