I love designing and playing games, and I love hosting parties. For a large friends and family party I wanted to design something unique and fun for the guests to do. Just like when I design a learning game, I went through a fluid, yet familiar design process.
Objectives
- All-ages play
- Easy to follow rules
- Everyone feels successful
- Play would take about an hour
- Play would result in exploration of the family property
Process
As I begin a design, I think about 2 major pieces– what are my resources and what should the participant gain. The Joseph Compound is rife with stuff– how could I use it to make a fun experience. I knew that we had tons of partial croquet sets around, but I knew that I didn’t want to play traditional croquet. There was too much structure– turn-based, winning and losing, a standard wicket set-up… It was important to establish that this was nothing like croquet. I took inspiration from the board game Cranium where players would perform different tasks within drawing, singing, acting, etc. As players hit the ball through a wicket, they would perform a fun task that was described with a poem. The task took away the focus on the traditional counting of strokes, and instead focused on the satisfying smacking of the ball by the mallet, strolling about the grounds, and laughing with one another as shared silliness abounded. Without the competitive element, people could opt out of any activity that was uncomfortable to them.
| Hole Number | Task | Materials Needed | Notes |
| 1 | Wear a Hat | Hats! | I purposefully began the course with this task. I figured everyone loves a hat, and that this low-stakes entree into the game would allow people to ease into the spirit of the game. |
| 2 | Go Boating | Boats and a body of water |  |
| 3 | Get “Physical” |
Trampoline and Antique Treadmill | Olivia Newton John sang it, “Let’s Get Physical”, she proclaimed it. Hop on that treadmill with your feet, not your eyes Jump on that trampoline for some exercise. |
| 4 | Horseshoe ringer | Horseshoes set | You’ve made it underneath the hornet’s nest. Don’t worry, they’re long gone, not to molest. Take a care to each finger. As you, with a horseshoe, make a ringer. |
| 5 | Easter Egg Hunt | Easter Eggs | Rabbits give live birth That’s why they have such wide girth They also don’t have a chicken beak Why then, to them, we ascribe an Easter season hide and seek? |
| 6 | Dribble a ball between your legs | Basketball | There’s the basket, here’s the ball Bounce that sucker tween your legs, don’t you fall |
| 7 | ABCs with your body | Body doll for demonstration | You’re about halfway through the course Don’t be fussy or too snotty. We’re not gonna use the code of Morse, Spell your name using only your body. |
| 8 | Play a musical instrument | assorted musical instruments | In the country you can make a blat Of a bugle or a drum splat Loud enough to attract a herd of cow Bonus points if the coyotes howl |
| 9 | Draw your self-portrait | paper, pencils, markers, clothesline |  |
| 10 | Rock Sculpture | rocks |  |
| 11 | “Archaeological” Dig | broken dishes, hole |  |
| 12 | Junque Sculpture | assorted oddments | Whew, you’ve made it to the highest wicket Take a moment to enjoy the view, that’s the ticket Now look around at the plaster, wood and metal parts Turn it into an arrangement of art |
| 13 | Coin toss | coins, dishes, table |  |
| 14 | Talk to a goat | goats | Do not buy goats only to play EpiCroqueTournament. |
| 15 | Sidewalk drawing | chalk, pavement |  |
Results
Over the course of two weekends, about 40 people played EpiCroqueTournament. It exceeded all of my expectations– including getting positive reviews from two of the most demanding critics, my older brother and first cousin, neither of whom are easily satisfied. Players laughed, got engrossed in activities, ventured further afield than the food and drink stations. Some players went on a boat for the first times in their lives.
Lessons I would take away are:
- Fun and enthusiasm in design translate to the playing experience. I talked up the game in social media, even tho it wasn’t completed. People came ready to play because I was.
- Editing is ALWAYS good. I deleted several activities which were simply too much work for me, were too complicated to perform or weren’t seeming fun.
- Use what you have. The particular working parts of EpiCroqueTournament fit into a paper bag. There are a lot of other materials that I brought to the game, but they were mostly already on the landscape. Granted, we’ve got a lot of weird stuff, but I bet you do too.
