Váczi Mária: A Szórakaténusz Játékmúzeum és Műhely táblás társasjátékainak gyűjteménye (A Szórakaténusz Játékmúzeum és Műhely Gyűjteményei 4. Kecskemét, 2008)

Bevezető

happens by multiple reinforcement: partly following the instructions of the games and partly by the oral reinforcement of the parent or other adult taking part in the game. We can say that the most popular game of the last five decades was the 'Pursue an intelligent policy!' (1963) and its later versions. The first point in my analysis is the graphics and pictures of the game. The picture of a ten-storied building with the inscription OTP (Hungarian Savings Bank), the pieces of furniture and the vacuum cleaner falling out of the saving bonds conjure up the spirit of the late fifties, early sixties. The later published versions of the game show the signs of the consolidation typical of the post-1968 Hungarian society. The picture of the block of flats symbolizing the 'present giving' paternal state disappeared from the box, a detached house, a weekend house, a car appeared instead symbolizing achievements of bourgeois status. The man-figure with briefcase and the filmstar-like woman figure are changed for more schematic figures in this newer game. The second point is the textual analysis of descriptions, instructions and rules. In the early (1963) edition of the game we cannot find addressed forms, the instructions are impersonal. The players represent themselves, they can't cooperate, "they can't sell their furnishings to each other. They have direct relation only to the Savings Bank. 'Save up your money!' (1985) is more reconciled in its name, and its tone is more friendly. The description of the game is in the Supplement while in the former it is in the Instructions. Players represent a family. They are not separated, they can buy cars, houses, building sites from players 'who were lucky enough to have more or have to sell their car because they are short of cash.' Analysing the essence of parlour games the basic question is how the model of the socially ideal citizen appears and changes from time to time in them. In 'Pursue an intelligent policy!' the winner that is the successful person is the player who first manages to buy the flat and all the furnishing and has some extra money in the bank. In the latter game a minimal cultural achievement (a card for buying a book) is enough to be the winner. 'Save up your money!' conjures up the spirit of the early seventies when it says: 'the winner is the player who - with good economizing - can build up a detached house with 3 bedsitters, has a car and a site where he has built up a two-roomed weekend house. Besides he has 100 000 forints in saving bonds.' The paternal state is withdrawing step by step, but it still keeps control, it regulates the size of weekend houses for example. So from the social point of view a citizen is successful if he can solve his problems on his own. I did not only examined 'Pursue an intelligent policy!' as a visual experience but also its message about the free time culture of the age. It recommends cinema as 'films 12 BEVEZETŐ