Indoor Games

Dedicated to Mike and Sandra

Here is an exhibit of Dan Zen's indoor games (non computer). Some games are certainly missing including one where you had to guess which happening came first in time based on random songs, movies and events flipped over from a deck in pairs. But many of the New Year games are here as well as others. Try some!

Wish ▲ For a many years, Dan Zen has made games for New Year parties with friends. Wish is an example. Press on any of the pictures to see larger and read rules. You write down your wish for a certain topic and see if you match other players.

Hopposit! ▲ A New Year game by Dan Zen where you come up with opposites to words and phrases that do not have an obvious opposite. If you match, you switch places which can affect the game scoring.

Grab! ▲ The secret trading game. Players grab a random handful of 12 items and then have to trade to get 12 items of the same type. Created for a New Year party.

Stretch ▲ A New Year party game where you create new ideas based on random pairs of words. Game based on a Dan Zen creativity technique from https://creativityframework.com

Surreal Charades ▲ A set of unusual charades with difficulty scores on them. Press on the pictures to see larger and read charades. Dan Zen loves charades as indicated by the items below. Lately, he has passed on his charade making to his daughter and to technology making a private app called WordPo to handle charades and pictionary, etc.

Dan Zen Indoor Games - Psychedelic Medieval Charades

Psychedelic Meets Medieval Charades ▲ Charades played at trippy Dan Zen parties. These matched up concepts like "Pilgrimage" and "Magical Mystery Tour" just for the fun of it.

Charade Fun ▲ More examples of charades. These days, Dan Zen secretly hides the charade slips around the house of where the charades are played - so in baskets, medicine cabinets, under carpets, etc.

Fairytale Land ▲ A rock/paper/scissors like game where you and your opponent(s) start by saying, "In fairytale land we have a" and then show and say one of the four choices. A puddle wins against a crown because the crown would be tarnished. A crown wins against a prince because it sits on top of the prince. A prince wins against a cape (which you make wave with your hand as you show it) because the prince puts on the cape. A cape wins against the puddle because you can put the cape over the puddle. If you choose the same option then the winner is the first to say "break the witch's spell!" If you have a puddle and a prince or a cape and a crown then the winner is the first to say "you have no power over me!". Good for car rides!

THE PARTY

Players: 2-4 each representing a Castle

Deck:  	10, J, Q, K, A of each suit
	and both Jokers (Sleuths)
        10 - Butler
        J - Thief
        Q - Queen
        K - King
        A - Diamond (Jewel)
        
Scenario:

There is a party located between the castle estates.  Each castle estate has four members who go the party or fiddle about.  The object is to stash the most diamonds (Aces) or get all four diamonds in your hand.

Rules:

1. Deal 4 cards to each player.

2. The rest are placed face down as a party pick-up pile.

3. The players take turns.  A the end of each turn, the player should always have four cards.  If necessary, they get cards from the party pick-up pile.  Here are the moves:

4. A King or Queen can "go to the party" one at a time unless they are the same suit in which case they can both go.  The card(s) is placed face down in a party drop-off pile perpendicular to the party pick-up pile and is replaced with a card from the party pick-up pile.

5. A Thief (Jack) can be shown and an opponent's castle robbed.  The player chooses one card from the opponent's hand, hoping for a diamond (Ace).  The Thief goes to the party drop-off pile (where all cards going to the party go).

6. If the opponent has a Sleuth (Joker) then the Thief is caught and taken to the party by the Sleuth and the castle is not robbed.

7. At any point a player has a Thief (Jack) and a Diamond (Ace) in their hand, these are shown and the Thief can stash the Diamond (put it aside). A card is drawn from the party. The Thief stays in the hand.  However, if any opponent has a Butler (10) then the Thief (Jack) is caught stashing the Diamond and the Diamond, the Thief and the Butler go to the party.

8. If, when the Thief (Jack) robs an opponent's castle, he finds a Butler (10) then the Butler informs the Thief of the whereabouts of a stashed Diamond (if any) and the Diamond, the Thief and the Butler go to the party.

9. If a King and Queen both go to the party, an opponent can call a bluff.  Whoever loses must send one stashed diamond (Ace), if one is stashed, to the party.

10. Sleuths (Jokers) never go to the party unless while catching a Thief.  This could force a Diamond (Ace) to go to the party in the guise of a King or Queen.

11. The following must be performed:

WHEN GOING TO A PARTY:
The current player says in a regal voice, "The King (or Queen or King and Queen) is going to the Party".  If they say "Castle" instead of "Party" then they lose their turn.

WHEN PARTY CARDS ARE GONE:
The current player picks up the discard pile and makes an open door creek sound.  They must sing a song while shuffling and as soon as they are done they must stop the song and make a close door creek sound.  If they mess up, they lose their turn.

SLEUTH CATCHING THIEF:
Sleuth must say, "Aha!  I've nabbed you single-handed you dastardly gem lifter!"

BUTLER CATCHING THIEF:
Butler must say, "I caught you when I came back from purchasing caviar!"

WHEN A THIEF APPROACHES A CASTLE:
The castle owner shuffles their cards and repeatedly says "Shuffle round the castle!"

Party - Card Game (1993) ▲ Made in France by Zen on vacation with wife, RoseAnne, they had some giddy wine-filled nights playing and chanting "Shuffle 'round the Cass-hole"

Hide the Girl ▲ Folks go out of the room and the girl is hidden then the folks come back in the room and hunt for the girl.

I FOUND IT

Players: 4 to many players

Overview:  Players take turns hiding a prearranged object in a prearranged area.  For instance, an eraser in a room or a ball on a campground.  Each turn has a loser.  Play as long as you want.

Rules:

1. A player (hider) takes a turn to hide the object while the other players (finders) leave the area and do not peek.

2. The hider announces when the object is hidden and the finders come in to look for the object.

3. When a finder finds the object, they do not tell people where it is.  Instead, they just announce that they found it and sit down out of the way.  They may want to delay the announcement so others can't tell where the object is.

4. A finder can also bluff.  So a finder can announce that they found the object but in fact, they have not found the object.  They go and sit out of the way.

5. The finding period is over once all the players except for one last player have "found" the object.

6. The last player must announce, "I did not find it, but I do not think that..." and then accuse one of the other players of not finding it.  So, for instance, "I didn't find it, but I don't think that Sam found it".

7. If the accused player did find the object then the accused player says so and points to the object.  In this case, the last player is the loser.

8. If the accused player did not find the object (they were bluffing), then they must announce, "Well, I did not find it, but I do not think that..." and then they accuse one of the other players who are left.

9. If the newly accused player found it then the accuser is the loser.  If the newly accused player did not find it, then they must accuse another player.

10. This repeats until there is a loser.  If nobody found the object then the last person to be accused is the loser.

I Found it! ▲ This game replaces Hide the Girl with a hunting game of strategy and bluff. You can play it many places - indoors or out. Dan Zen has played it on patios with a beer opener, on picnic tables with a small seed, in forests with balls, in dining rooms with a game die. The game is one of the most successful family games Zen has played with relatives calling to play at camp-outs, etc. The game was developed by Zen and daughter, Madeline, as an example of what games Beryean people would play. Beryea is a made up land and language.

Chant! ▲ You write a topic on the end and then four people write a word relating to the topic and slide the paper along. Chant is built so participants can't see the other words. See how three more windows fit behind the Chant logo. Zen played Chant in a Gallery with friends late one night. The pictures were untitled until chants were made for each one with the friends shouting and stomping around the room!

Haiku Saki ▲ A drinking game where friends challenge each other to drink or make a haiku.

Cork Games ▲ A series of quick cork games to get the social evening unplugged! Press to view larger.

Mood Mystery ▲ You can purchase these atmospheric mystery games - they have no plot - they only feel like they do and that is half the fun at half the bother! MOOD MYSTERY

Mystical Cards ▲ Dan Zen cannot remember what these cards are for but it must have been one of a hundred lost games!

Galactic Feast ▲ One of the many theme parties - see the Party Exhibit. Here galactic delegates were given a character trait each and tasked with finding their long lost match.

Mystery Parties ▲ Dan Zen hosted four mystery parties (twice each) with booklets and costumes, etc. Pictured above are some of the booklets in black and a mysterious figure in the closet. And then the digitally available booklets to print to host your own Baron Digbody's Castle mystery. See the Mystery Exhibit for more. The games were a wonderful success - possibly the most fun Zen has had. You should try it! Write a mystery and invite friends.

The Making Of! ▲ A shot of the set up to photograph the indoor games. Zen finds the items in various storage boxes and lays them out on the black mat to take photos - the camera is usually on the tripod. There is a light (not turned on) that reflects off the ceiling. A similar technique was used for the Scraps Exhibit. We hope you enjoyed the Indoor Game Exhibit - we look forward to presenting the Outdoor Game Exhibit in the future.

November 17 Dan Zen Expo Exhibit

Indoor Games

Dedicated to Mike and Sandra