DARE-CHAIR
Description
Have you ever thought about daring from a spinning chair? “Dare-Chair” is a game that enhances mental activity and social interaction through the perfect combination of a spinning chair, basic general knowledge questions and lots of fun! The main object of this play is an available spinning chair and everyone from kids to adults can participate in it. (Disclaimer: at least 3 players are needed)
Instructions
- Organization: The games requires a circular organization. The oldest player (Player A) sits on the spinning chair at the middle of the circle, and all the others sit or stand around him/her.
- The Game:
- Player A closes his/her eyes and spin on the spinning chair.
- Once the chair stops, Player A asks a basic general knowledge question to the person who is in front or nearest to him/her (Player B). Player B has 20 seconds to answer. Some examples of general basic knowledge questions are the following: Who did Matthew Perry play in ‘Friends’?, What chemical element is diamond made of?, or What is the capital of Turkey?
- If Player B answers correctly, he/she can take the place of Player A.
- If Player B answers incorrectly, Player A will dare Player B to do something. Disclaimer: The dare should not be in any way harmful to Player B. After the dare is completed, Player A continues at the center and the game is repeated.
- The game can last as much as the players want. The Player who stayed the majority of rounds on the chair is the one who wins.
Don’t Forget these Important Rules
- The oldest player is the one who starts. However, if the players propose a new way to select the first player, they can go for it. This enhances creativity!
- Dares should not be in any way harmful to players.
Context
Dare-Chair demands one rolling chair and at least 3 players. The sometimes limited availability of rolling chairs might limit the viability of the game. The environment should be one in which players could hear and understand each other clearly, therefore noisy spaces might not be the right ones for Chair-Dare. The best playground for the game is one that occurs naturally in a classroom, lounge, living room or any room that has enough space to create a circle-like organization between players. Anyone could play Chair-Dare, and it could be played with friends or strangers. In the case of the trial, the game was played at the living room of one of the participants and the rolling chair was brought from her floor’s lounge. The friendly character of the environment made the game go smoothly and increased the players’ pleasure.
Space
The game was initially designed to be played inside of one of the residential floor lounges. However, as it was being used for a meeting, the players and I took one of the chairs to one participant’s suite. The players decided to put the chair in the middle of the living room -where they thought it best fitted the game’s description and rules I had previously explained. Also, there was a silent agreement on staying in a standing position throughout the game. In sum, we appropriated the suite and the players accommodated the game according to the physical context.
Playtest
Full video here: https://goo.gl/wLYis9
The players were very excited about the game. One of them automatically decided to take the lead and sit on the chair first. When explaining the game and its rules, I did not specify how the player at the center was supposed to spin. Therefore, it was interesting to see how one of the players took the initiative to spin all the players who came to the center. Formulating harmful dares was prohibited, and that was carefully respected throughout the game. I was surprised by the questions of the players and also the dares they came up with, which were creative and “healthy” ones. When designing the game, I was unsure about how the participants would receive the instructions and then carry them on. However, it turned out really well and even I had fun recording the activity.
Assessing the Game
I think the rule of not formulating any harmful dares greatly limited the “destruction” character of Chair-Dare. The game invited the participants to think of innovative questions and dares. The fact that the questions were created by the players themselves might have invited them to quickly reflect on similar questions they were asked to answer in the past, or even in new ones related to the NYUAD context (as one of the participants did). The questions asked by the players varied in complexity and themes. They were the following: When did the World War II end?, What is the capital of Brazil?, When did the first NYUAD graduate?, and What was the Waka Waka for? The dares were “Dance without music” and “Squat”. Another interesting aspect of the trial was that players helped each other when answering questions (For future trials, the participants could form teams and help each other to win). Chair-Dare’s flexibility allows players to express themselves and show their personalities through the specific questions and dares they present. Also, participants can talk to each other during the game, sharing their feelings, thoughts, and laughs.