As we grow older, we use less and less of our time to play.
Community games like Truth or Dare, Twister, Never Have I ever, Musical Chairs, and the ever-scandalous Seven Minutes in Heaven are emblems of youth. The function of these games is to listen and share stories with each other. These games are more than just games, they are social tools — so why are they banished to our pasts? Group games allow us to grow closer to one another through laughter and vulnerability in an invested, open environment. These types of bonding activities shouldn't stay in our closets. With few tweaks, games can enable adults to feel not only seventeen again, but genuinely connected.
Having fun and being silly does not always come at the cost of being intellectually relevant. While listening To The Last Podcast Networks "The Brighter Side," I was delighted to stumble upon a recurring segment dubbed "Hoopagoogoonunudoodoo" — Or Hupagoogoo for short. What strikes me about this game is the pure joy it brings not only to its players, but to its listeners.
This game is compelling people to think outside the box while tackling issues micro through macro. It provides genuine problem-solving opportunities which reveal each other's identities and quirks.
Bear with me, the game sounds childish but it contains multitudes. Resembling Cards against Humanity but without the cards, the rules of the game are simple:
1. Each player submits a statement, or set of statements, regarding something that generally sucks.
Examples include "Rain on your wedding day," "The Zombie Apocalypse" and "Getting laid off." The statements are put into a hat, and drawn at random. (You can choose to reveal it was you who wrote the statement... or not).
2. The objective of the game is to critically (or non-critically) decide upon the best brighter side to each awful situation.
Each player has about 30 seconds to pitch their brighter side. Examples include: "The brighter side of rain on my wedding day is everyone gets a free bath because water supply is a precious resource." and "The brighter side to a zombie apocalypse is that we can finally make use of underground bunkers." and "The brighter side to getting laid off is you can now fulfill your dream of joining the circus."
3. A player is chosen as The Decider.
Each turn there is a new decider — this person chooses the answer they feel is best. The Decider decides how many points the question is worth BEFORE judging the answers. They listen to each pitch without interrupting, then decides whose brighter side is the brightest. The decider does not answer their question. At the end of three rounds (where each subsequent round is worth exponential points) a winner of optimism is chosen!
man running in forestPhoto by 
