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If you have arachnophobia you might not like the 1887 Mcloughlin Bros. card game of Spider and the Fly. Many of the cards feature very creepy and real looking spiders. Others display a fly or two for which they prey on. However, like any other Mcloughlin Bros. game of its time, it offers a colorful look into the fun games of the time.
There are 5 different styles of cards and instructions for play within the small game box.
A lone web, one spider on a web, two spiders with a flower, one fly, or two flies. To play, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them all out all to players, one at a time, face down.
While at the start of the directions it says ‘for two or more persons’, there is not a specific limit for a number of players suggested. The directions merely state,
“This is one of the simplest games for children that can be found, and has the advantage of being a very nice game for a number of persons.”
After the cards are dealt, the dealer turns over the top first card of his pile. The players to his right follow, taking turns.
The object is to form tricks.
The order the cards are turned up are important to taking the tricks and scoring points.
A trick consists of 3 cards: A Spider, Web, and Fly- where the Spider and Web are turned next to each other. For instance, if the cards are turned up in order as a Spider, Fly, and last the Web, it is not a trick. The Spider and Web are separated. So to form a trick, the Spider and Web must be turned as the first or last two in a row.
The player who turns over the Spider takes the trick. He only takes those cards forming the trick from turned up cards. All other cards are placed face down in the center.
If a player runs out of cards, he picks off the central made deck as if his own hand.
The game ends when all cards have been made into tricks.
The player with the most points wins the game. Points are tallied as follows:
1 point: Trick consisting of Single Spider, Single Fly
2 points: Trick consisting of Single Spider, Double Fly
1 point: Trick consisting of Double Spider, Single Fly
3 points: Trick consisting of Double Spider, Double Fly
While a simple game, and a bit creepy if you don’t like spiders, it is a fascinating game to add to a Mcloughlin Bros. Collection of games!
Play a game, any game, today!
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