[Fictionary] STONE rules Results

[Lawrence Miller]

Hi, everyone,

Whereas I've been subscribed to this list off and on for something on the
order of 15 years, and

Whereas I have no memory of every having won,

I do not have any "this would be a good fictionary word" words saved up.
So I beg your patience and I will send out a word by Monday afternoon.
Thanks, Jim, for a very enjoyable round!

-Larry

On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 2:27 PM, Jim Moskowitz <jim at jimmosk.com> wrote:

> Thanks to all who participated in this variant round. Before I announce
> the winner let's review the entries and the comments they generated...
>
>
>
> Eric: Initial reaction: no way!  Not one of those is a real game.
>
>
>
> 1) A large circle is drawn on the ground or floor in the center of the
> play space. At either end of the ground a goal is marked off. One player,
> chosen to be stone, sits on the floor in the circle. The other players
> stand around outside the circle, taunting the stone by stepping over into
> his territory. Suddenly, and the more unexpectedly the better, the stone
> rises and runs for the other players, who are only safe from tagging when
> behind one of the goals. Any one so tagged becomes a stone and joins the
> first stone in sitting near the center of the circle. They also join him in
> chasing the other players whenever he gives the signal. This continues
> until all the players have been tagged.
>
> Eric: Would not want to play.
> Ellen: One point, because I like the writing style
> J-J: A combination of Duck-Duck-Goose and Red Rover that's too similar to
> my hayfield version.
> Linda: I like that a kid  is the stone.  Plus the cumulative effect.
> Elliott: Completeness:  Check.  Playability:  Check.  Compelling reason to
> involve ``stone'':  Not found.
>  --a total of 1 point for The Real Rules [see the end of this message for
> details]
>
>
> 2) This is a game for 3-5 players.  Everyone stands along a line to start
> the game and throws in the same general direction.  In turn, each player
> throws a certain flat stone (with a letter or number painted onto or
> scratched into the top) chosen blindly from several in a small sack, tosses
> the stone away from the group, along the playing area, trying for the
> longest distance from the line.  The one who is IT uses a knotted or marked
> rope to measure the distances. The player who tosses it the farthest wins
> and becomes IT for the next round.  A more exciting alternative is to toss
> the stones toward a goal, like a stick in the ground, or another stone that
> can moved by IT with each round.  The player who hits another player's
> stone or the goal stone gets an extra point.  If you are near a body of
> water, stones can be pitched towards a target placed into the water, either
> floating or anchored.
>
> Eric: Would not want to play.
> Pierre: If the stone is chosen blindly, what happens if the player forgets
> which stone
> he chose?
> J-J: The first variant is shot put with random handicaps.  The second is
> bocce with balls that don't roll.  And the third version is probably pretty
> hard to score.
> Elliott: Completeness:  Not complete (what are points good for?).
> Playability: Check.  Compelling reason to involve ``stone'':  Check.
>  --a total of no points for Linda
>
>
> 3) An outdoors game, best played on leaves or turf. The players sit in a
> circle except for one player, the "stone mason" who goes off a distance.
> While the stone mason is absent, the players sit in a circle, with one of
> them sitting an a stone the size of two men's fists or larger. The players
> then call the mason to return, and he must detect which player is seated on
> the stone, the other players, of course, trying to seem as solid and
> comfortable in their seats as possible.  A good game for a mixed group of
> boys and girls, as this is one game in which girls may excel, by reason of
> their crinolines.
>
> Pierre: Two points.
> J-J: Just a liiiiittle creepy.  But after reaching bottom without finding
> anything I believed in, I have to give this one point.
> Ranjit: One point.
> Linda: Like that this is a seated game and someone is a stone mason. We
> used to play a circle game called, Button, Button, Who's Got the Button?  A
> button is in one player's hand while It is out of the room.  Once It comes
> back into the room, he others pretend to move the button from hand to hand
> around the circle while It watches.  It must guess who is holding the
> button.
> Elliott: Completeness:  Check.  Playability:  Check.  Compelling reason to
> involve ``stone'':  Check.  Two points for plausibility.
>  --a total of 6 points for Eric, our silver medalist
>
>
> 4) Three players each have a tire in front of them; the tires are fifteen
> feet apart in a triangle. The boundaries between the players' territories
> are marked with sticks or ropes, halfway between the tires. Each player
> starts with 30-40 stones in a pile next to his tire and throws stones at
> the other two players' tires. If a stone lands outside the tire, it may be
> thrown again by the player in whose territory it lands. Once a stone lands
> in a tire, it is out of play. The game ends when all stones are in tires.
> The winner is the player with the fewest stones in his tire.
>
> Eric: Plausible, except wasn't the game Victorian?  No tires.
> J-J: I might have voted for this except for the likely lack of
> availability of Victorian-era tires
> Linda: Were there so many spare tires so long ago as the book was written?
> Elliott: Completeness:  How are the territories established to begin with?
> Playability:  What if you hit someone in the head?  Compelling reason to
> involve ``stone'':  Check.
>  --a total of no points for Pierre
>
>
> 5) Players gather in a circle around a large tree suitable for climbing. A
> small stone is required. On his turn a player must throw the stone over a
> target bough, called the WHIP. If the throw is not high enough, or the
> player misses the tree completely, he is out. After making his throw, the
> current player, or CRACKER, must climb to the WHIP to mark its location.
> Spectators and players alike should cat-call the CRACKER during climbing;
> if he falls, he is out. Previous CRACKERS already in the tree may attempt
> to dislodge the current CRACKER as he climbs, but may not leave their WHIP
> to do so. The next player must throw the STONE over a new WHIP at least as
> high as the previous CRACKER. The first CRACKER in a round can choose a
> WHIP at any height he believes he can throw over and reach by climbing.
> Play begins with the shortest player, and proceeds in increasing height
> order, so as to ensure a fair chance to all. One round is complete once the
> tallest player takes his throw; all players should come down out of the
> tree, and the next round begins anew with the shortest remaining player.
> Play continues until all but one player is eliminated. If any player hits
> any other player with the stone, they are both immediately out; if a throw
> causes a player sitting on a previous WHIP to fall without hitting him with
> the STONE, such as by cowardly flinch, only he who fell is out.
>
> Eric: Would not want to play.  Ten creativity points.
> J-J: Good lord!  This reminds me of the stories that my friend Jimmy used
> to tell me in college, which invariably ended "...and then Floyd went to
> the hospital".  This will probably turn out to be real, and I'll be deeply
> disturbed.
> Linda: Kids used to play dangerous games in the olden days and you weren't
> supposed to be afraid of a little blood and a few bruises. 2 points for
> danger.  But isn't Cracker a derogatory term?
> Elliott: Completeness:  Check.  Playability:  Risky!  Compelling reason to
> involve ``stone'':  Wouldn't a nice, soft ball be better? One point for
> creativity.
>  --a total of 3 points for Nick, good for the bronze medal.
>
>
> 6) The players form a pentacle surrounding the victim. They chant the
> appropriate words. Should the victim attempt to break free, restrain him,
> but do not shed his blood. When It comes to feed, the players plead for
> parts of the victim. It will toss one part to each player. The players then
> use these as blunt instruments upon each other, but do not shed one
> another's blood. The surviving player offers the bodies of the others to
> It, uttering "stone," but must take care not to enter the pentacle. It then
> will grant a desire; but be careful to formulate that desire carefully, for
> It has a sense of humor.
>
> Eric: Would not want to play.  Ten creativity points.  One real point.
> Pierre: This doesn't sound like a children's game. Witch fictioneer came
> up with it?
> J-J: Yeah!  But no, I don't think so.
> Ranjit: One backing-away-slowly.
> Linda: Too zombie-like.
> Elliott: Completeness:  Cryptic.  Playability:  Risky!  Compelling reason
> to involve ``stone'':  None that I can see.
>  --a total of 1 point for David
>
>
>
> 7) The players array themselves as they wish around an open yard. One
> player closes his eyes and counts aloud to twenty whilst each other player
> selects a stone from the ground, remove a boot, place the stone into the
> boot, and replace the boot upon his foot.  Upon the count of twenty, the
> counting player opens his eyes and all players begin walking about the
> yard.  The counting player then attempts to guess in which boot each player
> placed his stone.  A player whose stone is so located retires from the
> yard.  The game ends immediately upon an incorrect guess from the counting
> player, the player winning who fooled the counting player, or the counting
> player himself if none fool him.  In common practice, a number of games are
> played consecutively, with the winner of a game serving as counting player
> for the next.
>
> Eric: Two real points.  Also, maybe I would play this.
> David: 1 point
> Pierre: One point.
> Ellen: Two points.
> J-J: Somewhat similar to the "guess what I have under my skirt" game, but
> less creepy, so two points.
> Ranjit: Two points
> Linda: Sounds uncomfortable but 1 point for "whilst."
> Elliott: Completeness:  How small can the stone be?  Playability: Check.
> Compelling reason to involve ``stone'':  Check.
>  --a total of 11 points for Larry, the running-away (hopefully without a
> stone in his shoe) winner!
>
>
> 8) This game is played in a field of tall grass, ideally taller than the
> players.  One player is chosen to start the game as the "stone", while the
> others are initially "ploughs".  The ploughs avert their eyes in order to
> allow the stone to hide somewhere in the plot of grass.  After an agreed
> upon time (perhaps a count to ten), the ploughs form a line and march
> across the field.  The stone attempts to grab one of the ploughs by the
> ankle, while the ploughs try to spot the stone.  If a plough is caught, he
> drops into the grass and becomes another stone.  If the stone is spotted,
> the plough may attempt to run away.  All of the ploughs who arrive at the
> far edge of the field form a new line on an adjacent side and begin another
> march, perpendicular to the previous one.  Play continues until there is
> only one plough remaining, who becomes the starting stone for the following
> round.
>
> Eric: Most Likely To Be By Elliott Award.  Also, consistency points for
> the spelling of "plough".  Might play this, depending on the insect
> situation in the grass.
> David: 2 points
> J-J: Mine.  So obviously not right.  Basically Red Rover, with added
> excitement for those who are afraid of snakes.
> Linda: Like the cumulative effect of this one.  Sounds a bit like Snake
> Pit from New Games.
> Elliott: Completeness:  Check.  Playability:  You'd need to luck into a
> field of the right size and shape.  Compelling reason to involve ``stone'':
>  Well, OK.
>  --a total of 2 points for J-J
>
>
>
>
>
> The actual game rules are taken verbatim from  __Games for the Playground,
> Home, School and Gymnasium__, copyright 1909 by Jessie H. Bancroft,
> specifically its "Active Games" section. (There are also "Quiet Games" and
> "Singing Games" -- which is what really indicates that the word "games" is
> being used broadly enough to include what we'd today call "activities".)
>  You can read the book here, thanks to Project Gutenberg:
> http://www.gutenberg.org/**files/25660/25660-h/25660-h.**htm<http://www.gutenberg.org/files/25660/25660-h/25660-h.htm>
>
> Another game from the same book, which was my backup choice in case some
> of you actually knew the rules to STONE, was:
>
> SPOONING
> All but one of the players stand in a circle. The odd player is
> blindfolded and placed in the center. He is given two silver tablespoons.
> The players in the circle clasp hands and move around until the blindfolded
> player clicks the spoons together, at which signal the circle must stand
> still.
> The blindfold player then goes up to any one in the circle, and by feeling
> over the face and head with the bowls of the spoons must identify the
> player. He may not feel on the shoulders or around the neck, only on the
> face and head. A player may stoop to disguise his height for this, but
> otherwise may not evade the touch of the spoons. If the blindfold player
> correctly identifies the one before him, they exchange places. If incorrect
> in his guess, the play is repeated.
>
>
> May I suggest that when we organize the Fictionary Real-world Get-together
> (for instance, this July?), we try a few of the invented games from this
> round?  I'd like to play the winner, the real one, and Pierre's #4.
>
> The reins of Fictionary are all yours, Larry!
>
> -Jim
>
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