Full Idea
I shall say 'games' form a family, with a 'family resemblance', for the resemblances within a family - build, eyes, temperament etc. - overlap and criss-cross in the same way.
Gist of Idea
Various games have a 'family resemblance', as their similarities overlap and criss-cross
Source
Ludwig Wittgenstein (Philosophical Investigations [1952], §067)
Book Reference
Wittgenstein,Ludwig: 'Philosophical Investigations', ed/tr. Anscombe,E. [Blackwell 1972], p.32
A Reaction
A very helpful idea for the nominalist view of universals, particularly for showing how concepts shade off indeterminately at the edges.
Related Idea
Idea 11132 The prototype theory is probabilistic, picking something out if it has sufficient of the properties [Margolis/Laurence]