The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

THE GAME CHARADES

PARTS: NONE
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: AT LEAST FOUR PLAYERS, BUT NOT MORE THAN TWELVE.
OBJECT OF GAME: TWO TEAMS MUST PLAY AGAINST EACH OTHER, THE TEAM
STUMPED THE MOST OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME LOSES.
RULES: ONE MEMBER OF A TEAM RECEIVES A CARD WITH A WORD WRITTEN ON IT
BY THE OTHER TEAM. THIS PLAYER MUST NOT ALLOW HIS OWN TEAM TO SEE
THE WORD. IT IS HIS POSITION TO MAKE SIGNS WITH HIS BODY TO HELP
SPELL OUT THE WORD TO HIS TEAM. HE MAY NOT TALK AT ALL.
HIS TEAM MUST GUESS THE WORD WRITTEN ON THE CARD.
THIS TASK MUST BE COMPLETED IN AN AGREED-UPON AMOUNT OF TIME.
USUALLY THREE MINUTES IS SUFFICIENT ENOUGH.
IF THE TEAM CORRECTLY GUESSES THE WORD AND THE TIME HAS NOT
RUN OUT, ANOTHER WORD IS GIVEN TO THEM.
THE IDEA IS TO GUESS AS MANY WORDS AS POSSIBLE IN THE GIVEN TIME.
WHEN THE TIME HAS RUN OUT IT IS THE OTHER TEAM'S TURN.
POINTS ARE KEPT OF EACH MATCH. WHEN EVERYONE HAS DECIDED TO STOP
PLAYING, AN AWARD IS GIVEN TO THE TEAM WITH THE MOST POINTS.

Submitter comment: THIS GAME CAN BE PLAYED BY TWO PEOPLE AS WELL AS BY TWO TEAMS.
IN SOME GAMES THE SUBJECT MATTER IS REVIEWED BEFORE THE GAME
IS BEGUN.
FOR EXAMPLE THE TEAMS MIGHT PICK BOOK TITLES AS THE SUBJECT MATTER
AND USE ONLY BOOK TITLES WRITTEN BY A CERTAIN AUTHOR.
TEAMS THAT PLAY OFTEN HAVE CREATED A CODED PATTERN OF
BODY SIGNS. THAT IS THAT THEY KNOW CERTAIN MOVEMENTS OR
POSITIONS MEAN CERTAIN LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET.
THIS IS FAIR AS LONG AS NO WORDS ARE SPOKEN.
EVEN SOUNDS ARE FORBIDDEN IN MANY GAMES.
OFTEN THE HOSTESS GIVES A SMALL PRIZE TO THE MEMBERS OF
THE WINNING TEAM.

Where learned: MICHIGAN ; BLOOMFIELD HILLS