In honor of GCOM’s 30th anniversary, we present the Classic Games Showcase (CSG). This is a great chance to play some of your childhood favorites, or to learn the ones you never knew. Many of these games are experiencing a resurgence, as folks get to appreciate them.
All weekend, volunteers will teach these games, and then help people get set up to play a full game. In some cases, there may even be a small tournament!
CSG drawing
Everyone who plays a full game of any CSG game can fill out and turn in a scoresheet. Those can include games you played during the scheduled time, or throughout the convention. All scoresheets must be turned in by 3pm on Sunday. On Sunday we will draw for winners, who will take home some great prizes. One prize per person. Check the schedule for the Drawing time.
Games List and Schedule
Hearts
Thursday, 1:00pm-3:00pm
Teacher: Mike Richey, GCOM
Description: Hearts is an exciting, trick avoidance game. 4 players.
Othello
Thursday, 4:40pm – 6:00pm
Teacher: Marcy Morelli, GCOM
Description: In Othello, you try to take over the board by flipping your opponent’s disks before they flip yours. The mechanics are simple, but good play requires you to think a few moves ahead. 2 players.
Canasta
Thursday, 6:00pm-8:00pm
Teacher: Susan Singer, GCOM
Description: Canasta belongs to the rummy family of card games. Players attempt to make melds of seven cards of the same rank and “go out” by playing all cards in their hands. 4 players.
Cribbage
Thursday, 8:00pm-10:00pm
Teacher: Marcy Morelli, GCOM
Description: Cribbage is a unique card game where players seek to achieve particular card combinations to score. The first player to 121 points wins immediately. Cribbage uses a standard card deck and a special scoring board. 2, 3, or 4 players
Rummikub
Friday, 11:00 –1:00pm
Teacher: Jack Ridgeway, GCOM
Description: Players take turns placing numbered tiles in runs or groups, rummy style – the first player to use all of their tiles wins. 2 – 4 players
BAckgammon
Friday, Demo 1:00pm – 1:30pm
Tournament (Round Robin) 1:30pm – 5:00pm
Teacher: Genna Lee, Maryland Backgammon Club
Asst: Peter Tu, GCOM
Description: Backgammon is a two-player board game played with counters and dice on a special board. Each player has 15 pieces which they move along 24 “points” according to the roll of two dice. The first player to move all their pieces around the board and remove them wins. 2 players.
Spades
Friday, 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Teacher: Susan Singer, GCOM
Description: Spades is a trick-taking card game which can be played as either a partnership or solo/”cutthroat” game. The object is to take the number of tricks that were bid before play of the hand began. Instead of trump being decided by the highest bidder or at random, the spade suit is always trumps, hence the name. 2 or 4 players.
Tripoly
Friday, 9:00pm – 10:30pm
Teacher: Susan Singer, GCOM
Description: Tripoly is a popular family card and board game that combines elements of Michigan Rummy, Hearts, and Poker. The game is played in a series or hands or rounds. The player who has collected the most total chips at the end of the game wins. 2 to 9 players.
Crokinole
Demos and Tournament (Round Robin)
Saturday, 12 noon – 4:00pm
Teacher: Nikki, Brown Castle Games
Description: Crokinole is a classic, fast-paced tabletop dexterity board game where players flick wooden discs across a circular surface to score points and knock opponent pieces off-target
Euchre
Saturday, 4:00 – 6:00pm
Teacher: Mike Richey, GCOM
Description: Euchre is a trick-taking card game. Players are dealt five cards each and try to win at least three out of five “tricks” based on a chosen trump suit. 2 teams, 4 players.
Game Availability
The teacher will provide one or two copies of the game. If you already know the game and have a copy, please bring it with you so more people can play. If more people show up to play a game for the time slot than there are games to accommodate everyone, they may need to wait until the first group of players is done. Most time slots are long enough to allow for several rounds of the game.
Tournaments
Some games are offering tournaments and multiple copies of the game will be available. You should attend a demo or already know the game to play in a tournament. Check with the teacher for tournament format and rules.
Scoresheet completion instructions
Obtain a scoresheet before beginning the game. If playing during the scheduled session, score sheets will be provided by the teacher. Fill out the scoresheet and drop it at the collection point. Be sure to include the name of the game, player names and badge numbers. All players will be eligible to win a prize in the Sunday drawing, but you just complete a score sheet to be automatically entered.
Last Updated Oct 28, 2026