These are a few of the games I've made over the course of the blog. They're very rule heavy because I like rules.
The Unnamed Pokemon Game
(Co-created by Will and Ben Chodos)
THE RULES:
So my brothers and I developed a fun game while we were hanging out one night. It's a monster creation drawing exercise based on the characters of the wildly famous Japanese video game franchise, Pokemon. For those unfamiliar, Pokemon involves "catching" a variety of imaginary creatures that grow as you battle them across the Pokemon world. An aspect of the growth of your little monsters is appropriately called, evolution, where in at a certain point, your Pokemon transforms into a different monster, often bigger and more powerful than the last, while still looking similar to the previous form. Since the franchise has been around for over 20 years, there are 802 different kinds. Yikes. Additionally, your Pokemon will have different "types" that effect your strategy in the game and effect the appearance of the pokemon (i.e. - electric, fire, water etc.). There are 18 different types.
Okay. So keeping all this in mind, here's the game:
Setup:
First off, get some scraps of paper and two containers to put them in. On eighteen scraps, write out the different pokemon types (picture of list at the bottom) and place them in one of the containers. Then with the remaining scraps, write out a series of non-proper nouns, (i.e. - Foot, bear, scissors, sadness, gold, sunflower etc.) and put those in the second container. Then take normal printer paper and divide it into three equal sections. Grab some pencils and you're ready to begin!
The Game:
This game is best played with three plus players, though can be played with two. Give each player one of the divided pieces of paper. Each player then takes one slip of paper from each of the containers, being sure to keep it a secret.
Now the player has both a noun and a type for inspiration in drawing their first pokemon! And here's the trick: make your creature small and simple. It's going to have three stages total to grow into, and you want there to be plenty of room to grow! Each player grabs a pencil and creates in the first section of the paper. Once everyone has made their monster, the paper is passed clockwise.
Now the new player has two tasks: name the first stage Pokemon passed to them and draw the middle stage Pokemon in the middle section of the paper. Keep in mind that there needs to be one more stage to go and do what you can to replicate the first stage's inspiration and element. A note on naming: In pokemon, the naming convention leans heavily on clever portmanteau (think Charmander or Bulbasaur) and over the different evolutions the naming often derives from that first name. After everyone's done, it's time for the final round. Pass to the paper clockwise.
Each player then creates a name for the middle pokemon on their new sheet. After naming the second stage, a whole new pokemon type in pulled from the type container. This is the player's new inspiration for the final form. Keeping all this in mind, each player draws the last form and then passes it to the person who created the first stage so they have the opportunity to name the final form of their initial creation. And that's it! If you have more than 3 players, it's nice to mix it up and shuffle the players around to get different combinations of artists!
Pokemon Types for Reference:
CHARACTERISCHTICKS
(Co-created by Mike Kiley)
THE RULES:
To play Characterischtick, all you need is a pen and a piece of paper and at least two people.
To start, number the paper from one to 20, leaving space at the top. Like this:
________________________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
We found that twenty was just the right number, but it can easily be played with more or less, depending on how complex you want your character to get. After your basic set-up, one player starts by writing a trait or aspect of an imagined character. This can vary from simple, (e.g. "Parisian") to complex (e.g. "Got to third base with Chelsea Clinton") the only rule after the first trait is written is that no trait can be repeated or contradict an earlier trait. Players are encouraged to create a person that is fully realized, while still conforming to line restrictions.
Once all the traits have been written, the final task is to name your character, which is also done in turns for each word in the name. For example, player 1 writes "Barry," player 2 writes "Harris." At this point the name can be complete, or player 1 can chose to write "Jr." or assume Harris is a middle name and give a new last name. It's pretty open.
The game is the most fun when you can find ways to incorporate past postings into new aspects of traits. I've found that playing with more than 4 people can get a bit chaotic and you feel like you have less agency over the character, but I can bet it can be done in a way that gets everyone on board.
After a few rounds try to incorporate rules for each round. Some examples:
- Avoid gendering the character until the naming stage...or even keep it a mystery then!
- Try to do a whole round with only using single word traits
- "Never have I ever rules" - each player takes turns putting down a trait that is a true about themselves to create a composite character. Try to pick out traits that are unusual or unknown!
- Work on having characters in the same town/place and have their traits reflect that.
- Make a superhero team (Start with one character who has at least one trait that could be considered a power, and then have the other characters made based off of that one!)
- Create a family. This can be immediate, or can span the course of a dynasty.
What made this such a great game for the work environment is that you can take turns without any other players present, and you have the freedom to take as long as you want to come up with your trait!
Here's an example game that I played with my co-worker just yesterday:
Adelina Rochleau_____________________________________
1. Has never been past the third story of any building
2. Dromophobic
3. Bastard child of a magician and his assistant
4. Hobby - Taxidermy
5. French
6. Left-Handed
7. Only stuffs what she has personally killed
8. Vegetarian
9. Son was a Nebraskan State Senator in late 90's
10. Knows all the words to every Rogers and Hammerstein musical
11. Secretary of the Septuagenarian Synchronized Swimming Association
12. Has IBS
13. Named her children after famous hockey players
14. Is an Empath
15. but only after about 3 drinks
16. and on Tuesdays when its the last of the month
17. Owns a small fortune in extinct bird feathers
18. Crochets doilies for presents
19. Never stopped loving her first boyfriend
20. Plans on skydiving next Saturday
Notes on this game:
- Keeping in mind that the name was entered last, notice how it wasn't until line 7 that the character was gendered, and that it was an active choice. Also notice how her having a son that was a senator in the 90's limits her age.
- There's almost a conversation in lines 14-16. This can happen as long as it informs the previous entry. NEVER DENY ANYONE'S TRAIT! If someone makes the character a robot, or very sick, or a Nazi, you must accept it. Try to avoid having a specific agenda...if you want to make your very own person, then just play by yourself. (Don't be that guy.)
- I also like how this character begins with a limitation and ends with it being overcome in a way. I'd say you can do this with a final entry, but don't force it...sometimes there is no resolution.
To play Characterischtick, all you need is a pen and a piece of paper and at least two people.
To start, number the paper from one to 20, leaving space at the top. Like this:
________________________________________________________
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
We found that twenty was just the right number, but it can easily be played with more or less, depending on how complex you want your character to get. After your basic set-up, one player starts by writing a trait or aspect of an imagined character. This can vary from simple, (e.g. "Parisian") to complex (e.g. "Got to third base with Chelsea Clinton") the only rule after the first trait is written is that no trait can be repeated or contradict an earlier trait. Players are encouraged to create a person that is fully realized, while still conforming to line restrictions.
Once all the traits have been written, the final task is to name your character, which is also done in turns for each word in the name. For example, player 1 writes "Barry," player 2 writes "Harris." At this point the name can be complete, or player 1 can chose to write "Jr." or assume Harris is a middle name and give a new last name. It's pretty open.
The game is the most fun when you can find ways to incorporate past postings into new aspects of traits. I've found that playing with more than 4 people can get a bit chaotic and you feel like you have less agency over the character, but I can bet it can be done in a way that gets everyone on board.
After a few rounds try to incorporate rules for each round. Some examples:
- Avoid gendering the character until the naming stage...or even keep it a mystery then!
- Try to do a whole round with only using single word traits
- "Never have I ever rules" - each player takes turns putting down a trait that is a true about themselves to create a composite character. Try to pick out traits that are unusual or unknown!
- Work on having characters in the same town/place and have their traits reflect that.
- Make a superhero team (Start with one character who has at least one trait that could be considered a power, and then have the other characters made based off of that one!)
- Create a family. This can be immediate, or can span the course of a dynasty.
What made this such a great game for the work environment is that you can take turns without any other players present, and you have the freedom to take as long as you want to come up with your trait!
Here's an example game that I played with my co-worker just yesterday:
Adelina Rochleau_____________________________________
1. Has never been past the third story of any building
2. Dromophobic
3. Bastard child of a magician and his assistant
4. Hobby - Taxidermy
5. French
6. Left-Handed
7. Only stuffs what she has personally killed
8. Vegetarian
9. Son was a Nebraskan State Senator in late 90's
10. Knows all the words to every Rogers and Hammerstein musical
11. Secretary of the Septuagenarian Synchronized Swimming Association
12. Has IBS
13. Named her children after famous hockey players
14. Is an Empath
15. but only after about 3 drinks
16. and on Tuesdays when its the last of the month
17. Owns a small fortune in extinct bird feathers
18. Crochets doilies for presents
19. Never stopped loving her first boyfriend
20. Plans on skydiving next Saturday
Notes on this game:
- Keeping in mind that the name was entered last, notice how it wasn't until line 7 that the character was gendered, and that it was an active choice. Also notice how her having a son that was a senator in the 90's limits her age.
- There's almost a conversation in lines 14-16. This can happen as long as it informs the previous entry. NEVER DENY ANYONE'S TRAIT! If someone makes the character a robot, or very sick, or a Nazi, you must accept it. Try to avoid having a specific agenda...if you want to make your very own person, then just play by yourself. (Don't be that guy.)
- I also like how this character begins with a limitation and ends with it being overcome in a way. I'd say you can do this with a final entry, but don't force it...sometimes there is no resolution.
POWER HOUR PLUS
Most people understand the basic rules of a power hour:
-One shot of cheap beer every minute for an hour.
But I’ve introduced a new way to do it that doesn’t kick your ass, if you play it well!
What you’ll need:
-A 30 pack of cheap beer. Or craft beer if you’re feeling classy.
-Shot glasses (one per person)
-A way to play music
-A 6-sided die
-Something that you can use to resemble tokens. We used a deck of cards the first time we did this and they worked great. but you’ll need at least 30+ depending on the number of people.
Here’s how it works:
Set-up:
- You’re given 3 tokens at the beginning of the game (this number can be altered depending on how you’d like to play)
- Designate the three roles. If there are disputes as to who gets to be what, they are settled democratically within the group. If this fails, the terms are settled over thumb wrestling matches.
- Designate a pourer. They are responsible for making sure everyone gets poured a shot of beer before “Drink!” is called. They receive a bonus token under the stipulation that they will have to take an extra shot for each time they mess up in their pourer duties. For groups larger than four, the pourer receives an additional token for each additional two people.
- If you don’t have a phone app for this, designate a timekeeper. They are responsible for shouting “Drink!” on each minute for an hour. They receive a bonus pass under the stipulation that they will have to take an extra shot for each time they mess up in their timekeeper duties (failing to call DRINK within 5 seconds of that minute.)
- Designate a DJ. The DJ is responsible for the music. They can take suggestions, but have ultimate control over the music. If there is no music playing at any point, the original DJ must take a shot for failed duties and his/her position is forfit to the first to call “Dibs!” At any point, someone can spend a token to become the DJ.
- At any point immediately after a minute marker, the pourer or the timekeeper can spend a token to force the duty to another person. NO ONE CAN HAVE MORE THAN ONE JOB.
The Game:
- At every call of “Drink!” you must take your shot. “Stalling” is when someone fails to take a shot within the five five seconds of Drink! being called. Stalling is prohibited and will be punished by having the staller remove a major article of clothing. The shot still must be taken, this just buys them more time. If the staller stalls through to the next minute, a token is taken from them.
- You spend tokens to “pass” on a shot. In the last ten minutes of the power hour, shot “passes” double in price. If you are in the restroom during the shot call for “Drink!”, you lose a token if you haven’t already paid for it. YOU CANNOT PASS THE FIRST TEN SHOTS. YOU CAN ONLY PASS ON POWER HOUR DRINK SHOTS AND NOT PUNISHMENT SHOTS.
- You can earn tokens by doing a variety of things. Only one token can be earned per minute. Players settle disputes for earning tokens through a quick game of rock paper scissors.
- Doing a solo dance for one minute to the music of the DJ’s choosing. You are the only one who can dance. You must keep moving for the entire minute or you do not receive a token. Other players are encouraged to holler, clap or berate in any manner they choose, as long as its in good fun.
- Tell an embarrassing story about your life that no one has heard before. If someone has heard it they must stop the storyteller and the storyteller receives no token. If it is not deemed embarrassing enough by the other players, the storyteller receives no token. The story must can take more than a minute, as long as all other rules of shot calling and taking are observed. No token is received if the story takes more than three minutes though.
- No smiling! A person can opt to not smile for an entire minute by declaring “Guys! This is SERIOUS.” If the other players can get the non-smiler to crack one, the non-smiler receives no tokens. OTHER PLAYERS MAY NOT TOUCH THE NON-SMILER.
- You may also do an extra shot for a token at any time. This sort-of defeats the purpose but you’re entitled to it, and can use it for strategy or something.
- Tokens can be gifted. If you’re the gifter, roll the dice. On 1 or 2 you take a shot. On a 3 or 4 nothing happens. On a 5 or 6 the giftee drinks. THESE ARE UNPASSABLE SHOTS.
- Feel free to create your own rules for token earning as well!
End Game:
Once the hour is up, you’re done!
Just kidding.
If anyone has any tokens left they can force others to take additional shots for each token spent. TOKENS CANNOT BE USED TO PASS. TOKENS CANNOT BE EARNED AT THIS TIME. The big exception to this rule is if you managed to go through the power hour without spending any tokens to pass the 60 original shots, you are a “TRUE POWER HOUR CHAMPION” who is immune to being forced to take extra shots and can use your own tokens with impunity.
BOMBASTIC BOWLING
So before you start a regular round of bowling, you put the following list of rules into a "hat." Then before each frame, someone picks one of the rules out and follows it for the entire frame.
The regular rules for bowl apply EXCEPT:
At random, (you figure it out,) the bowling order is established. The player that bowls after you is known as your "Buddy". You get to chose the name your buddy has in the system and is then referred to that name for the rest of the game.
-Confessional Bowl: Tell an embarrassing fact about yourself right before you bowl
-Look Ma, No Holes!: Bowl without the holes...in fact during the whole frame, act as if there are spider eggs in the holes
-Granny Style Deluxe: Not only bowl granny style, but pretend to be a grandma the whole frame
-Robot Parade: Everyone is a robot. Talk like a robot. Move like a robot.
-No Talkie: No one can speak the whole frame. Try out other forms a communication if you must.
-Show Stopper: After each person bowls they get a standing ovation and they must bow
-Work Out!: The number of pins you knock down is the number of sit-ups/push-ups or jumping jacks you have to do as told to you by your "Buddy"
-Vanilla Bowl: Just a normal frame of bowling, except if there is ice cream, YOU MUST GET ICE CREAM
- Hey Buddy...: Your :"Buddy" bowls for you. If your "Buddy" scores no points that bowl, you may chose the ball your "Buddy" bowls with the next frame.
-The Future is Now: you can't not look at your phone the whole frame. Even while bowling.
-Planet Hollywood: be a celebrity this frame. The worst your impression, the better. If you can't pick a celebrity, it is picked for you by your "Buddy".
-When in Omeray: Speak Pig Latin the whole frame
-Look over there!: Players are encouraged to yell or spook the current bowler just as they're about to bowl.
-Bully for You: When a player does poorly, the remaining players must point and laugh/jeer/boo
-Diviner: Everyone but the current bowler takes a guess at how many pins they'll knock down. If they are correct, they are exempt from the next frame's rule
-Dominent-Schmominent: Everyone bowls with their non-dominant hand this round. If you gutterball during this round, you have to stuff your dominant hand in your shirt and not use it until the next time you bowl.
-Choose your own rule!: The person with the least amount of points gets to make up a rule. They may forfeit this responsibly to a more willing player if they kiss that player's hand like that player is a princess.
At the end of the game the person with the most points thumb wrestles the person with the least points. The winner of this contest wins the game. If another game is played, that winner gets to chose the names of all the other players for that subsequent game. If this was the final game, the winner gets her shoes removed by the 1st runner up, returned by the 2nd runner up and her regular shoes put on and laced by the loser of the thumb wrestling match.
So before you start a regular round of bowling, you put the following list of rules into a "hat." Then before each frame, someone picks one of the rules out and follows it for the entire frame.
The regular rules for bowl apply EXCEPT:
At random, (you figure it out,) the bowling order is established. The player that bowls after you is known as your "Buddy". You get to chose the name your buddy has in the system and is then referred to that name for the rest of the game.
-Confessional Bowl: Tell an embarrassing fact about yourself right before you bowl
-Look Ma, No Holes!: Bowl without the holes...in fact during the whole frame, act as if there are spider eggs in the holes
-Granny Style Deluxe: Not only bowl granny style, but pretend to be a grandma the whole frame
-Robot Parade: Everyone is a robot. Talk like a robot. Move like a robot.
-No Talkie: No one can speak the whole frame. Try out other forms a communication if you must.
-Show Stopper: After each person bowls they get a standing ovation and they must bow
-Work Out!: The number of pins you knock down is the number of sit-ups/push-ups or jumping jacks you have to do as told to you by your "Buddy"
-Vanilla Bowl: Just a normal frame of bowling, except if there is ice cream, YOU MUST GET ICE CREAM
- Hey Buddy...: Your :"Buddy" bowls for you. If your "Buddy" scores no points that bowl, you may chose the ball your "Buddy" bowls with the next frame.
-The Future is Now: you can't not look at your phone the whole frame. Even while bowling.
-Planet Hollywood: be a celebrity this frame. The worst your impression, the better. If you can't pick a celebrity, it is picked for you by your "Buddy".
-When in Omeray: Speak Pig Latin the whole frame
-Look over there!: Players are encouraged to yell or spook the current bowler just as they're about to bowl.
-Bully for You: When a player does poorly, the remaining players must point and laugh/jeer/boo
-Diviner: Everyone but the current bowler takes a guess at how many pins they'll knock down. If they are correct, they are exempt from the next frame's rule
-Dominent-Schmominent: Everyone bowls with their non-dominant hand this round. If you gutterball during this round, you have to stuff your dominant hand in your shirt and not use it until the next time you bowl.
-Choose your own rule!: The person with the least amount of points gets to make up a rule. They may forfeit this responsibly to a more willing player if they kiss that player's hand like that player is a princess.
At the end of the game the person with the most points thumb wrestles the person with the least points. The winner of this contest wins the game. If another game is played, that winner gets to chose the names of all the other players for that subsequent game. If this was the final game, the winner gets her shoes removed by the 1st runner up, returned by the 2nd runner up and her regular shoes put on and laced by the loser of the thumb wrestling match.
It's a small deck of cards with instructions for determining who goes first during a game. Each card would have a top section for the first game of the evening and then a bottom section for any and every subsequent game. As a note, this can also be a game on it's own that's just a series of mini-games. Game game game.
Example: The top of the card reads: Each player rolls a six sided die. The lowest number goes first. Ties re-roll until there is a clear winner.
The bottom of the card reads: The winner of the previous game assigns everyone a number (1-6). If there are numbers leftover, the winner can choose to give the remaining numbers to herself or other players. Then the winner rolls a d-6 the resulting assigned number goes first.
I was thinking of trying to create a whole 52 card deck of fun possibilities. Here are a few more:
TOP: Play a game of Shoot! where you count to three and everyone can do three things by pointing:
Shoot another
Shoot yourself
Shoot in the air (Pass)
If you shoot another, they are out unless they shoot themselves, in which case everyone who shot them is out. You can't shoot in the air more than twice in a row.
BOTTOM: Start pointing at a person and keep your hand pointing. That person then points to someone not pointing. This goes until there is only one person not pointing and they go first.
TOP: Ladies first. If there's more than one woman, draw another card and the choosing method only applies to them. If there are no women, draw another card.
BOTTOM: Gentleman's game. If there's more than one man, draw another card and the choosing method only applies to them. If there are no men, draw another card.
TOP: If you drew this card, go first.
BOTTOM: If you drew this card, go first.
TOP: Play a game of Elimination Categories. The drawer of this card picks a category and then everyone has to name something that goes in that category. If you repeat something, or take too long to respond you're out. The next person from whomever got out picks another category. Repeat as necessary. Last person remaining goes first.
BOTTOM: Pick a number between 1 -100. The person who guesses the closes goes first. In the case of a tie, you go first.
TOP: Ask the group who is the strongest. If there is an argument about this, arm wrestle for verification. Do this until the strongest is apparent. That person goes first.
BOTTOM: Chose someone to have a staring contest with. First to blink or look away loses and the victor goes first.
Example: The top of the card reads: Each player rolls a six sided die. The lowest number goes first. Ties re-roll until there is a clear winner.
The bottom of the card reads: The winner of the previous game assigns everyone a number (1-6). If there are numbers leftover, the winner can choose to give the remaining numbers to herself or other players. Then the winner rolls a d-6 the resulting assigned number goes first.
I was thinking of trying to create a whole 52 card deck of fun possibilities. Here are a few more:
TOP: Play a game of Shoot! where you count to three and everyone can do three things by pointing:
Shoot another
Shoot yourself
Shoot in the air (Pass)
If you shoot another, they are out unless they shoot themselves, in which case everyone who shot them is out. You can't shoot in the air more than twice in a row.
BOTTOM: Start pointing at a person and keep your hand pointing. That person then points to someone not pointing. This goes until there is only one person not pointing and they go first.
TOP: Ladies first. If there's more than one woman, draw another card and the choosing method only applies to them. If there are no women, draw another card.
BOTTOM: Gentleman's game. If there's more than one man, draw another card and the choosing method only applies to them. If there are no men, draw another card.
TOP: If you drew this card, go first.
BOTTOM: If you drew this card, go first.
TOP: Play a game of Elimination Categories. The drawer of this card picks a category and then everyone has to name something that goes in that category. If you repeat something, or take too long to respond you're out. The next person from whomever got out picks another category. Repeat as necessary. Last person remaining goes first.
BOTTOM: Pick a number between 1 -100. The person who guesses the closes goes first. In the case of a tie, you go first.
TOP: Ask the group who is the strongest. If there is an argument about this, arm wrestle for verification. Do this until the strongest is apparent. That person goes first.
BOTTOM: Chose someone to have a staring contest with. First to blink or look away loses and the victor goes first.
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