Dingbats
Encyclopedia
Dingbats is the name of a board game
that was devised by Paul Sellers and is currently manufactured by Ravensburger
. The game, for two or more people, involves solving rebus
es (puzzles in which a common word or saying is hidden in a cryptic or otherwise unique arrangement of symbols). In this it is very similar to the UK/US game show
Catch Phrase
, although Dingbats's puzzles are generally considerably tougher, and rely far less on non-text graphics.
There is a time limit to solve each puzzle, and success means you can move further along the board. The winner is the person to reach the end square first. The name Dingbats is a registered trademark.
The name may relate to the style in which the rebuses were printed, involving prolific use of dingbat
s.
Board game
A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...
that was devised by Paul Sellers and is currently manufactured by Ravensburger
Ravensburger
Ravensburger Spieleverlag GmbH is a German game company. It is a leader in the European puzzle market.-History:The company was founded by Otto Robert Maier with seat in Ravensburg, a town in Upper Swabia in southern Germany. He began publishing in 1883 with his first author contract...
. The game, for two or more people, involves solving rebus
Rebus
A rebus is an allusional device that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. It was a favourite form of heraldic expression used in the Middle Ages to denote surnames, for example in its basic form 3 salmon fish to denote the name "Salmon"...
es (puzzles in which a common word or saying is hidden in a cryptic or otherwise unique arrangement of symbols). In this it is very similar to the UK/US game show
Game show
A game show is a type of radio or television program in which members of the public, television personalities or celebrities, sometimes as part of a team, play a game which involves answering questions or solving puzzles usually for money and/or prizes...
Catch Phrase
Catchphrase (game show)
Catchphrase is a British game show based on a short-lived US game show of the same name. It ran on ITV in the United Kingdom between 12 January 1986 and 19 December 2002, originally hosted by Northern Irish comedian Roy Walker....
, although Dingbats's puzzles are generally considerably tougher, and rely far less on non-text graphics.
There is a time limit to solve each puzzle, and success means you can move further along the board. The winner is the person to reach the end square first. The name Dingbats is a registered trademark.
The name may relate to the style in which the rebuses were printed, involving prolific use of dingbat
Dingbat
A dingbat is an ornament, character or spacer used in typesetting, sometimes more formally known as a "printer's ornament" or "printer's character"....
s.
External links
- www.dingbats.net online version of the game [requires Macromedia ShockwaveMacromedia ShockwaveAdobe Shockwave is a multimedia platform used to add animation and interactivity to web pages. It allows Adobe Director applications to be published on the Internet and viewed in a web browser on any computer which has the Shockwave plug-in installed...
plugin]