What it is: A cooperative talking game where players try to say the same word at the same time.
Best for: Two players. I’ve seen it done with three, which is more difficult but could be doable.
What you need: You don’t need anything to play, other than your brains.
How to play: This is a simple game that can provide hours of fun. It’s kind of addicting, almost, once you get started.
After I learned the game, I found out it’s from the band OK Go (you know, the ones with all the awesome music videos?). (This one isn’t really official, but I think it’s my favorite…except a lot of them are kind of my favorite.) OK Go actually has a video that explains the game really well, as well as an app that lets you play even when you’re not with friends. Go check them out! So though I know this post won’t be as entertaining as OK Go’s video, I’ll go ahead and explain how to play here, too.
You start by having two people each say a word at the same time. Any word. It will be a random pair, and that’s okay.
Let’s say Adam and Liz are playing. These are the two words they say:
- Adam: See saw
- Liz: Trip
To make sure they say their words at the same, one or both of them can snap their fingers three times. After the third snap, or on an optional fourth snap, they each say their word.
After that first round, Adam and Liz go again. But this time they’re going to try to say the same word. They do this by trying to find a word that connects the first two words, or something they have in common. You could also think of it as finding the intersection between the two words. So the second round might look like this, with the players’ thought process included:
- Adam: Playground (because this is where you’d trip over a see saw)
- Liz: Fall (because if you tripped over a see saw, you would fall)
Everyone thinks a little bit differently, so it might take a while for Adam and Elizabeth to finally say the right word.
- Adam: Push (because if you fall at a playground, someone might have pushed you)
- Liz: Merry-go-round (the most likely place to fall at a playground)
It’s good for them to take time between rounds to think and come up with the right word. Otherwise, if it’s just about speed, it could get difficult.
- Adam: Exercise (because pushing a merry-go-round is essentially exercise)
- Liz: Spin (because when you push a merry-go-round, it spins)
But it can be a little bit about speed. They don’t want to sit around waiting forever.
- Adam: Treadmill (a form of exercising that involves spinning equipment)
- Liz: Dancing (because this is a way you can spin and exercise at the same time)
Finally, though, they’ll end up on the same word.
- Adam: OK Go! (because they have the best treadmill dance music video of all time)
- Liz: OK Go! (because they have the best treadmill dance music video of all time)
It’s a very rewarding feeling.
This game could be over quickly, in three or even two rounds. Or it could drag on for a while. It’s fun to see the way someone else thinks, and to laugh (or get frustrated) when you think an opposite way. It can also lead to some funny moments, too. Once my husband and I were playing and, I can’t remember what the preceding pair was, but we said Luke Skywalker and Mark Hamill at the same time. (We weren’t sure if that should count as a win.) Another time my sister and I had the words love and brown to work with, and we both came up with chocolate.
I like this game because it’s cooperative instead of competitive. It’s a great time-killer and fun to play. So thank you, OK Go!