PatGames

©2006 Pat Mannion
Equipment: none
Players: 2 or more

RULES
Are you insanely proud of your musical tastes? Do you prefer talking to others with equally pretentious record collections? Do you need an ice-breaker? PatGames is here for you…

Next time you are at a party and there are people there who you barely know, but wish you could get to know better, challenge them to a game of Musical Triangulation. Okay, but don’t call it that cause it sounds kind of lame.

And don’t challenge them, cause this is a game where everybody wins by definition.

Simply tell them to think of their favorite band or singer or musician. You do the same. The object of the game is to both say the same artist at the same time.

Sound easy? What, you don’t think it’s possible for two people to blurt out the same favorite band at the same time? Okay, perhaps it’s a long shot. Unless you know them well. Aha! Gotcha! You AREN’T supposed to know them well. You’re playing this with someone you barely know, after all.

Now, let’s assume you did NOT both say the same thing at the same time. Let’s say you yelled out Pink Floyd at the same time as they shouted Tori Amos. Granted, two people with those particular favorite bands are not too likely to have much to talk about.

But here’s where the magic comes in! Did I forget to mention there’s magic involved? You get to play several rounds and you get to change your answer several times!

Seriously, after your opening round of favorites, tell them to think about their other fave bands and you offer to do the same. This time it’s okay to go further down your list of favorites, but my rule of thumb is to always keep it in your top 20 or so.

Also, try to get a little closer to each other genre-wise on round #2. Perhaps instead of Pink, you offer Heart, thinking that a girl band from the 70s is not too far from Pink, but definitely closer to indie chick Tori Amos’s sensibilities. At the same time, your compatriot offers Enya, thinking that a sultry Eastern from the 80s might be a common ground between angsty chick singers and classic rock.

Now we’re getting closer! Enya and Heart. Not too far at all. Of course, this game could last all night and have both players digging way down to bands they both are sick of but are hoping will match just so that the game is over.

Trust me, they always end well before that. And for the sake of this example game, it will end on the next round. In fact, I will end it with a “perfect round.”

Sensing that your partner is into girl bands. And realizing that both of her guesses were singers and not groups, you decide to go with avante-garde balladeer Kate Bush. She was active in the 70s, she isn’t too dissimilar to the other singers, and she definitely was indie for her times. Unbeknownst to you, your challenger has thought of the same possible commonality.

At the same time, for round #3, you both say “Kate Bush.” It’s magical. You clap each other on the back, head for the beer cooler and are instant music buddies.

Do they all end that well? No. In fact, most games of Musical Triangulation end in what I call the “stuttered agreement.” In the above example, it would be if you had bet on Kate Bush for the third round, and your friend had, of, Laurie Anderson in mind. As soon as you say “Kate Bush,” she would say “Laurie Anderson… oh, yeah Kate Bush. I was thinking Kate Bush, too.”

Is it copping out? Nah. As long as you both really DO like Kate Bush. One should never give in with a stuttered agreement unless it really IS an agreement. After all, statistically speaking if you both like music then there probably IS a commonality somewhere in your respective top 20 lists.

VARIATIONS

• THREE PERSON GAME – Yes, multiple person games really do work. It’s harder to have a “perfect round.” You pretty much have to agree on something after three or more rounds. BUT it’s still fun getting there. You’d be surprised at how many common interests three music appretiationists will have.
• AMONGST FRIENDS – Even if you have known the other player(s) for many years, it’s still fun to play a few rounds of Musical Triangulation. You’d be surprised to find out how many common interests you have had over the years that you didn’t know about.
• BOOKS/MOVIES/TV – Why not play with other popular forms of entertainment? After all, if you’re at a party and you try to break the ice with a cute person and you and they both toss out “Meet the Feebles” as your first favorite movie, I’d say you have a decent chance of hooking up.

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I’m still up for a challenge. Name your topic and I will design a game. Quite possibly by the next day!