Games

On the train

I came up with this recently, it has a lot of possibilites.

It's a game for two people, although I bet that you can play it with up to 4. Get two chairs and sit in front of each other.
You are on a train and behave accordingly. When the second player finally asks/says something, reply:
"We are on a train"
When they try to speak again, tell them:
"We are strangers"

Then take the game wherever you fancy. Are you bored and looking out the window? Having a messy lunch? Do you kick over the other player's bag and spill its contents? Is it very hot and you are feeling dizzy? Is the train crowded and you keep having to move your bag? Do you feel like the skirt you're wearing is too short? Are you a foreigner who doesn't speak English? Are you homeless? Ex-military? Schizophrenic? Drunk? Do you have a dog with you? An infectious and incurable skin condition? Supernatural powers? Cheesy pick up lines?

You can play this game multiple times with the same person and come up with new ideas each time.

Scrabble - House Rules

The only way I ever play Scrabble. Otherwise it's too bloodthirsty and no fun.

1. Any word that is used by more than two people is a word. It includes proper nouns, names, slang, etc.
2. Any word in any language is a word.
3. Rude words get double points ('plough' counts).

Bath game

I don't really take baths unless I'm unwell or in a hotel. And then I play this game.

Fill a bathtub with warm water. Lie down on the bottom of the tub. Imagine you are a single-cell organism in the primordial soup. The soup is nice and warm, light breaks in an interesting way and the sounds are strange.

Sea game 1: Baywatch

You need at least two people but works with more as well. Bonus points if strangers get confused and join in but it has never happened to me.

You build a baywatch station on the sand out of bits of wood/beach junk. One person remains there and they are Mitch Buchannon. They have to survey the sea. The second person goes for a swim in the sea and start drowning. Mitch has to run to the sea in very slow motion to the soundtrack of Baywatch playing in his head. Then he has to rescue the drowning person. Then you can switch.

Sea game 2: Shellfish

Very pleasant unless your hand gets entangled in seaweed.

You get in the shallow water and stand on your hands, letting the outstretched legs float. You can walk around. When you go deeper, you have to raise your head so you don't get submerged. Each time a wave comes, you have to jump on your hands to keep your face above the water. Sometimes you let the wave wash you towards the shore.

101 questions

This is a game I came up with when I realised that I don't really know some of my friends and family members. I need to fix it before it's too late.

First, write down 101 questions. Then take them to a person you want to play with and tell them the rules. The rules are:

1. They pick a number and you ask them the question associated with that number.
2. You can ask follow-up questions if you want.
3. Once they answer the question, they pick another number and the game continues.
4. The game stops when they decide to end it. This can happen at any time.
5. If a game is ended it cannot be restarted for one year.

• The ratio of 'negative' questions (e.g. 'what sort of person would you never have a civil conversation with?') to 'positive' questions should be at least 1:5.
• Don't ask provocative questions, it's the wrong time for that. You want the other person to feel relaxed and in control. That way they'll tell you more.
• Don't phrase questions using the word 'favourite' (instead ask something like: 'what's a fabric or material that you like?')
• If you don't know where to start, think about questions that would help you if you needed to buy this person a present.

Thoughts about games

Tetris is enjoyable up to the point when getting the long piece no longer gives a feeling of relief.