FAQ

The Game is an abstract mental game, the goal of which is for players to forget the existence of The Game itself. Play is continuous, consisting of alternating periods of winning (when you are not thinking about The Game) and losing (when you are). Knowledge of The Game is spread to new players primarily via word-of-mouth, and hence there are many variations (Rules 1, 2 & 3). The Game serves as a succinct example of a meme.

What should I do when I think about The Game?

Whenever you think about The Game, you lose, and must tell as many people as possible. Usually this is done by saying something like "I just lost The Game", although different groups of players have established numerous loss phrases.

In situations where speech is not possible or appropriate, some players have developed non-verbal ways of announcing loss, including sign language either for "game" or simply just "G", tracing the letters in the air, passing notes, or subtle actions that have previously had the intended meaning explained, such as rubbing the head or scratching the nose.

Why should I play The Game?

There is no reward for playing The Game. Like most other games, it poses a challenge that players try to achieve. The various mental associations that result in loss are often of interest to players.

Some players believe that you have no choice to play The Game, as stated by the rules. They would argue that anyone who claims not to play The Game, is playing, but merely breaking Rule 3. Participation in a game requires neither consent to play or awareness of its existence. For example, whoever reads these words wins this example game. You have now won this game even though you were unaware you were playing it.

Is The Game a game?

Although some people would argue otherwise, The Game does fit into most definitions of a game. It involves a number of players trying to acheive an objective; to forget its existence.

How do I win The Game?

Whenever you are not thinking about The Game, you are winning. There is no final victory, although some players add an additional element of competition by keeping score. There are a number of strategies for increasing the loss of others.

Are there any penalties for losing?

The only penalty is having to announce your loss to others. Loss is only temporary, as soon as you stop thinking about The Game you start winning again.

Can I draw The Game?

This can happen if two people think about The Game at the same time. This becomes increasingly common as loss and its various causes become more strongly associated within a group.

Can I cheat?

The only rule that can be broken is Rule 3. Many people choose to break this rule in certain situations, some people never announce their loss.

Why are there 3 rules?

The rules of The Game should be as simple and explainable as possible. The Game could actually be compressed into a single rule:

Whenever you think about this game you have to tell everyone about it.

However, there are three rules for a number of reasons:

Rule 1. You are playing The Game - This emphasises the fact that this is game is played continuously and that (players believe) once you start playing you can't stop.

Rule 2. Whenever you think about The Game, you lose - This emphasises how The Game is played and gives its objective: to forget that it exists. Some points about the specific wording of this rule (e.g. think about vs remember you are playing) are made here.

Rule 3. Loss of The Game must be announced - This emphasises the consequence of loss and is an important part of how The Game is spread.

Any other rules over-complicate The Game or reduce the rate at which it is lost (which is fundamental to the nature of The Game). The majority of additional rules are actually variations of these three rules.

How many people play The Game?

The actual number of people that are aware of The Game is impossible to determine. Over one thousand new people read this site's main page every day (currently over 300,000). Here is some more evidence of just how many people are losing The Game (for more information click here):

* De Morgen article by Jeroen Verelst. Daily readership: 50,000+
* Kiwi FM by Caleb Anderson. Listeners: 40,000+
* Daily Nebraskan article by Andy Boyle. Daily readership: 20,000+ "the fifth-largest circulation of all newspapers in the state of Nebraska"
* Real Life Comic by Greg Dean. Daily readership: 60,000+
* Facebook. Largest Game-based group: 30,000+ (70,000+ members of all Game-based groups)
* BBC Radio 4. Listeners: 6,000,000+ "the second most popular British domestic radio station"
* Kerrang! 105.2 Radio. Listeners: 1,000,000+

Over 2000 people have recorded their details in the Game Tree, and people from all over the world are recorded on the Game Map. Based on this evidence there are probably millions of people throughout the world regularly losing The Game.

What is a grace period?

Some versions of The Game involve another rule, or an addition to Rule 2, that states you cannot lose for a period of time following loss.

Some players argue that this addition in nessecary to prevent infinite loss. However, it is simpler to play that when you are thinking about The Game your are losing, and when you are not thinking about it, you are winning.

The Game doesn't make any sense.

Some people feel that The Game is purposeless or that it is not even a game at all. Most 'active' players find The Game interesting because of the formation of associations that cause you and others to lose. The Game provides an arbitrary thought or idea that has no meaning other than that you can become aware of it.

I hate The Game.

Some people seem to find the concept of The Game very offensive, and it can provoke strong reactions, especially in online forums. Discussion of The Game has been banned from SomethingAwful.com and GameSpy.com