Mouchard


A great little game for both adult and children's parties that goes under many names but I learnt it as Mouchard.
Everyone spreads about the room and then closes their eyes. The
party leader then chooses one player to open their eyes (by a tap on the shoulder). The game begins. Players walk around the room (eyes closed) and when they meet someone they must hold hands and say, "Mouchard?". If the other person is not the seeing player then he must also say , "Mouchard?". The players then part company. However, if the seeing player (who remains in a fixed position for the whole game) is met then he remains silent. The player that has found him can now open his eyes but must remain touching. The game finishes when all players are touching the Mouchard.

strange games no:46...category:party games STUPID GAMES

Family Snap


You are having a party with your bright young friends (maybe to celebrate exemplary examination results) and Winterton Bell-Morris pipes up, "Let's play a party game - what shall we play?"
Family Snap is a game in which success depends entirely upon keenness and quick-wittedness.
Before the game make a list of names which resemble each other enough to be confusing. If there are 12 players then the list might be as follows:-


Mr Morris Waterton.....Sir Walter Waters....Mrs Waterton Morrison....Lady Hannah Winter...Miss Harebell Harrison...Lady Bella Hare....Major Harrison Waters...Sir Waterton Bellair...Mr Hamilton Waters.... Mr Winterton Morris.... Mrs Hannibal Harebell....Miss Harriet Hannibal.

The leader verbally allocates names to players and ensures that they know their 'own' name. The players then have a few minutes to tell each other their allotted names. The leader then explains the rules: he will regularly shout out names at random which will be either names allocated already or other names on his list (e.g. Captain Harrison Harebell, Lady Arabella Winterton, etc)

If he calls out a name and the owner is the first to shout 'snap' they gain one point.
If the name belongs to someone in the group but another player shouts out snap before them then the shouter gains three points and the player whose name it was loses two points.
If he calls out a name that has not been allocated to the group and someone shouts 'snap' then that shouter loses two points

The leader shouts out names every ten seconds or so and keeps a running score.

(the photograph shows a young Maurice Tweddle Winterton)

Weird Web:List of very unusual Cornish double barrelled names - Emily Grace Pyne Coffin
strange games no. 45...category : party games
STUPID GAMES



Bell Battle


A great lost party game. Bell Battle is the perfect game to make even the most lumpish partygoer into a model of delicacy.
Simply pair up players (one large with one smaller). The stronger of the pair gives the smaller a piggy-back. Each rider is given a handbell to carry. The team whose bell is last to ring is the victor.
For added complexity play the game with each rider wielding a sword as well as a bell.

Weird Web: The world's largest bells
strange games no:44...category : party games STUPID GAMES

Toe Fencing / Metatarsal Manoeuvre


All the best games have a bizarre, brutish element to them. Toe Fencing is one such game - basic and brutal.
For two players. Each faces the other and holds hands firmly. Each tries to stomp on the other's toes. The first person to stamp three times on their opponent's toes wins

strange games no:43...category:playground games STUPID GAMES

Numbered Seats



A game with no end, no winner and the ability to cause headaches after only a few minutes play. Numbered Seats is a great party game for groups of any age.
Get ten chairs and arrange them into a horseshoe formation. Number them 1 to 10. Partygoers sit on a chair (remembering its number).
One person starts by calling out a number (between 1 and 10) and the person occupying that chair must call out another number...and so on. But, one must NOT call out:- one's own number, a number directly next to you either on your right or left, or the number that called you. This makes the game considerably more interesting and difficult.
Even better, if someone gets it 'wrong' (either forgetting to call, calling when not required or any of the above 3 conditions) then they must move to chair number 1 or 10 (the chairs at the ends of the horseshoe arrangment). All other players must then shift positions to accomodate this person and hence change their assigned numbers.
A good idea is to play along to a metronome so that each player has to respond by a set number of clicks.
The game continues....

.....play may stop if anyone jumps up and shouts, "I can't take this anymore!" and storms out of the room.

strange games no:42 ...category : party games
STUPID GAMES

Thieves


Another blindfold game that has sadly declined in popularity. Thieves is probably the most fun you can have with just a blindfold, some handbells and a stick.
One player is blind folded and sits on the floor in the centre of the circle with his treasure close by in front of him. The treasure can be anything, but we used to play with a set of handbells. He has in his possession a stick (or rolled up newspapers for a tamer version).
The remaining players take it in turns to try and steal a bell without being hit by the blindman. If hit, a player must return the bell.
Play till all the blindman's treasure has been stolen

Weird Web:Lexicon of thieves cant
strange games no.41..category:party games STUPID GAMES

Drawing Room Acrobatics # 1: Furthest Penny


There are many feats which can be performed in a small room without injury to either furniture or oneself. Furthest Penny is one of the finest.
For two persons of equal height. Keeping your feet behind a line you must stretch along the ground supported on your left hand ONLY and place a penny as far away from the line as possible using your right hand. You must then (still supporting your weight on your left hand) return to a standing position behind the line. The person who has placed the penny the furthest is now in the lead - but to win he must now recover his penny using the same technique. If he fails the other person wins.



strange games no:40 ...category: indoor games STUPID GAMES

Trussed Fowls



Amongst the legion of really strange party games Trussed Fowls stands out as being truly bizarre (although I have played Battle le Trec, more of which later).
Trussed Fowls is a game for two partygoers at a time. Each is trussed. This means wrists are firmly tied, ankles are firmly tied and then the player crouches down so his elbows are below his knees. A long stick is then slipped over one elbow under both knees and over the other elbow. Trussed like a chicken.
The two 'fowls' are placed facing each other with their feet touching. The aim is to roll over your opponent using any means left to you.
Barking!


Weird Web:Animated guides to tying knots
strange games no:39 ...category: party games STUPID GAMES

Kittiwake


Another brilliant blindfolded game that has strangely fallen out of fashion. Pair up the partygoers ( 3 or 4 pairs are a good number to play with but you can experiment). One person in each pair is taken out of the room and blindfolded. Their partner is then given a common, short phrase or word, we always used "kittiwake", "rag 'n' bone", "boiled onions", and told to pick a spot somewhere near the walls of the room.
The blindfolded partners are then brought back into the centre of the room and released. They have to find their partners as quickly as possible. The partners can call out their chosen phrase, but ONLY 3 times, to guide them.
The game would work well with updated phrases such as "like whatever" , "minger" etc

Weird Web:Attack of the killer seagulls - what happens when nature goes mad!
strange games no:38...category:party games STUPID GAMES

Slave Market


I first came across this game in the 1950s but by its nature I'm sure it has a longer history than that. Slave Market is a game so politically incorrect that it must surely be due to make a resurgence in a post-modern ironic kind of way.
Divide the partygoers into slaves (say 6 people), an auctioneer, and the slave buyers (the rest). Each buyer is given a set number of counters to act as money (the optimum amount may need to be discovered by trial and error - but start with 20 each). The auctioneer lines the slaves up in front of the buyers and starts the auction of slaves one-by-one.
The aim of the game is for the buyers to try and purchase the most slaves without becoming bankrupt. To win requires a lot of skill as one needs to bid for slaves but not be forced too high and be left with no money.
Once all slaves have been sold the game ends and the winner is the buyer with the most slaves or if tied the most remaining money. A prize can also be awarded for the slave that gains the highest price.


Weird Web:Campain against political correctness
strange games no.37 category:party games STUPID GAMES

Ten Step Blindman


Ten Step Blindman is a superior variant of Blind Man's Buff. One player is Blindfolded and stands in the centre of the room. All other players stand by him and then they all walk ten (normal size) steps away from him in any direction they want. The Blindman now has ten steps, and only ten steps, of his own to try and touch a man. Players are allowed to twist and move their body any way they like but their feet must remain fixed.
If the Blindman touches anyone then they change places, otherwise he stays as the blindman.


Weird Web:Pictures of steps from around the world
Strange Games. No:36...category:party games STUPID GAMES

Rhubarb Race


An elementary, brutal, garden game. Rhubarb Racing is three legged racing's minacious cousin.
Simply sort your players into groups of five or six. Bind each group of players together at waist level using copious amounts of rope (like sticks of rhubarb). Then the groups race against each other over a set distance.
For more fun each player should shout "rhubarb" as they run and spectators can shout, "crumble" when a team collapses in an undignified heap.

opening titles to Roobarb and Custard - TVARK
Weird Web:Roobarb episode on YouTube
strange games no:35...category: garden games STUPID GAMES