Ivan Brett - The Floor Is Lava: And 99 More Games for Everyone, Everywhere

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To my mum, for all of this.

INTRODUCTION

Is This a Game to You?

What is it about playing games? We spend our infancy learning through them, our childhood longing for them, our teenage years accusing people of them, then our adult life pretending they dont exist. Being somebody who plays gamesa gamer, I supposeis either an insult or a badge of honor depending on whom you ask, but its never just normal.

Im going to admit something to you. I spend pretty much all my waking life playing games. I see how many green lights I can go through on my bike by cycling extra slow if Im approaching a red. I tally my daily writing word count on a complicated spreadsheet and compete against previous weeks, just for the competition. I get to sleep by distracting my mind with a round of AZ of... (see ). I play this thing called Pokey Sausage with my cat where we jab each other through the crack in the bathroom door.

The games I play split neatly into two categories: those that make mundane time less mundane, and those that bring people closer together. Playing my life, rather than living it, gives it a sort of structure. It imposes a bunch of unthreatening goals to help me get from point to point. It gives me a way to measure my successes and revel in my daily challenges. Also, playing my life is just more fun than not playing it. And I want to share that with you.

Why Does It Matter?

This book actually started as a manual to teach creative writing. (Dont worry, it isnt anymore!) Then, without my permission, the book shifted form and the games took over. They repainted the walls, chucked out all the pages of grammar, and invited their badly behaved friends. Now the book is bursting with any game that can bring people together, encourage communication, spark creativity, warm you up, cool you down, break an awkward silence, start a party...

Theres no sacred message to this book. I wont stand behind my lectern and tell you that games are proven to do this or stop that, cure this or shrink that. What I will say is that for me, games provide an opportunity to connect. In an age when so much entertainment and information is available to us at the press of one finger, its incredibly easy to remain cut off from those immediately around us.

Im not telling you to get off your phone. Im not telling you that screens are evil. I am saying theres an alternative. The right game, in the right situation, is better than anything else in the world. I promise, itll be more fun for both you and your thumb than the scrolling you were about to do, and much less effort than you realize. Thats why I wrote this book.

Who Cares?

In researching and compiling this book, Ive been fascinated by peoples reactions to my elevator pitch. Some seem confused. Like... just games? they ask. They wonder what purpose the games will serve, or what they will help people achieve, as if the playing of the game isnt enough of an achievement in itself.

Others eyes light up. Ive got this brilliant game! We played it as kids, theyll say, or Oh, I loved this one! Ill bask in their delight as they tell me the rules, noting it down so I dont forget, and wondering why they sound so nostalgic. Its as if these games are off-limits now.

Most people, once theyve offered their favorite game, will ask hungrily for mine. The answer is different depending on the weather, or the color of my socks, but Id probably have to choose between the tactical yet simple Hangman Mastermind (see ). To be honest, my favorite game changes all the time. Itll probably change again before the end of this introduction.

I adore passing games on to a new player. Theres a currency in the trading of gamesa mischievous delight in simply imagining the fun that could be had. So, here you go. Have a hundred games.

So Whats the Point of This Book?

This book is a big green play-button. Its a collection of a hundred creative, comical, cooperative games, grouped together for each situation when you might need them. Going on vacation? Theres a chapter for that. Trying to spend more quality time together at dinner? Youll find ten perfect games to play at the table. Stuck inside on a rainy Sunday? Problem solved. Locked in a woefully slow traffic jam? Dont panic. Youre good.

The games within this book range from inspiring to challenging to downright silly, but theyre guaranteed to bring you together, liven up any occasion, and even stretch your brain a little. My aim is to turn your life into a game, because we humans do the best sort of learning, connecting, and discovering when were at play.

All Right, Fine. Where Do I Start?

Absolutely anywhere. Ive divided the chapters up into ten different situations that you might find yourself stuck in. Each has ten games perfect for that time. However, theres a lot of crossover, so just dive inside and enjoy yourself. And let me know how you get on! Im easiest to get hold of on Twitter: @IvanBrett.

CHAPTER 1

TRAFFIC JAMS

Traffic has ground to an absolute halt; theres some sort of accident up ahead. The temporary lights have been red for what feels like a year. Theres a dog in the back seat of the car in front, turning anxious circles and barking inaudibly. The kids are ten minutes late for swimming already, and youre not even through the busy part of town. Youre cursing yourself for not taking the shortcut around the industrial park. The radio tuner is stuck on smooth classics. What you need is something to take your mind off it.

And thats what Ive got for you here. This chapter contains the ten best car games to play when all youve got is each other, a nose-smudged window, and time to waste. These games need no equipment. Theyre fun enough to distract you from the mind-numbing traffic and will enable you to use the busy streets as a resource. When you actually make it to swimming in time for the last five minutes, youll feel mildly disappointed, because nothings as much fun as yelling pirate noises at passing pedestrians or beating your family at Car Cricket .

1. Car Cricket

PLAYERS	DIFFICULTY	TIME
2+	Easy	1 hour (at least!)

IN SHORT: Turn traffic into a game with this excellent cricket match.

TAGS: MATH, COMPETITIVE, PASS THE TIME

WHAT YOULL NEED

A road with plenty of cars.

Absolutely no prior knowledge of cricket.

HOW TO PLAY

Test Cricket is one of the oldest and strangest of all British sports. Its a bit like baseball... except the game lasts five full days, the pitch is a narrow rectangle rather than a diamond, and all the players must wear white. The two batsmen must protect their wicket (a strange wooden construction made of stumps and bails) from being hit by the ball, while smacking the ball around the field and legging it across to the other end of the pitch, to score runs. Got that? Right. Well, you wont be playing cricket, so dont worry if you didnt. Cricket was a massive part of my childhood, though, so you can imagine why games that used its scoring system were my absolute favorite.

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