HISTORICAL NOTES

Concerning parlor games:

Before there was technology to entertain one in the evenings, there was music and card-playing as is well-documented in Austen’s books. But people in the period had fun playing parlor games as well. These could be quite over-the-top and allowed for wild flirtation.

Some parlor games involved wordplay while some involved music (consider an early version of musical chairs). There were a lot of guessing games and even active ones like Blindman’s Bluff. That one was quite risque and often banned by chaperones as it involved blindfolding a gentleman and allowing him to grope a lady to determine her identity!

There were often ways to cheat, and people would take advantage of it to win (or deliberately not win so that they could obtain a forfeit), or to trick a friend or acquaintance. Forfeits were usually kisses that were paid to one's sweetheart or love interest and could be paid on the hand or the cheek. The payment of forfeits could involve a whole other set of games as to how the forfeit should be paid, though not all forfeits were kisses, they could be compliments or some other task.

It is interesting to consider a person’s character and how she or he would play parlor games, and whether to play them properly to 'win.' i.e., without having to pay a forfeit or if they would play with the idea of raking in as many forfeits as they could. Or the last camp: those who tricked others into getting forfeits.

If you’re interested in learning more about Regency parlor games, search for the Google book, Winter evening pastimes; or, The merry-makers companion. It was published in 1822 by two married women and is a minefield of information about what bored ladies and gentlemen did 'of an evening where there wasn't much to do.'