TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Games:

Balloon Burst
Blind person’s Bluff
Hide & Go Seek

Musical Chairs
Musical Statues
Pass the Parcel
Simon Said

Three Legged Race
Water Race
Who is the Conductor?

Miscellaneous:

Rulebook Terminology

Copyright Notice
Return to Laureate

E-mail the author.

BALLOON BURST

This is the maybe most challenging game since the dawn of humankind (if they only have invented the bal­loons when they are inventing the wheel). It is a game of willful balloon breakage that would make a lot of loud banging noise in the process. This game is best played inside.

What are required:

•   

At least two players.

•   

A balloon for each player.

•   

A ball of string.

•   

A pair of scissors.

How to set up the game:

1.   

Completely blow up the balloons with the same volume of air in each.

2.   

Cut about 75cm length of string for each player.

3.   

Tie one end of the each string to each balloon.

4.   

Tie the other end of the each string to right above the right leg’s ankle of each player.

How to play the game:

1.   

Say: “ON YOUR MARKS”.

2.   

Players must enter in a square or a circle area & this area is referred as the “arena”.

3.   

Say: “GET SET”.

4.   

Start the race by yelling “GO!” or by blowing a whistle.

5.   

Each player who is in the “arena”, is challenged to burst the balloons that are attached to the other play­ers’ legs & be the only player with an unburst balloon.

6.   

If a player’s balloon has become broken, that player becomes eliminated & must leave the “arena”.

7.   

The game ends when there is only one player who is left in the “arena” with an unburst balloon to that player’s leg & that player is declared to be the “winner”.

8.   

Second place taker is the last player eliminated, the third place taker is the second last player eliminat­ed & so forth.

Cases of disqualifications:

•   

Players who are hitting, pushing or tripping the other players.

•   

Players who leave the “arena” if their balloons have not been burst, but this case is classified as an im­mediate elimination rather than an immediate disqualification.

Variations & Optional Rules:

•   

Instead of tying one ballon to each player, this can be varied by:

1.   

Tie an extra or two more balloons to each player.

2.   

Then each player has a “life” for each unburst balloon.

3.   

If one of a player’s balloon has gotten broken, that player will lose one life & can still stay in the “arena” until all the lives of that player is lost, thus that player becomes eliminated & must leave the arena.

BLIND PERSON’S BLUFF²

This is a game where a player is chosen & becomes blindfolded, then that player must find & grab an un­blindfolded player.

What are required:

•   

At least three players.

•   

A blindfold (or a “non-see thru” scarf).

•   

An enclosed area with walls or fences.

How to play the game:

1.   

Choose a player to be the chosen-one.

2.   

Place all the players inside an enclosed area & this area is referred as an arena. Close all exits in the are­na if necessary.

3.   

Place the blindfold (or the scarf) over the eyes of the chosen-one & making sure that chosen-one can not see.

4.   

Choose an unblindfolded player to be the spinner.

5.   

The spinner will spin the chosen-one three times at the centre of the arena.

•   

The spinner should walk away from the chosen one after the chosen one has been spun, unless the spinner wants risked capture as explained in steps 7 & 8.

6.   

All the unblindfolded players must call out: “Try to capture me!” to the chosen-one.

7.   

Then chosen-one must try to grab an unblindfolded player within the arena.

•   

Although the chosen-one is “blind”, but the chosen one is not deaf. The chosen one’s sense of sound is useful to locate an unblindfolded player to grab.

•   

Also, the chosen-one must not remove the blindfold.

8.   

The unblindfolded players are challenged to avoid being grabbed by the chosen-one.

•   

The unblindfolded players should keep very quietly, as a loud noise can easily alert the chosen-one at their presence.

•   

Also, the blindfolded player must not remove the blindfold.

9.   

The round ends when a chosen-one has grabbed an unblindfolded player.

After a round:

1.   

Unblindfold the chosen-one or chosen-one can do the unblindfolding.

2.   

The chosen-one must release the player that the chosen-one has captured.

3.   

The player who was grabbed will become the chosen-one for the next round.

4.   

Repeat all the steps in How to Play for each additional round.

5.   

The game ends when the players become tried.

Variations & Optional Rules:

•   

Since this version of the game’s rules is played in an enclosed area, it is impossible for the chosen-one to accidentally leave the arena. Therefore I do not have to write rules to handle the chosen-one’s exit of the arena, or require a referee to push the the chosen-one back into the arena when the chosen one leaves it.

•   

The name Blind Person’s Bluff is used because I who am the rule book author refers to use gender-neu­tral language.

HIDE & GO SEEK

(Description for this game is not yet available)

What are required:

•   

At least two players.

•   

An area with lots of hiding places (the hiding area).

•   

A start room (eg: A room is not used for hiding).

How to play the game:

1.   

Choose a player to be the seeker.

2.   

All the players must go into the start room.

3.   

The seeker must slowly count up to ten with the hands covering over the eyes.

4.   

The rest of the players are the hiders. Each hider must try to find a hiding place within the hiding area whilst the seeker is counting.

•   

Each hiding place can only be used by one hider at a time. The hiders must hide within the hid­ing area.

5.   

After the seeker has counted to ten, the seeker must yell out: “Ready or not, here I come”, then the seek­er must seek all the other players who are hiding within the hiding area.

6.   

When the seeker said: “Ready or not, here I come”, all the hiders who have found hiding places must stay in their hiding places until sought by the seeker. Any hider who has not found a hiding place, that hider must quickly find a hiding place or be risked being instantly sought by the seeker.

7.   

When the seeker has sought a hider, the seeker must yell out: “Sought you” followed by that hider’s name. That sought hider must leave the area & go to the start room.

8.   

After the seeker has sought a hider, the seeker must continue to seek the other hiders.

9.   

The round ends when the seeker has sought all the hiders.

10.   

The last hider who has been sought, will become the seeker for the next round, go back to step 2 for each additional round.

11.   

The game ends when all the players are tired.

Notes:

•   

The strategy in this game: the hiders should be very quiet, because the seeker can use the ears to track down the “hiders”.

MUSICAL CHAIRS

If only the chairs themselves could play wonderful music, but I have the next best thing, A game called “Mu­sical Chairs”, where the players must stand up from the chairs then dance (or walk) around the edge of the “are­na” when the music begins to play. Then at a random moment, the music stops!

At this moment, each player is then challenged to race to a chair then sit down on it, but there is one prob­lem: one chair is missing! If a player did not get a chair to sit on when others have found one, that player is elimi­nated & this continues until there is only one player who is not eliminated & seating on the chair. This game can be played either inside or outside.

What are required:

•   

At least two players.

•   

An one-seater chair for each player. (Each chair must be made to the same specifications)

•   

A music source. (Such as a CD player, a MP3 player, or a tape recorder)

How to set up the game:

1.   

Place all the chairs scattered about in a square or a circle area & this area is referred as the “arena”.

2.   

Place each player on a chair inside the “arena”.

How to play the game:

1.   

Start the music.

2.   

The players who sitting down on the chairs in the “arena”, they must immediately stand up from the chairs then dance (or walk) around the edge of the “arena” while the music is playing.

3.   

The referee removes a chair from the “arena”.

4.   

The referee stops the music at a random moment.

5.   

Players is challenged to stop dancing (or walking) then quickly find an empty chair in the “arena” & sit down it. Each player is also challenged to not be the only player in the “arena” who is left without a chair to sit on.

•   

Each chair is not allowed to seat more than one player.

6.   

The player who is left without a chair inside the “arena” to sit on, is eliminated from gameplay & that player must leave the “arena”.

7.   

Repeat steps 1 to 6 for each additional round.

8.   

The game ends when there is only one player who is not eliminated & the only one who is sitting on the sole remaining chair in the “arena”.

9.   

The remaining player who is not eliminated is declared as the “winner”.

10   

Second place taker is the last player eliminated, the third place taker is the second last player eliminat­ed & so forth.

Cases of disqualifications:

•   

Players who are sitting down when they should be dancing (or walking) around the edge of the “arena” while the music is playing.

•   

Any player who picks up or moves a chair within the “arena”, especially when another player is about to sit on it after the music has stopped.

Notes:

•   

If no one is left standing after the music has stopped, there must be two players who are sitting on one chair, which is disallowable in the game’s rule. Look for these two players who are doing this, the one is occupying least of the chair, is declared eliminated.

MUSICAL STATUES

This game is like Musical Chairs but when the music stops, all the players who are in the “arena” must “freeze” & become stationary like statues. If a player fails to stay still when music stops or makes a move­ment before the “referee” restarts the music, that player will be eliminated. When the music starts up again, every player unfreezes & begins dancing when music continues. This game ends until there is only one play­er is left. This game can be played either inside or outside.

What are required:

•   

At least two players.

•   

A referee.

•   

A music source. (Such as a CD player, a MP3 player, or a tape recorder)

How to play the game:

1.   

Place every player inside a square or a circle area & this area is referred as the “arena”.

2.   

The referee starts the music.

3.   

The players who are in the “arena” must dance while the music is playing.

4.   

The referee stops the music at a random moment.

5.   

When the music stops, every player in the “arena” is now challenged to “freeze” & become completely stationary like a statue without moving until the music restarts.

6.   

A player will be eliminated from gameplay & must leave the “arena” if that player fails the above chal­lenge by:

1.   

Making a movement whilst there is no music playing, or

2.   

Failing to “freeze” immediately & become completely stationary when the music stops.

7.   

After at least 5 to 10 seconds since the music has been stopped, continue onto the next round.

8.   

Repeat steps 2 to 8 for each additional round.

9.   

The game ends when there is only one player left in the “arena”.

10   

The remaining player is declared as the winner.

11   

Second place taker is the last player eliminated, the third place taker is the second last player eliminat­ed & so forth.

Variations & Optional Rules:

•   

This game can be harden by increasing the duration of time when the music is stopped.

Notes:

•   

The duration of this game can be a pretty long (& boring) game to play if the players stay perfectly still at almost everytime when the music stops.

•   

Slight but uncontrollable movements (eg: breathing) must be put into consideration while the players are posing as statues.

PASS THE PARCEL

(Description for this game is not yet available)

What are required:

•   

At least two players.

•   

A music source. (Such as a CD player, a MP3 player, or a tape recorder)

•   

A main prize of reasonable value (eg: A very good joke book, a pencil case or a T-shirt).

•   

A wrapping paper roll (or a newspaper can be used).

•   

A pair of scissors (used to cut the wrapping paper & the sticky tape).

•   

A roll of sticky tape (used to stick the wrapping paper).

•   

Small prizes costing cheaper than the big prize. (eg: lollies³, a small notepad, an inexpensive pen).

•   

Pieces of paper with harmless “ordeals” written on them. (eg: Dance on the spot, Imitate a grotesque monster, Jump on the spot 40 times).

How to make a parcel for “Pass the Parcel”:

1.   

Wrap the main prize with wrapping paper.

2.   

The basic parcel has been wrapped. Now, create the additional layers of the parcel:

1.   

Place either a small prize or an “ordeal” onto top of the parcel.

2.   

Then wrap an additional layer of wrapping paper to the parcel.

3.   

Repeat steps i & ii to place the additional small prizes & “ordeals”.

3.  

If desired, place a piece of paper with a message on top of the final layer of the parcel (eg: “A parcel for the game of Pass the Parcel, please do not touch it until we are ready to play the game — Thanks”).

How to play the game:

1.   

The players must form a circle in the room.

2.   

The referee gives a player in the circle the parcel.

3.   

The referee starts the music.

4.   

The player who is holding the parcel must pass the parcel to the player on the left-hand side then the player who is now holding the parcel must also pass the parcel to the player on the left-hand side & so forth until the referee stops the music at a random moment.

5.   

After the referee stops the music, the player who is left holding the parcel must place the parcel onto the floor then unwrap one layer of the parcel which that player will uncover:

1.   

A small prize, which that player can keep for gratis.

2.   

An ordeal, which that player must perform in front of the other players (maybe at the centre of the circle).

3.   

The main prize, which that player can keep for gratis & this also ends the game.

6.   

Reform the circle if required, but the players must sit at their original positions.

7.   

The last player who was holding the parcel when the music has last stopped must pick it up.

8.   

Go back to step 3 for each additional round.

9.   

The game ends when a player unwraps the last layer of the parcel & picks up the main prize.

Notes:

•   

Have a trash can ready, to throw all the unwrapped layers of the parcel.

•   

It is best not to alternate “ordeals” & prizes between the parcel’s layers. Instead, place them randomly in parcel’s layers, so the players will not get an idea on the pattern of small prizes & “ordeals”.

•   

An unfair version of this game involves intentionally stopping the music when a parcel reaches the hands at a certain player instead of stopping the music randomly. For the interest of fair play, do not practice this tactic.

SIMON SAID

A game to really test the players’ ability to only react to instructions containing a certain key phrase, but without falsely reacting to instructions without that key phrase.

What are required:

•   

At least two players.

•   

A referee.

How to set up the game:

1.   

The referee of this game will be referred as “Simon”.

2.   

Place every player inside a square or circle area, this area will be referred as an “arena”.

How to play the game:

1.   

Play the game out in rounds by following steps 2 to 7 for each round until the game ends according to the condition on step 8.

2.   

Simon must instruct the players to do something by saying an instruction with “Simon Said” at its be­ginning.

•   

Eg:

•   

“Simon Said: ‘Clap your hands’.”

•   

“Simon Said: ‘Jump up & down three times’.”

•   

“Simon Said: ‘Touch your shoulders’.”

•   

“Simon Said: ‘Wave your hands up in the air’.”

3.   

When Simon has said an instruction according to step 2, each player is challenged to obey Simon’s in­struction.

•   

Eg:

•   

If Simon has said: “Simon Said: ‘Click your fingers’.”, every player is challenged to click their fingers.

4.   

If a player fails the challenge of obeying Simon’s instruction as issued accordingly to step 2, that player becomes eliminated from the gameplay & must leave the “arena”.

5.   

On some occasional rounds at Simon’s discretion, Simon may violate step 2 by omitting “Simon Said”.

6.   

When Simon violates step 2 by the means as described by step 5, all the players are challenged to re­frain from doing anything whether or not it is according to Simon’s instruction.

7.   

If a player fails the challenge of refraining from doing anything when Simon’s instruction lacks “Si­mon Said”, that player will be eliminated from gameplay & must leave the “arena”.

•   

Eg:

•   

If the player has touched the toes or does something else when Simon has said “Touch your toes” without the explicit “Simon Said”, that player will be eliminated.

8.   

The game ends when there is only one player left.

9.   

Winner is the remaining uneliminated player in game.

10.   

You could determine other place takers from arranging the player from last eliminated (for second place) to first eliminated (for last place), but this may be unfeasible since it is possible to eliminate more than one player during a round.

11.   

If you wanted to, you can play this game again by allowing the winner to be its referee.

Notes:

•   

You can replace Simon with a name of your choice.

•   

Eg: If you are playing this game on Halloween (also known as Samhain by the Wiccan circles), you can use “Jack” as in “Jack’o Lantern” instead of “Simon”.

•   

This game is also useful in “Second Language” courses by having the language teacher as the referee talking in the foreign language to see if the players (i.e. the students) are playing attention with their skills with that foreign language.

THREE LEGGED RACE

(Description for this game is not yet available)

What are required:

•   

At least two teams, which each has two players.

•   

A scarf for each team.

•   

A racetrack.

How to play the game:

1.   

Arrange each team with its first player standing left-hand side of its second player.

2.   

On each team, tie a scarf around its first player’s right leg & its second player’s left leg.

•   

Optional rule: The first player must place the right arm over the second player’s shoulders & the second player must place the left arm over the first player’s shoulders.

3.   

The referee says: “ON YOUR MARKS”.

4.   

The players of each team must line up at the start line of the racetrack.

5.   

The referee says: “GET SET”.

6.   

The referee says: “GO!”

7.   

Each team must traverse all its way to across the racetrack to the finish line, without untying the scarf, & each team is challenged to be first one to cross the finish line.

•   

If a team happens to fall anytime during the race, its players must stand up & continue the race from where they have fallen.

8.   

The first team whose players has completely crossed finish line, is declared the winner.

9.   

The game ends when all the teams have crossed the finish line.

10.   

Second place taker is the second team whose players has completely crossed the finish line. The third place taker is the third team whose players has completely crossed the finish line & so forth.

Variations & Optional Rules:

•   

This game can be hardened by replacing the sub-rule at step 7 with…

•   

If a team happens to fall anytime during the race, its players must stand up, return to the start line & continue the race from there.

Cases of disqualifications:

•   

Any team whose players make a False Start by starting to move across the racetrack before the referee says the word “GO!”

•   

Any team whose players untie the scarf.

WATER RACE

(Description for this game is not yet available)

What are required:

•   

At least two players

•   

A racetrack

•   

Two large buckets for each player (each bucket must be made to same specifications)

•   

A plastic cup for each player (each plastic cup must be made to same specifications)

•   

A stopwatch

How to set up the game:

1.   

Place an empty bucket for each player at the start line, these will be player’s first buckets.

2.   

Place a second empty bucket for each player (parallel to each corresponding player’s first bucket) at the finish line.

3.   

Fill each of players’ second buckets with water.

How to play the game:

1.   

Give each player a cup.

2.   

Say: “ON YOUR MARKS”.

3.   

Players must get ready at the start line near their first buckets.

4.   

Say: “GET SET”.

5.   

Start the race by yelling “GO!” or by blowing a whistle & start the stopwatch immediately at the word “GO!”.

6.   

Each player must:

1.   

Run to the second bucket.

2.   

Fill up the plastic cup with the water from the bucket.

3.   

Run back to first bucket with the filled cup.

4.   

Empty the filled cup into first bucket.

5.   

Repeat these steps until the 5 minute time limit has been reached.

7.   

If a player completely spills the water from the cup, on the way to the first bucket, that player must…

1.   

Run back to the second bucket.

2.   

Refill the cup with the water from the bucket.

3.   

Continue the way back to the first bucket.

8.   

When referee’s stopwatch reaches 5 minutes, the referee then must end the race by yelling “TIME UP!” or by blowing a whistle.

9.   

Every player must stop.

10.   

The referee examines & measure the amount of water in each bucket. The player who has the fullest bucket, is declared as the winner.

11.   

Second place taker has the second fullest bucket. The third place taker has the third fullest bucket.

Variations & Optional Rules:

•   

If you do not have enough buckets or the “racetrack” is not wide enough to fit all the players, you can play this game as rounds & race several players at a time. Keep a record of the water bucket measure­ments.

WHO IS THE CONDUCTOR?

This game is fun & it combines both Follow the Leader⁴ & observation. In this game, the one who is chosen as the “observer” must observe a group of players who are doing same thing but one of them who is referred as the “conductor” is actually conducting the others’ moves. Who is this conductor? & this what is “observ­er” must find out. This game is best played inside.

What are required:

•   

At least three players

Optional:

•   

A number of identical sets of assorted outfits. (See Attired Version for additional rules)

•   

The minimum number of sets required is the number of players minus one

•   

The colour of each assorted outfit do not have be identical in each set

How to play the game:

1.   

Choose a player to be the “observer”.

2.   

Ask the “observer” to leave the room.

3.   

Place the remaining players inside a square or a circle area & this area is referred as the “arena”.

4.   

Choose a player in the “arena” to be the “conductor”.

5.   

The “conductor” will be doing an adlib series of body movements. (eg: moves in a make-up ritual dance or expressions in a made-up mime).

6.   

The rest the players in the “arena” will be the “copycats”. They must copy each body movement that the conductor is doing in close synchrony.

7.   

Ask the “observer” to return to the room & that player will be watching the players in the “arena”.

8.   

Now everyone will start performing the body movements with the “conductor” conducting out those adlib series of posture movements & the others “the copycats” will be imitating the conductor’s dance/mime.

9.   

The “observer” is challenged to find who is conducting the body movements & call out that player’s name.

10.   

If the “observer” calls out the name other than the “conductor”, that player must sit down & stop copy­ing the “conductor’s” body movements, but rest of the players (who have not been called out) will still continue doing body movements.

11.   

The round finishes when the “observer” calls out the name of the “conductor”.

Variations & Optional Rules:

•   

You also can set a limit on number of guesses to find the “conductor”.

•   

If performing & copying posture movements is too hard to do:

1.   

You can make the “conductor” to do only one continuous posture movement (eg: clapping the hands, waving the hands in the air, tapping the hands on the knees or clicking the fingers).

2.   

Then change to another at each interval.

•   

You can use Draw from the Hat (see the below) to randomly select a “observer” & “conductor” on each round.

Details for “Draw from the Hat⁵”

•   

You need one ticket for each player.

•   

Mark “You are a conductor” on one ticket, mark another ticket as “You are an observer” & keep the rest of the tickets as blank or write “You are a copycat”.

These steps will replace instructions 1-4 in the “How to play” section:

1.   

Each player must draw a ticket from the hat & none of the players are allowed to disclose about the de­scriptions of their ticket says until their is specified in the instructions.

2.   

The player who has the ticket with “You are an observer”, will be assigned with that role. That player must then reveal about it to everyone else & leave the room.

3.   

Place the remaining players inside a square or a circle area & this area is referred as the “arena”.

4.   

The player who has the ticket with “You are a conductor”, will be assigned with that role. That player must then reveal about it to other players in the “arena”.

Attired Version to “Who is the Conductor?”:

This does not really affect the gameplay, but it will make the performance more appealing for the “observer” & everyone else who may be watching the game.

These steps will be inserted between steps 4-5 in the “How to play” section:

1.   

The “conductor” must choose an outfit that the “conductor” & the “copycats” will be wearing.

2.   

Those players must clothe themselves into the outfit that has been chosen in.

Before starting a new round (before step 2 the “After a round” section):

1.   

The attired players must change themselves out of the outfits that they are changed into.

THE RULEBOOK TERMINOLOGY

Term:

Definition:

Arena:

An area where the gameplay takes place.

Blindfold:

A scarf or another but similar apparatus that is used to cover a person’s eyes & prevent that person from seeing.

Challenge:

As a noun: One of the goals that each player must try to achieve in a game. Every playable game has at least one challenge. As a verb: To try to achieve the goals in a game.

Court:

A playfield where certain ball games are played.

Eliminate:

In some games: To remove a player from the rest of the gameplay when that player has failed to meet the challenges of the game. Also, in tournaments: To remove a player or team from the rest of tournament after that player/team has lost a game.

Disqualify:

To remove a player from the rest of the gameplay or tournament for doing something against the game’s rules or conduct.

It:

In some games: This is a player whom the other players are challenged to avoid being ap­prehended by. Once a player has been apprehended by It, the apprehended player will be­come the new It, or join the It team (depending on game). The games that involve It play­ers, usual­ly has no objectives of finding a winner & they usually played until the players be­come tired. Some specific games in this rulebook will use an unique term apart from the word It.

Ordeal:

A harmless feat that a player must carry out usually in front of the other players usually as a result of a “booby prize”. Although this rule book has games with rules involving ordeals, it does not have any rules or guidelines about handling a player’s refusal to do an ordeal. The author decides to leave this to the referee or the players. Eg: The player who must do an or­deal & refuses to so, can be pressured into doing it by the reaction of the other players.

Referee:

As a noun: One who supervises the game play & ensures that the players are playing by the rules of the game. As a verb: To conduct the role of a referee.

Tournament:

The means of allowing more than two players/teams to play a two player/team game by ar­ranging that two player/team game into heats where each player/team must complete in at least one heat against another player/team. The player/team who wins the tournament is the one who has won the most heats (or in some tournament systems), has never lost or made fewer losses.