The object of the game is to form matching pairs of cards but to try to avoid being the player left holding the “Old Maid” card, who is the loser.
All the cards are presented in a colourful style depicting various crafts, trades and professions. It is known in Germany as Schwarzer Peter, in Sweden as Svarte Petter, in Denmark as Sorteper, in Hungary as Fekete Péter, in Finland as Musta Pekka (all meaning 'Black Peter').Ĭhad Valley’s “Old Maid” game was published in the 1950s. “Old Maid” is a Victorian family card game probably deriving from an old gambling game in which the loser pays for the drinks.
