Viewing Single Post From: College Games

Viewing Single Post From: College Games
Cameron	15 Jul 2008, 03:01 PM
Administratinator Posts: 1,740 Group: Admin Member #1 Joined: 20 December 2007	Wheeeeeeeeeeee! Insane Games for College Students The freshman dorm at Taylor University is a place of endless battle. Fighting breaks out every day, and casualties are constantly mounting. The reason for all this turmoil is simple: ninja frisbee. Ninja frisbee is an every-man-for-himself struggle that has combatants using frisbees in place of shiruken (ninja stars). If you get hit, you’re out. Eventually this game, like the Nerf Wars that proceeded it, broke out into sporadic fighting. True to the way of the ninja, players now rely on ambush and surprise, and anyone in the dorm is fair game. That knock on your door may be a friend wanting to know about tomorrow’s homework, or it may be a foe holding a frisbee with your name on it. This is only one of the many games you will find on college campuses. They are played by students with time on their hands but no money in their pockets. After all, when there are people who strongly desire to have fun, they will have fun, no matter the circumstances. This is the sort of sanity-optional gaming that leaves some people asking, “What were you thinking?” and others, “Can I try?” If you want something more organized, consider playing Flattress. One person charges down the hallway holding a mattress out in front of him. The other braces himself holding his own mattress out as a shield. Neither opponent can see the other. The moving one tries to knock the one who is standing still as far as possible, while the stationary one tries to retain that status. As in the Olympic hammer or javelin throw, distance is everything. Additional mattresses can be placed behind like gymnast mats, if you’re one of those sissies whose bones don’t knit quickly. Sure there are the activities that pass for “normal” on a college campus: organized sports, disorganized sports, roleplaying, reading, watching videos (anime or otherwise), perhaps even some of that “homework” thing that the professors talk about in class. Then there are the activities that defy conventional classification. Taylor’s biggest major is the Professional Writing major. Of those writers, most want to go into writing fantasy. Many of them have purchased wooded swords. It was only inevitable that sparring came to be. Sparring takes two people with identical weapons and pits them in combat, ideally not mortal. Head shots are supposed to be avoided and blows are to be pulled if possible, but then nothing ever really goes according to plan. And besides, if one of the combatants doesn’t show up the next day with a good set of bruises, she feels cheated. But not all games are physical, some are mental, in every sense of the word. Perhaps the most insane game of all is the game of One Thousand Blank White Cards. It is called the “Calvinball” of card games. This creatively titled game requires one or more packages of blank white index cards, some pens, and a bunch of crazed college students. Stir thoroughly and bake for 2-3 hours. The rules say that play proceeds clockwise, that everyone starts with five cards, can have no more than seven cards at a time, and draws two cards at the end of his turn. However, in a game like this, the only reason there are rules is because without they are made to be broken. After all, what good is being an rebel if you have nothing to rebel against? The players create the cards, which are shuffled into the deck. Whatever is on the cards becomes the rules of the game. Half of the fun of the game takes place in making the cards before the game even starts. Results are usually hilarious. The card “You shot the invisible swordsman” gives you 1,000 points for your incredible marksmanship. Owning the card “Amulet of Awesomeness” gives you 1,300 points. If another person summons “The Fist of Norris” you’ll lose 600 points. If she plays “Don’t Panic!” on you instead, you’ll have to run around the room screaming like a maniac. It won’t affect your chances of winning, but it’s sure fun to watch. Other cards can make you speak in a foreign language or accent, do a dance, or answer every question you’re asked with “Your mom.” One Thousand Blank White Cards is not for the faint of heart, or anyone who is going to stop and say, “Wait, that doesn’t make any sense.” And if that sounds crazy, you will probably want to avoid the sequel, Crunchkin, a game that incorporates just enough rules to be truly terrifying. All told, college games can be a way to have a good time for those lacking hard cash and sound judgment. Just watch out for frisbees.
	Note that Cameron is not Patrick and does not run Godlimations.

College Games · Cameron