The Game game: Encyclopedia II - The Game game - Rules

The Game game - Rules

The Game is built on a few simple rules. However, as it spreads, these rules are subject to various additions, deletions, and rewordings. Most players generally abide by at least some version of the following three rules:

• To know of The Game's existence is to play The Game.
• To realise that you have thought of The Game is to lose The Game.
• When you lose The Game, you must announce this fact to everyone present. Announcing a loss is usually done using a short sentence such as "I've just lost The Game" or "I thought of The Game" or "I've just lost", or more commonly phrases like "I lose", or even simply "The Game" both to create intrigue in others as to what the loser is talking about and as an in-joke to other Game players.

Some players often also follow additional rules such as:

• When a loss is announced, all other players have from a 5 to 30 minute grace period in which to forget about The Game before they also lose.
• When one player loses, all players present are immune from losing until The Game is forgotten again.
• If you say you have lost the The Game in the presence of non-players and are asked what the game is, you must explain to them the rules of The Game.
• If non-players ask what the Game is, you may not explain the rules of the Game until they have asked three times. (again, to create intrigue, and to avoid being hit by those to whom one has explained the Game....)
• If a player loses within 30 seconds of playing, everyone around them, including non-players, may hit them twice in the arm.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Rules", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki