Plenty to do ... if you’re game
FORGET ABOUT THE SCREENS – SELF-ISOLATION IS THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE WHOLE FAMILY INVOLVED IN SOME GOOD OLD-FASHIONED GAMES THAT ARE SURE TO CREATE A WORLD OF FUN FOR THE PLAYERS
AS PEOPLE take selfisolating more seriously, gaming stores are seeing an upsurge in the sale of old and new-style puzzles and boardgames. And it seems even the rich and famous are rediscovering the fun to be had by turning back the clock. Kylie Jenner’s Instagram account recently showed images of a pile of puzzle pieces and then the finished jigsaw. Chat show host Ellen DeGeneres has also been passing time at her Hollywood home with a mega 4000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Elton John has told fans he is staying home for the safety of his partner and their twins – and playing snakes and ladders. Lady Gaga is self-isolating with her boyfriend and is mixing up the endless hours quarantined in her mansion with the latest video games and old-style card games. Research from the NPD Group and the Australian Toy Association shows sales of games and puzzles in Australia have increased by 104 per cent in the past few weeks. The association says classic games have been most popular including Monopoly, Scrabble, Uno, Jenga Classic and Rubik’s Cube. John Khamcanh, director of Gameology gaming warehouse (www.gameology.com.au), says orders have doubled in the past two weeks and are coming from all parts of Australia. “Cluedo and Monopoly are going well and so are more niche boardgames, like Catan and Ticket to Ride. They are family-centric games and that is what most people want right now. They want a break from the TV and these kinds of games bring the family together,” he says. Dr Tim Sharp, positive psychologist at The Happiness Institute (www.drhappy.com.au), says while the coronavirus pandemic is taking a toll on people financially and health wise, turning to traditional pastimes like board games and puzzles can have some positive effects. “Old-style games and puzzles make people slow down, reflect and appreciate things they may have lost sight of in the busyness of life. I think some people are realising that you don’t have to go, go, go all the time,” says Dr Sharp. “Many things we have done for entertainment before now have been a solo pursuit – we stare at our screen and watch Netflix alone or we play games on devices alone. But when you are playing Scrabble or Monopoly, you are in the moment with another person and there’s a connection. “Within positive psychology there’s a concept called positive reminiscing – you look back with fondness on the past and, at this time, we are seeing more people doing that.” So what are some of the best the old and new games and puzzles to help you pass the hours?
■ Young children aged 4 or 5+ will love playing Spot It. The game consists of 55 circular cards, each decorated with symbols of different sizes and orientation such as hearts, snowflakes, dragons and lightning bolts. Players aim to be the first person to spot the one symbol in common between two or more cards. It’s not as easy as it sounds and as cards change you need to stay focused.
■ Adults and older kids can go to the next level of jigsaw puzzles with a Wasgij puzzle. “You don’t get to see the picture you are making until the end – you have a clue of what it might look like but you have to do the puzzle without a reference picture to make it more challenging,” says Mr Khamcanh.
■ Strictly for the over-18s, try the homegrown card game Cooked Aussies. “It’s a drinking game, so definitely for the adults, and it’s a great take on Australian culture,” says Mr Khamcanh. “The creators had a Facebook page called Subtle Bogan Traits and they used insights from that to develop a game based on jokes about Australian culture and things Aussies grew up with.” Cards are labelled drink, vote, categories or rule. Follow the instructions on
each and if you make a mistake, you have to drink. ■ In the Victorian era and pre-war, parlour games were a popular way of passing time. Parlour Games for Modern Families by Myfanwy Jones and Spiri Tsintziras (Scribe Publications, $22.95), revives games of logic and memory, wordplay, card games and roleplay and the props you may need, like a pack of cards, a dice or a dictionary, will probably already be in your home.
■ Become the Interrogator. In past eras this game was known as “Pig’s Feet”. All players need is some imagination and a poker face. Sit in a circle and choose someone to be the Interrogator. The other players then decide on a silly word or phrase – such as “pig’s feet” or “warm fish milkshake” – the more ridiculous the better. This phrase becomes the answer to every question the Interrogator asks. The Interrogator goes from player to player asking a question – and players must answer with the chosen phrase. The first player to laugh or crack a smile as they answer becomes the Interrogator. A new phrase can be chosen and the game starts again.
■ Buy a best-selling game you may not have tried yet. Marnie Hipkins, owner of Mind Games in Melbourne and online games store www.gumnut.io, says Catan and Ticket to Ride are flying out the store. Catan takes players on a quest to settle the island of Catan. Trading, using resources, building roads and settlements and cities and protecting what you have from the enemy is all part of the strategy. “Ticket to Ride involves laying trains on a map of Europe or the United States and claiming routes between cities. There is some geography in there, too, which is good for the kids,” says Ms Hipkins. Players collect train cards to claim railway routes connecting cities.
■ Outdoor games are also an option. Try Jenjo Giant Outdoor Dominoes or a super-sized 54-piece outdoor Jenjo wooden block game. Stack the blocks, then remove one at a time from the bottom until the tower tumbles. Or try traditional quoits – a giant outdoor wooden set with rope rings costs about $97 from Myer online.