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The Game (mind game)

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The Game
A player announcing her loss of The Game
DesignersUnknown
PlayersEveryone
Setup timeNone (or as long as it takes to explain the rules)
Playing timeOngoing since its creation
ChancePartially
SkillsThought suppression, Strategy

The Game is a mind game where the objective is to avoid thinking about The Game itself. Thinking about The Game constitutes a loss, which, according to the rules of The Game, must be announced each time it occurs. It is impossible to win The Game; players can only attempt to avoid losing for as long as possible. The Game has been described alternately as pointless and infuriating, or as a challenging game that is fun to play.[1] As of 2010, The Game is played by millions worldwide.[1][2][3][4][5]

Gameplay

Rules

There are three rules to The Game:[1][2][6][7][8]

  1. Everyone in the world is playing The Game. (Sometimes narrowed to: "Everybody in the world who knows about The Game is playing The Game",[4] or alternatively, "You are always playing The Game.") You cannot not play the game, it does not require consent to play and you can never stop playing.
  2. Whenever one thinks about The Game, one loses.
  3. Losses must be announced to at least one person[6] (either by using a statement such as "I Lost The Game" or by alternative means).

Some players allow a grace period of 30 seconds to half an hour after someone has lost, during which a player cannot lose The Game again, or is not obliged to announce a loss.[1] This is done in order to prevent a perpetual loss of The Game. Under a literal interpretation, one has to announce every loss of The Game. However, announcing The Game amounts to thinking about it, which constitutes a loss and another announcement. Such a chain continues indefinitely. The common rules do not define a point at which The Game ends. However, one reported variation states that The Game ends when the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom announces on television that "The Game is up."[6]

Strategies

Some players have developed strategies for making other people lose, such as writing about The Game on a hidden note, saying "The Game" out loud, as graffiti in public places and on banknotes. [4][5]

Self-reference

The Game is an example of ironic processing (also known as the "White Bear Principle"), in which attempts to avoid certain thoughts make those thoughts more persistent.[9]

Origin

THE GAME was invented in 1977 by members of the Cambridge University Science Fiction Society (CUSFS) who would regularly meet at the Horse and Groom pub (Kings Street, Cambridge, UK) to drink and discuss game theory.

From losethegame.com


The members of CUSFS assert that the creation of The Game was a collective effort, but Nigel Goldenfeld and Mark Haslett were probably the most responsible for releasing it into the public. The CUSFS 1977 collective includes:

Dr Nigel Goldenfeld – “What’s scary about all this is that it took so long for it to take over the world.”
Mark Haslett – “We did not realise what a viral concept it was and I continue to lose from time to time now 30 years on.”
Philip Brice – “The idea developed of a game in which you didn’t know you were competing in until you weren’t.”
Dr Nick Lowe – “Our meetings are still punctuated, and often opened, with the words ‘Gah! I lose.’” Dr Richard Pinch

Online Apperance -
The first known appearance of THE GAME online was on Paul Taylor of West Midland’s blog in 2002.

A major contributing factor to this meme’s virability is the simplicity of its execution. Simply saying “THE GAME” instantly causes everyone within earshot to lose. Whether they are aware that they are playing or not, they have now thought about The Game. Similar behaviour can be observed in a multitude of scenarios because there is always that one person out there who enjoys screwing with other’s minds.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Montgomery, Shannon (2008-01-17). "Teens around the world are playing 'the game'". The Canadian Press.
  2. ^ a b "If you read this you've lost the game". The Metro. 2008-12-05. Cite error: The named reference "metro" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Boyle, Andy (2007-03-19). "Mind game enlivens students across U.S." The Daily Nebraskan.
  4. ^ a b c Verelst, Jeroen (2007-03-15). "The Game, het eenvoudigste spel ter wereld" (Subscription required). De Morgen (in Dutch). p. 2.
  5. ^ a b Rooseboom, Sanne (2008-12-15). "Nederland gaat nu ook verliezen". De Pers.
  6. ^ a b c "The three rules of the game". The Metro. 2008-12-05.
  7. ^ "Don't think about the game" (Subscription required). Rutland Herald. 2007-10-03.
  8. ^ Wettschreck, Justine (2008-05-31). "Playing 'The Game' with the other kids" (Subscription required). Daily Globe (Worthington).[dead link‍]
  9. ^ Kaniewski, Katie (1 March 2009). "You just lost the Game". Los Angeles Loyolan. Retrieved 2009-03-27.
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