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During the 1960s and into the early 1970, the 3M company (better known today as the makers of "Post-it" notes) produced a series of games aimed at an adult audience. These games were in general very well done with fairly simple rules but complex gameplay and depth and with uniformly high quality components. The games covered a variety of topics, from business and sports simulations to word and abstract strategy games.
Perhaps the best known of the 3M Games was a series known as the "bookshelf" line. These games got their name from their packaging. All of the games were of a uniform size and the box containing the game components was placed inside a slipcase. The slipcases were designed to be stored and displayed on a bookshelf.
A smaller line of mostly card games was known as the "gamette" line. Gamettes were smaller (about 5 x 7 inches) than the bookshelf titles. The boxes were hinged on one side and opened up like a book and the games were intended to be stored on a bookshelf. Several games from the bookshelf line also had gamette versions published.
The 3M sports game line was also unique in many ways. The packaging consisted of a vinyl playing board which wrapped around the box holding the game components. (Because of this design they are often known as "flatbox" games.)
3M also produced a series of "paper" games. These were simple pencil and paper games that consisted of a pad of pre-printed pages.
For all of the 3M games, the components were of generally high quality and the games are still as interesting today as they were 30 years ago. The 3M games are still considered one of the best game lines ever produced. Select any of the titles below to find out more about these fascinating games.
Bookshelf Games
- Acquire - High Adventure in High Finance
- Backgammon - The Game of Kings
- Bazaar - The Trading Game
- Breakthru - Strategic Game of Evasion or Capture
- Challenge Bridge - A New Dimension in Duplicate Bridge
- Challenge Football - Football
- Challenge Golf at Pebble Beach - Par 72, 6815 Yards
- Chess - The Classic Game
- Contigo - Strategic Game of Programmed Moves
- Events - The Game of Historic Happenings
- Executive Decision - The Business Management Game
- Facts in Five - The Game of Knowledge
- Feudal - The Game of Siege and Conquest
- Foil - Challenging Game of Words and Wits
- Go - The Legendary Oriental Game of Skill
- High Bid - Exciting New Auction Game
- Image - The Game of Personality Profiles
- Jati - The Strategic Game of Alignment
- Jumpin - The Absorbing Game of Pawns
- Mr. President - Political Campaign and Election Game
- Oh-Wah-Ree - The World's Newest Oldest Game
- Phlounder - Fun and Action Word Game
- Ploy - Strategic Game of Maneuver and Capture
- Point of Law - An Exciting Involvement Game
- Quinto - Fascinating Game of Fives
- Stocks and Bonds - The Game of Investments
- Twixt - Strategy Game of Barriers
Gamettes
- Evade - Objective: Outwit and Outmaneuver Opponent
- Foil - Stimulating Game of Words 'n Wits for All Ages
- High Bid - Objective: Outbid or Outbluff Your Opponent
- Monad - Strategic Action Game of Buying and Trading
- Octrix - Absorbing and Unusual Game of Eights
- Sleuth - Solve the Mystery of the Missing Gems
- Sum Up - Challenging Game of Creative Equations
- Tryce - An Intriguing Game of Words & Runs & Groups
- Venture - Fascinating Game of Finance and Big Business
Sports Games
- Big League Baseball - Baseball
- Blue Line Hockey - Hockey
- Regatta - Yacht Racing
- Speed Circuit - Auto Racing
- Thinking Man's Football - Football
- Thinking Man's Golf - Golf
- Win, Place and Show - Horse Racing
Paper Games
- 3D Tic-Tac-Toe
- Hedron - A Geometric Capture Game
- Hex
- Nab - A Calculating Pyramid Game
- Naval Battle - A Tactical Game of Survival
- Plasm - A Spreading, Surrounding, Swallowing Game
- Snare - A Game of Lines and Loops
- Thorns - The Prickly Path Game
28 comments on 3M Games:
I've collected several of these bookshelf games,I love playing them,my oldered sons and grandaughter also play.would like find more games.[armandoag05@msn.com]
Tell me where I can buy Facts in Five. Thank You.
Check the FAQs and Links links in the left sidebar for a list of places where you can find older games on-line.
The Monad link gives this error message:
Unknown column 'item_headline_image_align' in 'field list'
Thanks, it looks like I broke something with my last update. It should be fixed now.
hey i am doing a assignment at school and i was wondering if you knew of a site that had made some board games but they didnt sell enough to make it major production lines..... if you do have any sites can you email me andi will be sure to even pay you thru a cheque or visa... my email is ronnie-sharpe@hotmail.com.... thanks and have a great day...
Sincerely Ron Sharpe.
Manager And Co- Founder Of Sharpe's Auto Race Team
i am sorry that it does that race team thing all over your site also i am also a race team so my cpu does that automattically
Sincerely Ron Sharpe
Manager And Co- Founder Of Sharpe\'s Auto Race Team
Anyone looking to find some of these titles, I was given a collection of them that were my parents. All are in near mint to mint quality with full pieces etc. Just don't have room and, though some of them I fondly remember playing, we never use/play them. If interested email me at hz14000@aol.com.
I managed to find a copy of Sum Up. If you'd like, I can do a write-up for your site.
I have invented a 4 player chess game that is different and much, much better than all the others out there. I have played it with several chess lovers and they all though it was awesome. I'm looking for a publisher. Please contact me at 716-570-1435 or codonnell@probeservices.com if your interested or want more information on the game.
-Thanks
I have the bookshelf games "Feudal", "Twixt", and "Stocks and Bonds", but simply don't have room for them anymore. If anyone is interested in buying them, shoot me an email with an offer. Thanks! (sheena.sorensen@yahoo.com)
As a longtime collector of the 3M Games, collecting them makes me feel confident. I was into them since the late '60's. Now I have all the U.S. 3M Bookshelf Games (except Jati), all the 3M Gamettes, all the 3M Sports Games, and two rare "Butterdish" games--Tryce and Venture. I have a website saluting these games: www.geocities.com/brian_skafica. I also run a 3M Games Yahoo! Group: http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/3M_games. I hope you'll like them.
i have quinto - how can I find out the correct number of each tile that should be present?
I have 2 3m bookshelf games that i am looking to sell, how do i find out worth, and go about selling them? they are events and oh-wah-ree. boblino664@yahoo.com
Thanks for doing this website; it has been a great value to my family and me. I especially like the format of your reviews where at the end of each you offer up an objective opinion of each game.
I have really enjoyed collecting them over the years and espectially enjoy the box art. I would love to see you post a commentary from an artist to give an opinion of the art styles of some of the box covers, I find many of them very interesting sort of a sign of the times...possibly inspired by the culture the "space age" that was so prevalent in the 60?s
what year and with what game did 3M start shrink wrapping?
Many of the 3M games can be found on Amazon.com or Ebay.com
They will price from a few dollars each to as much as $85 depending on which game and comdition. S&H would probably cost an additional $10-20 depending on how many games are wanted.
Discovering "Stocks and Bonds" after my family moved is what got me into the stock market long ago when I was 16. :)
To Managing director.
Dear Mr.Mrs. I am Alexander Shinderman, inventor of the new board game for children and adults. The game?s name is European football game, which is covered by the U.S. Patent and Israel patent. The game includes game board, on which is recognized a football field, playing pieces-figures of football players, ball player piece and 2 original dice for moving the player pieces and the ball player piece across the game board. The aim of the game is to score a goal. Recommended age group-children from 8 and adults.
The method of playing the game is characterized by the following: the 2 players in turn are rolling the dice and moving their player pieces and the ball player piece across the game board until the moment when the ball player piece crosses the goal line. The winner is the player, which scored more goals during the game. The game is different from other games. The first, it imitates the real football game because the ball is moving by means of player piece. The second, the conception of chess is realized in the game-the board game is divided into squares, the players are rolling the dice in turn and during one move are moving only one player piece, the direction of the movement the players choose themselves, the said movement is alike to the movement of queen in the chess game .The third, the using of dice, which determine the movement of player pieces across the game board, is making the game reckless, the game of chance such as casino.
The game is very interesting. I checked it when my son and me were played with many children and adults, who have all loved it. The game has very simple rules, which are easy to learn. At the same time it is a very sophisticated game.
The game has a great popularity potential because the soccer is the most popular game in the world. The game is simple to manufacture. For marketing experience I produced the limited quantity of the game and have a good experience of selling tens pieces of it in Israel. I would like to collaborate with you on the basis of royalties. I can send by e-mail the rules and the game- by mail.
I am waiting for your answer.
Best regards Alexander Shinderman
Adress: POB 1981 Ramat-Gan 52118 Israel Email: alexida@netvision.net.il
Tel: 972-3-5784346( home) Mobile: 011-972-505948244
I am looking for the 3M company brand game called BID AND BLUFF. My brother has the game and I would like to purchase one. fdrprice@verizon.net
I have many of these games in great condition.
Please e-mail me if you are interested in any of them.
gregpfl@hotmail.com
I'AM LOOKING FOR THE BAZAAR GAME AT A REASONABLE PRICE AS A GIFT FOR MY HONEY CAN YOU PLEASE HELP WILL CHECK IN SOON THANK YOU
Thank you for this web site. You have done a wonderful job.
I am looking for the directions for Sum Up. I am a sixth grade teacher, and I just discovered this game among some old and forgotten math stuff. I am sure the set is incomplete, but if we (my students and I) had the instructions, I'm sure we could improvise. Or, if someone knows where I can get a complete set with instructions at a reasonable price, let me know.
I FOUND ALL 9 GAMETTES IN MY CLOSET THEY ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION ...MONAD IS STILL IN PLASTIC...ANYONE WANT TO MAKE A OFFER? IFITZ0309@GMAIL.COM
To Mary with the Gamettes, I'm interested and have emailed twice. Please check your junk folder or email me at gdsov@hotmail.com. Thanks!
I have copies of several bookshelf games for sale. A few games are missing pieces, but not in a way that affects game play. Depending on requests, I'd be willing to break them up and sell misc. game pieces, too. gdsov@hotmail.com
I have 3, 3M bookshelf games for sale.
1.Challenge Golf at Pebble Beach.
2. Facts in Five.
3. Oh-Wah-Ree.
All in excellent condition.
If interested my email is:
fran.ken.henry@gmail.com

