Listen
"Tell me the game you play and I'll tell you who you are."
Simple rules, unpredictability, and the need for at least a little cunning strategy are what make a good game great.
Renowned mathematician Marcus du Sautoy reckons this is the winning formula for games from Scrabble to Snakes and Ladders to Chess. He says the games we like reveal so much about who we are.
As Summer holidays begin and the game shelf is dusted off, Professor du Sautoy searches the globe for the best games going and reveals what he considers to be the perfect one to play in his new book, Around the World in 80 Games: A Mathematician Unlocks the Secrets of the Greatest Games.
Around the World in 80 Games book cover Photo: supplied