List of games in Star Trek
Encyclopedia
The fictional Star Trek
universe is memorable for various elements of imagined future culture, including a variety of sports, games and other pastimes. Some of these fictional recreational activities are closely associated with one race, although they may have gained adherents from other backgrounds. Others thrive on the interaction of different species.
Some of the games below were central to the plot of a single episode. Others were recurring plot elements, spanning multiple television series of the Star Trek franchise.
is a facility that simulates reality; it can replicate a wide variety of environments. It is found on starships and starbases in all the series that are set in the 24th century, i.e. Star Trek: The Next Generation
, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
and Star Trek: Voyager
. The holodeck is sometimes used for research or training, but is frequently shown in use for various forms of entertainment.
Some programs depicted in the various Star Trek shows include a Klingon
calisthenics program, used heavily by Lieutenant Commander Worf
; a park-like setting where Riker first encounters Data in "Encounter at Farpoint"; various 'social' programs, such as a mud-bath and a pool hall; and Jean-Luc Picard
's Dixon Hill holonovels.
Other settings have sometimes been shown, such as the Jupiter Station Diagnostic Program which was used to maintain the Emergency Medical Hologram on various Starfleet
vessels, the Utopia Planitia
Shipyards, several Sherlock Holmes
programs created by Data
for his exploration of humanity, and various Shakespeare programs enjoyed by Jean-Luc Picard
.
In Voyager, an entire holographic village and its population were created. The "Fair Haven" program was originally designed for occasional enjoyment by the crew of Voyager, but the characters become sentient by the time of the follow-up episode "Spirit Folk", and the captain orders that the holodecks be modified so that the program could remain running continuously.
Also in Voyager, Seven of Nine is continuously frustrated by Captain Janeway's superior skill at Velocity, a game played in a racquetball-type arena where opponents try to be the first to acquire the target of a flying discus and shoot it. The game is scored in points. Each time a player is unable to acquire the disc and is hit by it the other player scores a point. The game is played to ten points.
suffered from a decline in popularity that culminated in the final World Series
, which was played in 2042 before a crowd of 300 and won by legendary player Buck Bokai. By the 24th century, the now-obscure game was appreciated by a relatively small number of aficionados including Captain Sisko
, Jake Sisko
, Kassidy Yates and astrophysicist Dr. Paul Stubbs. The only organized baseball mentioned is a six-team league on the distant Cestus III. A Vulcan
Starfleet crew formed a team under the leadership of their captain and challenged a team led by Captain Sisko in 2375.
, mentioned in several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Voyager.
It is often implied that the game involves a high risk of serious personal injury; nevertheless, much to the concern of parents, the game was quite popular with teenagers during the 24th century. The game involves the use of a piece of equipment called an ion mallet and a ramp, and players often wear special padded uniforms.
While healing a deep cut on William Riker
's face, Dr. Beverly Crusher
lectured him "to stop playing Parrises Squares as if you're 21", further advising him that "one day, you'll break your neck, and I won't be able to heal that as easily."
When The Doctor
created a holographic family for himself in 2373, his 'daughter' Belle was on her school's Parrises Squares team. This worried her 'parents', because Parrises Squares can be a dangerous game for someone her age. It later turned out their worries were justified, as she later 'died
' of complications from a Parrises Squares injury.
While in Starfleet Academy, Harry Kim
played Parrises Squares, and was the Academy
champion three times.
Parrises Squares is mainly mentioned as a game played by humans
, but other species participate. M'Kota R'Cho was the first Klingon
to play the game, when he participated in the controversial Championship Finals of 2342.
is a game played inside a room where the players use racquets to hit a small ball. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
, Miles O'Brien
and Julian Bashir
enjoy the sport.
episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion", Captain Kirk
and some of his crew are forced to participate as gladiators in combat against other humanoids, for the entertainment of unseen masters who wager Quatloos among themselves on the outcome in the arena.
ese sport shown in Star Trek: The Next Generation
. In it, two armored opponents facing each other wear a solid visor, rendering them blind, and fight with a large staff. A proximity sensor is worn by each combatant, alerting them to their opponent's location with an audio signal. A protective cushion is worn on one arm and can be used to shield or deflect attacks. It is called "the ultimate evolution in the martial arts" in the context of the show.
William Riker
and his father settled a long-standing grudge with this game in the episode "The Icarus Factor".
and some Japanese sports. Each opponent wears a round device on both the front and back of their harness which sends the wearer a shock when it is touched by an opponent's counterpart, worn on the feet and hands. Each match is designated by a color code, red meaning to the death, blue meaning until one opponent is defeated.
The sport is practised by various species in the Delta Quadrant. In the Voyager episode
of the same name, Seven of Nine
was kidnapped and forced to compete in the sport.
matches on at least two occasions. First, in the episode "We'll Always Have Paris", Picard is in a match against an un-named crew member. Picard scores a point, and then the match is cut short because of a strange time loop (which serves as the plot for the main story). Second, he matches against Guinan in the episode "I, Borg". Guinan feigns injury and Picard lowers his guard to help, at which time she strikes for an easy point. She does this to warn Picard against feeling sorry for the injured Borg that the crew has saved (which serves as the plot for the main story).
Hikaru Sulu
in the original series is known to be a fencer, as demonstrated in the episode "The Naked Time". In the 2009 movie, Sulu mentions he has combat training, which he later tells Kirk is "Fencing." He carries an auto-foldout sword during the space jump to the mining probe over Vulcan.
game of skill and chance. The game relies on the spinning of a "dabo wheel" similar to a roulette
wheel. During various betting hands (similar to poker) each player either "buys" or "sells" or "converts" their gold-pressed latinum (money) in preparation for the next spin of the dabo wheel.
About ten players can sit around the dabo wheel. When something good happens, everyone around the table yells "Dabo!"
The game is most often seen played in Quark's bar on Deep Space Nine
.
bar, maintained that Dabo girls not only had to look appealing enough to lure customers to play, but also be able to quickly calculate odds and ensure a house victory in the long run, typically by enticing gamers to stay until they lose.
The character therefore turns around the stereotype of the "dumb blonde
" or "bimbo
"; while Dabo girls may be intentionally giving that impression to customers, they take advantage of those who view a Dabo girl as no more than that. One was quoted as saying "The first rule of Dabo is watch the wheel, not the girl"
The character Leeta, played by Chase Masterson
, made the role of Dabo girl significant in Star Trek fandom. Other Dabo girls who appeared or were referred to in multiple episodes include Jake Sisko
's date Mardah, played by Jill Sayre, and M'Pella, played by Cathy Debuono. Aluura, played by Symba Smith, had a central role in the episode "Profit and Lace".
In the non-canon
Star Trek novel series Mission Gamma, Treir, one of Quark
's dabo girls, hires Hetik, an Orion male, as the first ever dabo boy in the game's history. Quark is initially dubious about the introduction of a dabo boy, but Hetik soon becomes popular among female patrons.
played predominantly by the Ferengi
. The game centers around a roulette
-type wheel with an elevated pot in the middle. On each turn the wheel is spun, and the player has the choice to "evade", "confront", "acquire", or "retreat". Each choice has its purchase price, sell price, and its risk, all of which are interrelated.
A Global Tongo Championship is held each year on Ferenginar.
is a card game
played on many TNG episodes. The Enterprise's crew (NCC 1701-D) plays dealer's choice, usually five-card stud, which is one of the more rare variants of poker by 20th and 21st century standards. Draws have also been picked as well as an unknown variation on 5 card stud, as well as 7 card stud. Commander Riker is typically the better poker player.
in the Original Series
episode "A Piece of the Action". While being held hostage on Sigma Iota II with Spock
and McCoy
, he spontaneously invented a confusing card game to distract the henchmen guarding them.
The rules were intentionally very complex. Each player gets six cards, except for the player on the dealer's right, who gets seven. The second card is turned up, except on Tuesdays. Kirk dealt the henchman two jacks, which are a "half-fizzbin." When the henchman said he needs another jack, Kirk warned that a third jack is a "shralk" and is grounds for disqualification. With two jacks, one wants a king and a deuce, except at night, when one wants a queen and a four.
At this point, Kirk dealt a third jack, but to keep the ruse going, he ignored the disqualification rule he had just made up. He explained that, had a king been dealt instead of a jack, the player would get another card, except when it's dark, in which case he'd have to give it back. The top hand is a "royal fizzbin," but the odds of getting one are "astronomical": when Kirk asked Spock what the odds are, Spock truthfully replied that he had never computed them.
Kirk called the last card a "kronk" and then purposely dealt a card such that it fell on the floor. As the henchman being taught reached down, Spock nerve-pinched
him while Kirk and McCoy attacked the other guards, allowing the three to escape.
Once in Deep Space Nine, Quark
mentioned the game as a way for him and Odo to while away the time while traveling on a runabout; whether it had become a real game or if it had been a reference was never explained. Playable versions of the game have been invented, and it featured in the episode "Nantucket Sleighride" of the animated series Starcom.
In the iCarly
movie iParty with Victorious
, Sam Puckett threatens to give Carly's boyfriend a "royal fizzbin" (presumably something like a "Texas wedgie.")
See also: Mornington Crescent
. Jean-Luc Picard (as a Starfleet cadet) was stabbed in the heart by a Nausicaan after a fight that ensued because his friend rigged a Dom-jot table to thwart a cheating Nausicaan.
played on a six-sided board with three sets of coloured tiles: red, green, and orange. Visually, the game appears to be a variant of Reversi
or Othello
. It appears to be a game of logic and strategy for 2 players, but as many as 5 players have been shown playing together.
The characters of Naomi Wildman and Seven of Nine
played the game sometimes, after the events of the episode "Infinite Regress
".
game of logic. According to Tuvok
, "Kal-Toh is to chess
as chess is to Tic-Tac-Toe
". Its goal, according to him, "[i]s not about striving for balance [but] about finding the seeds of order even in the midst of profound chaos." It first appeared on Star Trek: Voyager, often played by Tuvok and a partner.
The game itself involves a large number of small gray holographic rods called t'an, generated from a platform below. They are arranged in a specific manner, which eventually produces an icosidodecahedron
. Kal-Toh can be played singly or against an opponent, each taking a turn to place a piece.
board game, seen played only once in the entire franchise, in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
episode "Empok Nor
".
.
Strategema is a strategy game
played on a holographic
board. The object of Strategema is to manipulate circular icons to gain control of your opponent's territory while defending your own.
Strategema is generally played on a specially-designed computer
. Both players sit at the computer-controlled Strategema table, facing each other, with the board continuously rotating in the middle. The game is controlled with metal thimble
s placed on the players' fingers. Electronics
in these thimbles then calculate the movement of the fingers and send the information to the computer.
The duration of a Strategema game depends on the competence of the players. Generally, games last only a hundred moves at most. However, experienced master players can achieve games of well over a thousand moves.
The longest game of Strategema on record was between Zakdorn master strategist Sirma Kolrami and Lieutenant Commander Data
, lasting over 30,000 moves. Kolrami, realizing that Data was playing to achieve a draw, eventually threw down his controls in disgust and resigned the game to the delight of the Enterprise-D crewmembers who were watching.
episode "The Game", an undesignated virtual reality
game was introduced to the crew of the Enterprise in which players wore an optical headset and used mental commands to manipulate holographic funnels to catch virtual disks.
The Game was eventually revealed to be deliberately addictive, stimulating the pleasure centers of the players' brains, and was designed by aliens called the Ktarians, as a stratagem to take control of the Enterprise.
against Kirk
or McCoy
in the original series
.
Rules for the game were never explained within the series; in fact, the boards are sometimes not even aligned consistently from one shot to the next within a single episode. The Tri-D chessboard set was made popular by its inclusion in the The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual
by Franz Joseph
, who invented starting positions for the playing pieces and short additional rules. With his approval, Andrew Bartmess first developed the Standard Rules in 1976.
, in the episode "Cogenitor".
as a permanent prop.
".
The props used were from the real world game Quarto
.
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
universe is memorable for various elements of imagined future culture, including a variety of sports, games and other pastimes. Some of these fictional recreational activities are closely associated with one race, although they may have gained adherents from other backgrounds. Others thrive on the interaction of different species.
Some of the games below were central to the plot of a single episode. Others were recurring plot elements, spanning multiple television series of the Star Trek franchise.
Holodeck games
The holodeckHolodeck
A holodeck, in the fictional Star Trek universe, is a simulated reality facility located on starships and starbases. The first use of a "holodeck" by that name in the Star Trek universe was in the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Encounter at Farpoint", although a conceptually...
is a facility that simulates reality; it can replicate a wide variety of environments. It is found on starships and starbases in all the series that are set in the 24th century, i.e. Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
and Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
. The holodeck is sometimes used for research or training, but is frequently shown in use for various forms of entertainment.
Some programs depicted in the various Star Trek shows include a Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
calisthenics program, used heavily by Lieutenant Commander Worf
Worf
Worf, played by Michael Dorn, is a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation and in seasons four to seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He also appears in the films based on The Next Generation. Worf is the first Klingon main character to appear in Star Trek, and has appeared in more Star...
; a park-like setting where Riker first encounters Data in "Encounter at Farpoint"; various 'social' programs, such as a mud-bath and a pool hall; and Jean-Luc Picard
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
's Dixon Hill holonovels.
Other settings have sometimes been shown, such as the Jupiter Station Diagnostic Program which was used to maintain the Emergency Medical Hologram on various Starfleet
Starfleet
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet or the Federation Starfleet is the deep-space exploratory, peacekeeping and military service maintained by the United Federation of Planets . It is the principal means by which the Federation conducts its exploration, defense, diplomacy and research...
vessels, the Utopia Planitia
Utopia Planitia
Utopia Planitia is the largest recognized impact basin on Mars with an estimated diameter of 3300 km, and is the Martian region where the Viking 2 lander touched down and began exploring on September 3, 1976. It is located at the antipode of Argyre Planitia, centered at...
Shipyards, several Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
programs created by Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
for his exploration of humanity, and various Shakespeare programs enjoyed by Jean-Luc Picard
Jean-Luc Picard
Captain Jean-Luc Picard is a Star Trek character portrayed by Patrick Stewart. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek Nemesis...
.
In Voyager, an entire holographic village and its population were created. The "Fair Haven" program was originally designed for occasional enjoyment by the crew of Voyager, but the characters become sentient by the time of the follow-up episode "Spirit Folk", and the captain orders that the holodecks be modified so that the program could remain running continuously.
Also in Voyager, Seven of Nine is continuously frustrated by Captain Janeway's superior skill at Velocity, a game played in a racquetball-type arena where opponents try to be the first to acquire the target of a flying discus and shoot it. The game is scored in points. Each time a player is unable to acquire the disc and is hit by it the other player scores a point. The game is played to ten points.
Baseball
According to the history presented in Star Trek, the Earth game baseballBaseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
suffered from a decline in popularity that culminated in the final World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, which was played in 2042 before a crowd of 300 and won by legendary player Buck Bokai. By the 24th century, the now-obscure game was appreciated by a relatively small number of aficionados including Captain Sisko
Benjamin Sisko
Benjamin Lafayette Sisko, played by Avery Brooks, is the main character of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.-Early life and career:...
, Jake Sisko
Jake Sisko
Jacob "Jake" Sisko, played by Cirroc Lofton, is a character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is the son of Deep Space Nine's commanding officer, Benjamin Sisko.-Overview:...
, Kassidy Yates and astrophysicist Dr. Paul Stubbs. The only organized baseball mentioned is a six-team league on the distant Cestus III. A Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
Starfleet crew formed a team under the leadership of their captain and challenged a team led by Captain Sisko in 2375.
Parrises Squares
Parrises Squares is a vigorous athletic gameRecreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
, mentioned in several episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Voyager.
It is often implied that the game involves a high risk of serious personal injury; nevertheless, much to the concern of parents, the game was quite popular with teenagers during the 24th century. The game involves the use of a piece of equipment called an ion mallet and a ramp, and players often wear special padded uniforms.
While healing a deep cut on William Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
's face, Dr. Beverly Crusher
Beverly Crusher
Commander Beverly Crusher, M.D. , played by actress Gates McFadden, is a fictional character on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and its subsequent spinoff films...
lectured him "to stop playing Parrises Squares as if you're 21", further advising him that "one day, you'll break your neck, and I won't be able to heal that as easily."
When The Doctor
Doctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
created a holographic family for himself in 2373, his 'daughter' Belle was on her school's Parrises Squares team. This worried her 'parents', because Parrises Squares can be a dangerous game for someone her age. It later turned out their worries were justified, as she later 'died
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
' of complications from a Parrises Squares injury.
While in Starfleet Academy, Harry Kim
Harry Kim (Star Trek)
Ensign Harry S. L. Kim, played by Garrett Wang, is a character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. He serves as the USS Voyagers operations officer.-Depiction:...
played Parrises Squares, and was the Academy
Starfleet Academy
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, Starfleet Academy is where the future's recruits to Starfleet will be trained. It was created in the year 2161, when the United Federation of Planets was founded...
champion three times.
Parrises Squares is mainly mentioned as a game played by humans
Human (Star Trek)
In the Star Trek science fiction universe, Humans/Terrans are one of the races undertaking interstellar travel. Human beings were instrumental in the founding of the United Federation of Planets...
, but other species participate. M'Kota R'Cho was the first Klingon
Klingon
Klingons are a fictional warrior race in the Star Trek universe.Klingons are recurring villains in the 1960s television show Star Trek: The Original Series, and have appeared in all five spin-off series and eight feature films...
to play the game, when he participated in the controversial Championship Finals of 2342.
Racquetball
RacquetballRacquetball
For other sports often called "paddleball", see Paddleball .Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court...
is a game played inside a room where the players use racquets to hit a small ball. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
, Miles O'Brien
Miles O'Brien (Star Trek)
Miles Edward O'Brien, played by Colm Meaney, is Chief of Operations in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Before DS9, he appeared as a recurring transporter chief in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
and Julian Bashir
Julian Bashir
Lieutenant Julian Subatoi Bashir, M.D., played by Alexander Siddig, is a main character in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Bashir is the chief medical officer of space station Deep Space Nine and the USS Defiant.-Overview:...
enjoy the sport.
Water Polo
Captain Jonathan Archer (Star Trek: Enterprise) enjoys water polo and played when he was on Earth. In the episode "Catwalk", he is seen watching a water polo match on a portable viewing device while trying to fall asleep. He is also seen on several occasions bouncing a water polo ball off the wall in his quarters.Basketball
In one episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, most of the crew is briefly seen playing basketball.Gladiatorial combat
In the memorable original seriesStar Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion", Captain Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
and some of his crew are forced to participate as gladiators in combat against other humanoids, for the entertainment of unseen masters who wager Quatloos among themselves on the outcome in the arena.
Anbo-jitsu
Anbo-Jitsu (or anbo-jyutsu) is a fictitious JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese sport shown in Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
. In it, two armored opponents facing each other wear a solid visor, rendering them blind, and fight with a large staff. A proximity sensor is worn by each combatant, alerting them to their opponent's location with an audio signal. A protective cushion is worn on one arm and can be used to shield or deflect attacks. It is called "the ultimate evolution in the martial arts" in the context of the show.
William Riker
William Riker
William Thomas Riker, played by Jonathan Frakes, is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe primarily appearing as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation...
and his father settled a long-standing grudge with this game in the episode "The Icarus Factor".
Tsunkatse
Tsunkatse is a form of martial arts, similar to kickboxingKickboxing
Kickboxing refers to a group of martial arts and stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from karate, Muay Thai and western boxing....
and some Japanese sports. Each opponent wears a round device on both the front and back of their harness which sends the wearer a shock when it is touched by an opponent's counterpart, worn on the feet and hands. Each match is designated by a color code, red meaning to the death, blue meaning until one opponent is defeated.
The sport is practised by various species in the Delta Quadrant. In the Voyager episode
Tsunkatse
"Tsunkatse" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 15th episode of the sixth season.-Plot:While on shoreleave, Chakotay and Torres attend a Tsunkatse match in a nearby alien world. In the meantime, Captain Janeway is off touring a planet in a neighboring system...
of the same name, Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine is a fictional character on Star Trek: Voyager, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager left Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space proved only...
was kidnapped and forced to compete in the sport.
Fencing
Captain Jean-Luc Picard engages in fencingFencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
matches on at least two occasions. First, in the episode "We'll Always Have Paris", Picard is in a match against an un-named crew member. Picard scores a point, and then the match is cut short because of a strange time loop (which serves as the plot for the main story). Second, he matches against Guinan in the episode "I, Borg". Guinan feigns injury and Picard lowers his guard to help, at which time she strikes for an easy point. She does this to warn Picard against feeling sorry for the injured Borg that the crew has saved (which serves as the plot for the main story).
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Sulu is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by George Takei in the original Star Trek series, Sulu also appears in the animated Star Trek series, the first six Star Trek movies, one episode of Star Trek: Voyager, and in numerous books, comics, and video games...
in the original series is known to be a fencer, as demonstrated in the episode "The Naked Time". In the 2009 movie, Sulu mentions he has combat training, which he later tells Kirk is "Fencing." He carries an auto-foldout sword during the space jump to the mining probe over Vulcan.
Chula
Chula is a game played by the Wadi race that places real people into a game who face a series of challenges based on dice rolls and decisions made by an outside player. Wagers are placed on the survival of the in-game players. It was seen in the DS9 episode Move Along Home.Dabo
Dabo is a FerengiFerengi
The Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
game of skill and chance. The game relies on the spinning of a "dabo wheel" similar to a roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
wheel. During various betting hands (similar to poker) each player either "buys" or "sells" or "converts" their gold-pressed latinum (money) in preparation for the next spin of the dabo wheel.
About ten players can sit around the dabo wheel. When something good happens, everyone around the table yells "Dabo!"
The game is most often seen played in Quark's bar on Deep Space Nine
Deep Space Nine (space station)
Deep Space Nine is a fictitious space station, and is the eponymous primary setting of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It serves as a base for the exploration of the Gamma Quadrant via the Bajoran wormhole, and is a hub of trade and travel for the sector's denizens...
.
Dabo girls
Dabo girls are attractive women of various species who run the games in Ferengi establishments. Leeta, who was a Dabo girl in Quark'sQuark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
bar, maintained that Dabo girls not only had to look appealing enough to lure customers to play, but also be able to quickly calculate odds and ensure a house victory in the long run, typically by enticing gamers to stay until they lose.
The character therefore turns around the stereotype of the "dumb blonde
Dumb blonde
The blonde stereotype, the stereotypical perception of blond-haired women, has two aspects. On one hand, over the history, blonde hair in women has been considered attractive and desirable...
" or "bimbo
Bimbo
Bimbo, in its popular English language usage, describes a woman who is physically attractive but is perceived to have a low intelligence or poor education. The term can also be used to describe a woman who acts in a sexually promiscuous manner...
"; while Dabo girls may be intentionally giving that impression to customers, they take advantage of those who view a Dabo girl as no more than that. One was quoted as saying "The first rule of Dabo is watch the wheel, not the girl"
The character Leeta, played by Chase Masterson
Chase Masterson
Chase Masterson, born Christianne Carafano on February 26, 1963 in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is an American actress and singer.-Career:...
, made the role of Dabo girl significant in Star Trek fandom. Other Dabo girls who appeared or were referred to in multiple episodes include Jake Sisko
Jake Sisko
Jacob "Jake" Sisko, played by Cirroc Lofton, is a character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is the son of Deep Space Nine's commanding officer, Benjamin Sisko.-Overview:...
's date Mardah, played by Jill Sayre, and M'Pella, played by Cathy Debuono. Aluura, played by Symba Smith, had a central role in the episode "Profit and Lace".
In the non-canon
Canon (fiction)
In the context of a work of fiction, the term canon denotes the material accepted as "official" in a fictional universe's fan base. It is often contrasted with, or used as the basis for, works of fan fiction, which are not considered canonical...
Star Trek novel series Mission Gamma, Treir, one of Quark
Quark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
's dabo girls, hires Hetik, an Orion male, as the first ever dabo boy in the game's history. Quark is initially dubious about the introduction of a dabo boy, but Hetik soon becomes popular among female patrons.
Tongo
Tongo is a card gameCard game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
played predominantly by the Ferengi
Ferengi
The Ferengi are a fictitious extraterrestrial race from the Star Trek universe. They first appeared in "The Last Outpost", the fifth episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987, during which they made first contact with the United Federation of Planets in 2364 on the planet Delphi Ardu,...
. The game centers around a roulette
Roulette
Roulette is a casino game named after a French diminutive for little wheel. In the game, players may choose to place bets on either a single number or a range of numbers, the colors red or black, or whether the number is odd or even....
-type wheel with an elevated pot in the middle. On each turn the wheel is spun, and the player has the choice to "evade", "confront", "acquire", or "retreat". Each choice has its purchase price, sell price, and its risk, all of which are interrelated.
A Global Tongo Championship is held each year on Ferenginar.
Poker
PokerPoker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
is a card game
Card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific. Countless card games exist, including families of related games...
played on many TNG episodes. The Enterprise's crew (NCC 1701-D) plays dealer's choice, usually five-card stud, which is one of the more rare variants of poker by 20th and 21st century standards. Draws have also been picked as well as an unknown variation on 5 card stud, as well as 7 card stud. Commander Riker is typically the better poker player.
Fizzbin
Fizzbin is a fictional card game created by KirkJames T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
in the Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
episode "A Piece of the Action". While being held hostage on Sigma Iota II with Spock
Spock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
and McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
, he spontaneously invented a confusing card game to distract the henchmen guarding them.
The rules were intentionally very complex. Each player gets six cards, except for the player on the dealer's right, who gets seven. The second card is turned up, except on Tuesdays. Kirk dealt the henchman two jacks, which are a "half-fizzbin." When the henchman said he needs another jack, Kirk warned that a third jack is a "shralk" and is grounds for disqualification. With two jacks, one wants a king and a deuce, except at night, when one wants a queen and a four.
At this point, Kirk dealt a third jack, but to keep the ruse going, he ignored the disqualification rule he had just made up. He explained that, had a king been dealt instead of a jack, the player would get another card, except when it's dark, in which case he'd have to give it back. The top hand is a "royal fizzbin," but the odds of getting one are "astronomical": when Kirk asked Spock what the odds are, Spock truthfully replied that he had never computed them.
Kirk called the last card a "kronk" and then purposely dealt a card such that it fell on the floor. As the henchman being taught reached down, Spock nerve-pinched
Vulcan nerve pinch
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by Vulcans to render unconsciousness by pinching a pressure point at the base of the victim’s neck...
him while Kirk and McCoy attacked the other guards, allowing the three to escape.
Once in Deep Space Nine, Quark
Quark (Star Trek)
Quark is a fictional character in the American television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The character, which was played by Armin Shimerman, was depicted as a member of an extraterrestrial race known as the Ferengi, who are stereotypically ultra-capitalist and only motivated by...
mentioned the game as a way for him and Odo to while away the time while traveling on a runabout; whether it had become a real game or if it had been a reference was never explained. Playable versions of the game have been invented, and it featured in the episode "Nantucket Sleighride" of the animated series Starcom.
In the iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
movie iParty with Victorious
IParty with Victorious
"iParty with Victorious" is a 2011 three-part crossover episode of iCarly with Victorious. Although it is a crossover, the episode only counts as an iCarly episode. The episode aired on June 11, 2011, at 8/7c...
, Sam Puckett threatens to give Carly's boyfriend a "royal fizzbin" (presumably something like a "Texas wedgie.")
See also: Mornington Crescent
Mornington Crescent (game)
Mornington Crescent is a spoof game, featured in the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which satirises complicated strategy games....
Dom-jot
Dom-jot was featured in the episode "Tapestry", and mentioned in DS9 as a game for hustlers. It appears to be a futuristic version of bumper poolBumper pool
Bumper pool is a pocket billards game played on an octagonal or rectangular table fitted with an array of fixed cushioned obstacles, called bumpers, at the center of its surface.- Table :...
. Jean-Luc Picard (as a Starfleet cadet) was stabbed in the heart by a Nausicaan after a fight that ensued because his friend rigged a Dom-jot table to thwart a cheating Nausicaan.
Kadis-kot
Kadis-kot is a board gameBoard 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...
played on a six-sided board with three sets of coloured tiles: red, green, and orange. Visually, the game appears to be a variant of Reversi
Reversi
Reversi is a board game involving abstract strategy and played by two players on a board with 8 rows and 8 columns and a set of distinct pieces for each side. Pieces typically are disks with a light and a dark face, each face belonging to one player...
or Othello
Reversi
Reversi is a board game involving abstract strategy and played by two players on a board with 8 rows and 8 columns and a set of distinct pieces for each side. Pieces typically are disks with a light and a dark face, each face belonging to one player...
. It appears to be a game of logic and strategy for 2 players, but as many as 5 players have been shown playing together.
The characters of Naomi Wildman and Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine
Seven of Nine is a fictional character on Star Trek: Voyager, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager left Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space proved only...
played the game sometimes, after the events of the episode "Infinite Regress
Infinite regress
An infinite regress in a series of propositions arises if the truth of proposition P1 requires the support of proposition P2, the truth of proposition P2 requires the support of proposition P3, .....
".
Kal-toh
Kal-Toh (kal-toe) is a VulcanVulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
game of logic. According to Tuvok
Tuvok
Tuvok is one of the main characters on the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok is a Vulcan who serves as the ship's chief of security and its chief tactical officer. Tim Russ portrayed Tuvok throughout the show's run, from 1995 to 2001....
, "Kal-Toh is to chess
Chess
Chess is a two-player board game played on a chessboard, a square-checkered board with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. It is one of the world's most popular games, played by millions of people worldwide at home, in clubs, online, by correspondence, and in tournaments.Each player...
as chess is to Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-tac-toe
Tic-tac-toe, also called wick wack woe and noughts and crosses , is a pencil-and-paper game for two players, X and O, who take turns marking the spaces in a 3×3 grid. The X player usually goes first...
". Its goal, according to him, "[i]s not about striving for balance [but] about finding the seeds of order even in the midst of profound chaos." It first appeared on Star Trek: Voyager, often played by Tuvok and a partner.
The game itself involves a large number of small gray holographic rods called t'an, generated from a platform below. They are arranged in a specific manner, which eventually produces an icosidodecahedron
Icosidodecahedron
In geometry, an icosidodecahedron is a polyhedron with twenty triangular faces and twelve pentagonal faces. An icosidodecahedron has 30 identical vertices, with two triangles and two pentagons meeting at each, and 60 identical edges, each separating a triangle from a pentagon...
. Kal-Toh can be played singly or against an opponent, each taking a turn to place a piece.
Kotra
Kotra is a CardassianCardassian
The Cardassians are an extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek science fiction franchise. First introduced in the 1991 Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Wounded", the species originating on the fictional Alpha Quadrant planet Cardassia Prime...
board game, seen played only once in the entire franchise, in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe...
episode "Empok Nor
Empok Nor
"Empok Nor" is an episode of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the twenty-fourth episode of the fifth season. It has an average fan rating of 4.4/5 on the official Star Trek website as of September, 2009 and primarily takes place on the Cardassian space station Empok Nor, which has been abandoned for...
".
Strategema
Strategema is a game central to the episode "Peak Performance" of Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
.
Strategema is a strategy game
Strategy game
A strategy game or strategic game is a game in which the players' uncoerced, and often autonomous decision-making skills have a high significance in determining the outcome...
played on a holographic
Holography
Holography is a technique that allows the light scattered from an object to be recorded and later reconstructed so that when an imaging system is placed in the reconstructed beam, an image of the object will be seen even when the object is no longer present...
board. The object of Strategema is to manipulate circular icons to gain control of your opponent's territory while defending your own.
Strategema is generally played on a specially-designed computer
Computer
A computer is a programmable machine designed to sequentially and automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The particular sequence of operations can be changed readily, allowing the computer to solve more than one kind of problem...
. Both players sit at the computer-controlled Strategema table, facing each other, with the board continuously rotating in the middle. The game is controlled with metal thimble
Thimble
A thimble is a small hard pitted cup worn for protection on the finger that pushes the needle in sewing.The earliest known thimble was Roman and was found at Pompeii. Made of bronze, its creation has been dated to the 1st century AD...
s placed on the players' fingers. Electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
in these thimbles then calculate the movement of the fingers and send the information to the computer.
The duration of a Strategema game depends on the competence of the players. Generally, games last only a hundred moves at most. However, experienced master players can achieve games of well over a thousand moves.
The longest game of Strategema on record was between Zakdorn master strategist Sirma Kolrami and Lieutenant Commander Data
Data (Star Trek)
Lieutenant Commander Data is a character in the fictional Star Trek universe portrayed by actor Brent Spiner. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation and the feature films Star Trek Generations, Star Trek: First Contact, Star Trek: Insurrection, and Star Trek...
, lasting over 30,000 moves. Kolrami, realizing that Data was playing to achieve a draw, eventually threw down his controls in disgust and resigned the game to the delight of the Enterprise-D crewmembers who were watching.
"The Game"
In the Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
episode "The Game", an undesignated virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
game was introduced to the crew of the Enterprise in which players wore an optical headset and used mental commands to manipulate holographic funnels to catch virtual disks.
The Game was eventually revealed to be deliberately addictive, stimulating the pleasure centers of the players' brains, and was designed by aliens called the Ktarians, as a stratagem to take control of the Enterprise.
Tri-Dimensional Chess
The game of tri-dimensional chess (Tri-D Chess) can be seen in many Star Trek episodes and films, most notably played by SpockSpock
Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Spock also appears in the animated Star Trek series, two episodes of Star Trek: The Next Generation, seven of the Star Trek feature films, and numerous Star Trek...
against Kirk
James T. Kirk
James Tiberius "Jim" Kirk is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. Kirk was first played by William Shatner as the principal lead character in the original Star Trek series. Shatner voiced Kirk in the animated Star Trek series and appeared in the first seven Star Trek movies...
or McCoy
Leonard McCoy
Leonard "Bones" McCoy is a character in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by DeForest Kelley in the original Star Trek series, McCoy also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the pilot episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in numerous books,...
in the original series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
.
Rules for the game were never explained within the series; in fact, the boards are sometimes not even aligned consistently from one shot to the next within a single episode. The Tri-D chessboard set was made popular by its inclusion in the The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual
The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual
The Star Trek Star Fleet Technical Manual is a fiction reference book by Franz Joseph Schnaubelt, about the workings of Starfleet, a military, exploratory, and diplomatic organization featured in the television series, Star Trek.Although it is fiction, the book is presented as an in-universe...
by Franz Joseph
Franz Joseph (artist)
Franz Joseph was an artist and author loosely associated with the 1960’s American television show Star Trek. Joseph is perhaps best known for his 1973 Star Trek Blueprints , to date the only set of blueprints of the original Starship Enterprise ever officially endorsed by...
, who invented starting positions for the playing pieces and short additional rules. With his approval, Andrew Bartmess first developed the Standard Rules in 1976.
Go
Go can be seen on Star Trek: EnterpriseStar Trek: Enterprise
Star Trek: Enterprise is a science fiction television series. It follows the adventures of humanity's first warp 5 starship, the Enterprise, ten years before the United Federation of Planets shown in previous Star Trek series was formed.Enterprise premiered on September 26, 2001...
, in the episode "Cogenitor".
Terrace
Terrace is a board game introduced in 1992, and was subsequently featured on Star Trek: The Next GenerationStar Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
as a permanent prop.
Durotta
Durotta is a board game played by Paris and Torres in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "NightNight (Star Trek: Voyager)
"Night" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the first episode of the fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.6/5 on the official Star Trek website .-Plot:...
".
The props used were from the real world game Quarto
Quarto (board game)
Quarto is a board game for two players invented by Swiss mathematician Blaise Müller.It is played on a 4×4 board. There are 16 unique pieces, each of which is either:* tall or short;...
.
External links
- Tapestry episode at StarTrek.com, with a picture of a Nausicaan playing Dom-jot
- The Game at Memory-Alpha