Yes, but is it art?
Got rather bored at an Art Deco exhibition my Mum took me along to at the V&A museum.

Started to play 'Yes, But Is It Art?'

This involved considered chin stroking over non-art in the museum.

Got a clip round the ear when my Mum saw me staring intently at a small security monitor - surrounded by a small crowd, all mistakenly doing the same.

Try it. You'll be pleasantly surprised how many people join you to consider normal things. I was.
(microsaulxp, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 16:23, Reply)

The ruining somebodys holiday video via swearing game
For this you will need to spot somebody at a tourist attraction filming away with their camcorder.

You can then approach the task at hand in one of two ways:

(1) Shout "Bollocks!" (or whatever phrase you like) once, very loudly, from a distance.

(2) Repeatedly swear at normal conversational volumes while walking past the victim.

The joy in this is that 90% of people won't notice at the time. But when they get home and play the tape the swearing leaps out at them from the television like a large happy tourettes rabbit.

Also works well at weddings.
(Daveybaby, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 16:54, Reply)

Where is Edinburgh Castle?
one of Scotland’s greatest sports, this is best played on Princes Street or in the Gardens. During 'The Festival' you will doubtless be approached by many people/Mercans who will ask you "...where is Edinburgh Castle?" even though it is plainly obvious where the feck Edinburgh Castle is (hint - it's the big castle shaped thing which towers very visibly over the whole area on a big hill) The game is to give the most original and untrue reply. Past winners include "Glasgow" "I don't know I'm blind" "see that big castle on the hill? It's on the other side of that" A deep fried can of Irn Bru goes to the winner.
( Prof UnderCover evitable, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 16:20, Reply)

Well it started off as impromptu
when a bunch of us were sharing a large house many years ago. One "mate" had tried to decorate the place by putting a godawful anodised gold-and-glass mini goblet shitful thingy on the mantlepiece. Probably bequeathed by some dead aunt. Anyway, as it was taking up valuable bong space, I decided to dispose of the hideousness by putting it in another mate's work bag.

Here starteth the game.

He reciprocated the next day and immediately arose the challenge household-wide of trying to get other people to unwittingly ferry it to work/uni for the day. It got to the stage of sheer paranoia as you walked out the door in the morning, wondering if you'd been goblet-ified.

South Korea was its first overseas trip.

New Zealand 3 times in a row (he finally stopped us giving him lifts to the airport, bastard.)

It's now bounced between Australia, the US and England god knows how many times over the last 21 years.

There is not greater joy than being woken at 3am by an international phone call: "You fucking sneaky prick"
(baldie, Thu 1 Apr 2004, 15:44, Reply)

Cards
A game for 2 or more people, ideal for those all-too-common situations when you have agreed that playing a card game would be a good idea, but are unable to agree on which one.

Each player thinks of a card game, and asks the dealer for as many cards as are required for them to play that game. Players take turns to play one turn of their chosen game, sticking as closely as possible to the rules of that game. The game is won by the first player who manages to 'win' by the rules of whatever game they have chosen.

Strategy: Beginners tend to opt for the comedy option of Snap, which can indeed be particularly effective against players of Rummy who are required to place sets of cards down, but it is usually impossible for them to obtain all the cards and claim a 'win' first. Pontoon is often a good choice, since relatively few cards are required to reach 21, but there is the danger of going 'broke'. 5 Card Poker is also a strong choice (and bets are relatively safe if you are the only one gambling) but do not be reckless, many a good poker hand has lost to a player of gin rummy who has put down 2 'three of a kind's before you have given them their second opportunity to raise you. Hearts is a strong choice against Poker players, since you can take all 3 of their cards and give them 3 bad ones. Patience games are an interesting option, and can (with luck) win in a single turn, but this strategy can be thwarted by Snap players removing your cards, or by rummy players declaring themselves winners by virtue of having no cards left.
( Andy_R At the third stroke, the time will be precisely, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 15:10, Reply)

MSC Cricket
I work in a biohazard lab and as such rules inside can be quite strict. For example, we are not allowed to carry anything at all in case we drop it, instead we move everything on trolleys. We have an airlock to get in and we shower out every time we leave.

One game we play is microbiological safety cabinet cricket. It basically consists of a ball of surgical gloves (we don't have much paper in the lab) thrown across the room and then fired back by the batsman using normally long thin metal tin. We give a certain number of runs depending on whether it hits or even goes in different cabinets.

However this does backfire occasionally. Last month we were playing cricket in the lab and my manager struck our ball of gloves perfectly. It sailed through the air and straight into the anthrax cabinet, knocking over a tube of blood in which we had just diagosed positive anthrax (it's OK, it didn't come from inside the UK). We had to evacuate the building for 3 hours, and then go in with full breathing equipment to fumigate which takes a little under a week. Meant we did no more work for a while though but the top management have taken to frowning on our little game of cricket.
(_earwaxuk_, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 8:00, Reply)

Oh and Try To Get Kicked Out Of The Vatican
Warning: Requires the vatican to play.

Basically using the armless old marble busts of dead popes, stand behind them and impersonte pope BA until removed.
( WhoElse I'm what Willis was talking about, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 16:11, Reply)

Camouflage confusion
Back in the 80's when camouflage clothing was fashionable among a certain type of teen, we had a game when you had to walk into them and say "Sorry, I didn't see you". Points for style, knocking them down etc... As the town centre was crawling with these guys a game could last a whole saturday afternoon.

Not one ever seemed to realise why we walked into them.

Some years later at a chemical plant in Dalry Scotland I saw a safety officer wearing a neon orange suit - so bright it practically glowed. For old times sake I walked into him saying "Sorry, I didn't see you".
(JcmS, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 19:26, Reply)

The Anal Game & Best Prejudice Slurs & Inflationary language
While stuck in traffic or on long car trips, my friends and i like to play the "anal game." You put anal in front of the the names of cars. (hint: the funnest ones are RVs, they always have funny names).
a few examples:
- anal explorer, excursion & expedition
- anal prode (my favorite)
- anal paradise

(sorry about the non-european car names, the ones that i know don't work that well. :P)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In high school, my group of friends was pretty varied in race, class and sexuality. We made a game out of insulting eachother at every chance we got. While walking through the hallways i can't even count how many times i was called "fag" or "dyke." The funniest part, though, is the looks that other people give you. i'm sure this is a pretty common impromptu game, but for a good reason.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This "game" was made famous by a pianist named Victor This gets quite confusing when you talk really fast. I recommend playing while under the influence of something to ensure that hilarity will ensue. It's hard to explain so i'll just give you an example.
Before: "Before i went to bed, i ate a cookie"
After: "Befive i went three bed, i nine a cookie."

that's all for now!
(sophie the dyking, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 5:51, Reply)

The trolley game
Adds fun to any shopping trip. The object is to get items into other people's trolleys (or baskets) without them noticing. Trolleys left unattended are the easiest, just pop the item in. You can also wait until the person bends down to get something off another shelf, or turns their back. Wait until they are reading the back of a packet and just slip something in.

Extra points are awarded for "themed" items, for example, a woman in a track suit with a trolley full of skimmed milk, salad, low fat yoghurt etc, would get a secret block of lard or some chocolate. Someone buying nut cutlets, vegeburgers, etc., would receive a nice steak. If you can hide the item underneath something they have already put in there it means it may not be discovered until the checkout. One of the best items was a retractable dog lead, slipeed into the basket (difficult) of a man who we had noticed outside the store, nervously trying to avaoid a labrador tied up outside.

Even more fun is the children's version of the game. Wait till Mummy or Daddy has gone off to get something and leaves the child alone in the trolley seat. (This works best in the confectionery aisle). Take a packet of sweets or a candy bar off the shelf and hand it to the child. Opening the wrapper and saying "here you are" adds to the fun. Retire to a safe distance and watch.

I was once playing this game in Morrisons only to find I was being followed by two lads trying to slip some items into my trolley. I got my own back though, unless they had intended purchasing a jar of vaseline and a cucumber.
( Amos E Wolfe makes vinyl signs and things like that, Thu 1 Apr 2004, 7:02, Reply)

Two games that are fun for kids of all ages:
1. Buy a cheap pack of cards.
2. Remove the faces of each card.
3. Draw new values on the cards. Some possible values: Ace of Voids (cut hole in the centre of the card), 2^10 of small dots, Ace of Machiavellian Lobsters, e of i πs, the ¥ of spoons, the Jack of all trades, and the 1/2 card that Sean didn't eat.
4. Deal half the deck to each player. Take turns playing one card at a time. Invent ways for each card to beat another.
5. The game ends when someone loses an eye.

Also,
Take 13 pennies and arrange them on a table. The first player must arrange them in a shape of their choosing and announce what the image is. The next player then takes any three pennies and shifts them to make a different image, announcing what the image is supposed to be. If other players disagree with what the image looks like, the player whose turn just ended gets harassed. Also, once an image is used, it can't be used again. Play ends when someone loses an eye.

I've played both these games... though never to completion.
(philthemoose asbentee and/or-ed., Mon 29 Mar 2004, 19:30, Reply)

The Game
The Game is simply called "The Game".

The object of The Game is to forget you are playing The Game. I first was introduced to this in 1996 or thereabouts.

You lose if at any time you remember you're playing The Game. When you do remember you're playing it, you must tell everyone in your present company that you "Just remembered I'm playing The Game" - and then proceed to explain the rules to them, as they are now (whether they like it or not) playing The Game also. You have 20 minutes to forget all about The Game before it restarts.

The Game by its very nature spreads like wildfire. I was at a barbecue last summer and someone who was entirely unconnected with the set I know remembered she was playing The Game...

BTW, you're all playing it now as by default, I just remembered I am playing it. Thats the rules.
(Ariaxen, Wed 31 Mar 2004, 13:02, Reply)

Make the goth smile
A good one to play in student towns. When confronted with some arsehole who thinks that wearing black and looking like your mother's just died makes them an individual, stare straight at them and smile broadly. If they can't suppress their natural inclination to smile back then you win. If not, you still win, because you are an infinitely superior person.
(DoctorJ last upset some twat who doesn't like swearing on, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 15:04, Reply)

Insult olympics.
simple concept. you deliberately insult each other till one of you actually makes the other upset. Hard to score a win. The last time I managed it was when I suggested that my opponents one legged, dead father could have made good money as a novelty prostitute and should be exhumed for that purpose.
(littlebootshorse, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 8:26, Reply)

Sieze the goth!
Everytime myself and Miss Daisy Mae go to London, you can be sure as mustard a fine game of sieze the goth's on the cards. Basically the aim of the game is to touch as many goth types as possible whilst within the confines of That London. Extra points are awarded for running across busy streets to subtley touch a group of said gothics without them knowing. Also there is a sliding scale of gothicness which improves your score, cyber and uber goths scoring more that a fat kid in a korn hoodies with eyeliner on for example.
( mushybees NEBUSHI SHANGHUNG!, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 17:35, Reply)

The STD Game
My friends and I (with the help of my oft inebriated friend Samantha) thought this game up a few years ago when we received a teacher we disliked immensly as our band director. In order to annoy said teacher (and by default, all the conservative parents of band members loitering in the band hall) we decided one day to start yelling out the most foul things we could imagine.

This rapidly transpired to asking eachother at loud volumes how someone was coping with their current sexually transmitted disease.

Example :
"SAMANTHA! How's the chlamydia coming?"
"It's going fantastic, the swelling has lessened a lot and the oozing fluids have almost completely stopped.The only problem now is the herpes."

Remember...you must yell. It's no fun if no one can hear you.

You get extra points if you make someone cry.
(Magzah, Thu 1 Apr 2004, 23:50, Reply)

Is there a shit in my box?
A 'friend' of mine played this late one night in the McDonalds in Sheffield: He ordered a burger, ate it outside and took a dump in the box (he was slightly worse for wear). Not knowing what to do with the box he was suddenly smacked with an inspired thought. "I'll play an impromtu game with the girl who served me to see if I can get my money back" said he (we'll call him Luke), and so he did. "Excuse me Love? I'm not happy with this burger you've just given me, take a look at it." There was no queue after that. Nobody else wants to play "Is there a shit in my box".
(headsintatters, Wed 31 Mar 2004, 13:27, Reply)

Snorting my wife's nipples
I used to play a game where I would snort my wife's nipples as if they were lines of coke. It's a very simple game but hugely enjoyable. Might I suggest that you don't all use my wife though as she's a very busy woman.

On a more mundane note we used to play a game on long motorway journeys where we would take the motorway junction number (eg 25) and say where we lived at age 25, where we were working, what we were doing, etc. You both have to have finished by the time you get to the next junction whereupon you start with 24 and so on. If you're only 4 then you will be crap at this game and, more to the point, you shouldn't be driving on the motorway.

*offers up silent prayer thanking the lord for the anonymity of the web*
(Dr Whom I say DJ. You say Roomba. DJ, Wed 31 Mar 2004, 12:39, Reply)

Ragdoll.
Freshers week in halls at York around 1995.

Popped to visit a beautiful girl (Miss X) in the room above mine for a cup of tea, 'fancy a pint', let-me-introduce-myself type chat.

Things going very well until I hear a thundering rumble of footsteps, the door flies open and in bounds Mr Y (over 6ft tall) who shouts "RAGDOLL!" - At which point Miss X groans and goes all floppy, as he picks her up and throws her around the room over and over again.

I simply sit and watch, wide-eyed, as my tea goes cold.

Then Mr Y leaves. Miss X sits back down, brushing the hair from her face, and we carry on talking. Suffice to say that though we got together briefly, Miss X and I, we never played Ragdoll.

Maybe that's why it wasn't meant to be.
(microsaulxp, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 13:34, Reply)

Not Really an Impromptu Game
But when I was a Scout Leader (no funny comments please) we'd occassionally play a game. The Scouts would be split into two groups...say the Badger Brigade and the Penguin Posse (it didn't really matter) and they'd head off to opposite corners of a wood.

One group would be told to hide and avoid being captured by the other team.

The OTHER group would be told to hide and avoid being captured by the others.



Ahhh. Two of three hours of peace and quiet.
( Tepid_Halibut felt like a cold, empty shell of a human...until, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 10:05, Reply)

Yeah, New Year..
Started playing this game called "Guess what video this is". You watch MTV or the like and try and guess the video before anyone else does.

My boyfriend and I did invent a game, but we haven't been able to play it yet. It's called "Whats On My Head". David Blunket is seated opposite his dog, an object is placed on David's head and he has to guess what it is. Only his dog can answer him with 1 bark for No and two barks for Yes. David is allowed three very vague clues.
(DirtyChurch, Mon 29 Mar 2004, 16:02, Reply)

Messages for the children of the future
In the deep of the night, go with friends, a pen , some paper and lots of bier in a park.
First drink the biers.
Then, note messages of hope for the children of the future on a small paper and put it in an empty bier can ( glass can is better coz you can see the message inside ).
Then, burry the biers in random place in the park. You have to burry the cans quite deep and try to remove any trace that a hole as been digged there.
Then .. well, there's no real point apart from the fact that perhaps, kids of the future in shiny silver suits will find your drunken messages of hope.
I always feel like I fulfilled an important mission for the planet when playing that :)
(_ULu_, Thu 1 Apr 2004, 16:03, Reply)

A game i invented this morning
Although someone must have come up with it before, but its still pretty mega.

When on the bus, wait for it to pull up alongside another bus, at the lights, say. try and get the attention of someone on another bus, and in turn get them to tap the person on the seat infront of them, as if you want to talk to them. when the person taps the other person, quickly look away and pretend nothing happened. infantile, but funny.

And you get to piss off two people at once. hurrah!
(Rushy, Thu 1 Apr 2004, 15:28, Reply)

Multi-Phone Department Phone Attack
Simple this one.

At work get all the members of one Team/Department to ring another Teams phones simultaniously.

Give each of your team members a number to call, all dial the number allocated bar the last digit, then all at once dial the last digit.

If you get this right all the phones in target team area all ring in sync.
(Sp4mM0nkey I can go Anywhere!, Thu 1 Apr 2004, 15:24, Reply)

Xtreme pidgeon swingball
A superior version of this sport is to buy a bag of trill or whatever, next go to a good fast road. now the art here is to find a good stretch of the road, I recomend a blind corner or just over the brow of a hill. Next apply a liberal sprinkling of birdseed to the middle of the road, sit back and watch... my mate once had six 'geons wiped out in one hit by a BT van
(monkey_holding_peach, Wed 31 Mar 2004, 10:27, Reply)

a great mini bus game
was, when said minibus was stopped at traffic lights, everyone gets out, runs round the bus and has to get back on before the lights turn green and they get left behind
( Citizen Cavy Admires your passion for conformity, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 17:19, Reply)

supermarket sweep
every time i go to the supermarket, i move things to places they really shouldn't be-the more bizarre combination the better. i.e. a packet of nappies in the frozen fish section.

i am actually quite addicted and even if i'm on my own its become a kind of obsessive compulsive thing...

but played it with mates too and points are awarded for style and placement- ultimate goal is to get something behind the glass at the deli counter but not managed it yet.
(muffty, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 17:02, Reply)

I once worked...
...For a well-known burger chain with a yellow clown for a chairman. We invented several games to make the day more fun and keep the general public waiting longer for their 'food'.

1)Laps.
To be played between 12 and 2, Saturday lunchtime. You leave your till and walk off behind the milkshake machine and through the kitchen. Come back into the front part at the opposite end you left, tap your playing partner on the shoulder and take another lap. The aim is to walk as many laps as possible before someone catches you and marches you back out to your till or, heaven forbid, a customer manages to catch your eye and you're forced to serve them.

2) I Beg Your Pardon?
When working in a burger chain it is customary to have to yell out for food which has been given an abbreviated name. The punters have no idea what these names mean and tend not to listen. This mean you can shout out personal comments about the people you are serving without them noticing.
"Four Cheese, One Quarter, Enormous Jugs!"
"Taking your last Veg, I've got a crap haircut!"
You lost when someone said "I beg your pardon?"

3)Point The New Smoked Glass Dome Covered CCTV Cameras Down So You Can Look Down Girl's Tops In The Summer.
Self explanatory really.
(castro, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 15:55, Reply)

Supermarket Games:
I've got several of these, but here's two to start you off.

1 - "Secret shopper" the aim of the game is to get people you don't know to buy things they don't want.

You do this by following them around the supermarket and adding inapropriate items to their trolley. The winner is the first player whose target actually pays for the inapropriate item at the checkout. Bonus style points can be awarded for spectacular inapropriate items.

2 - "make em cry" the aim of the game is to find a parent who is carying their child over their shoulder, and stare at the kid until they cry. The winner is the player who achieves this, without getting caught, in the shortest time.

If you get caught, simply say "awww, they're so sweet at that age!" and smile.
( LP, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 11:11, Reply)

One afternoon, the girls and I were bored.
We had no liquor, so we started playing "I Never" using shots of water. The first one to pee loses. The game involves stating something such as "I never smoked a joint" and whoever has smoked a joint (or whatever was stated) must drink. This was great for me, as out of the three of us, I was the only one that had no had a tattoo, been pregnant, lived out of town, lived with a boyfriend, taken acid, and so on and so forth. However, they got me back on things like coating myself in chocolate pudding, being topless in front of hundreds of people, flirting with married men, and leaving North America.

Drinking water sounds easy, until you find yourself giddy from exposing your friends' deepest darkest secrets, and laughing hysterically while trying not to piss yourself!

The "loser" had the last laugh, though. After 3 hours of constant water shooters, Jess finally jumped up and ran to the toilet, locking us out and taking her sweet time in the bathroom. I was considering relieving myself in the kitchen sink when she finally decided to let me in!
(ghettobooty, Tue 30 Mar 2004, 2:26, Reply)