I like the game empathy.sometimes it is all to easy tom pick the top 10 in a subject as far as picking the commonest responses.

then I remembered that at some sites they have anti-games.that is were the object of the game is to lose..to win.I personally dont care for these.

but how about as a game idea, “anti-empathy”.

where the object is picking the LEAST commonest responses.

example:

for say the word furniture.you would try & pick the least common responses.

I would pick:

sewing cabinet–vanity–credenza–humidor–hall tree–tea cart–sheet music cabinet–rocking chair–cradle–bunk bed

I hope our fearless leader sees this,wonder what he thinks.

The ideea is fine, indeed, but you forgot something: if you really want to loose, you only have to pick LEAST commonest expressions, but NOT related to the subject. Sample: “Mary has a little boy”, “I drink water if I'm thirsty” etc.

Get the point? :)

ok I see what u mean.

I was thinking in terms of the least common responses fairly common words or phrases.

the idea really to be to win…and getting a point(or some designated value)..if you select a word that no one else picked.

it could be that players who select the same word..concel each other.only those who select unique responses get a point.

There is a word game I played as a kid, with pencil and paper called “Catagories”.

Someone would call out a catagory, and everyone had 2 minutes to write down all of the words they could think of that fit into that catagory.

The object was to have more unique words NOT used by anybody else.

The group would have not allowed things totally un-related as in Ed's post.

As words were called out (taking turns) we scratched out the word if we had also thought of it, and the winner after all had a chance to list their viable words was the person who had the most words that no one else had thought of.

That was an anti-empathy….

Yes, Judy. That would be an interesting idea. Also, I played in my teen years :) a words game which required, for getting maximum points, to choose the least commonest words/expressions starting with a given letter in 7 (seven) categories. The name of the game was formed by the first letter of Romanian words for Countries-Cities-Plants-Animals-Rivers-A… (I don't remember and Google wasn't for help :))-Seas

But if you should win by entering unique words NOT used by anybody else, then we could enter what we want. The question “Name something you take on a picnic” could then be answered with “doijwelfnealkvn”. The chance someone enters that lettercombination exactly is practically zero.

Okay, let's add a dictionary. Still, we get this problem. If we were to ask to enter EMOTIONS, then I would go to dictionary.com and enter the most strange words I can find that do not have any relation to the expression.

So the point is, with this game of entering words that are unique, there has to be a jury behind it that evaluates all entries. Too much work, for all these games are handled automatically.

Well put, Rat. I was about to say just the same thing :-)

yes.I thought of all this.each word /game would require intelligent evaluation..or a pre-selected subject database B4 the game was played.

a lot of work.

the game boggle is played on line.but then it is simply words that are correct in an pre-determined accepted scrabble dictionary type ,I assume.

you can include a rule which says that at least 1 other person must have the same word. of course then you can agree with your buddy to both answer “doijwelfnealkvn”.

now that robin might be unprecise,but a short cut to accomplishing to desired effect.I see you prescibe to the K.I.S.S. rule.

(keep it simple stupid)as the old expression goes.

If you want to play a game where you want to win by picking something unique, and still have it administrated by a computer, there's a simple game which involves picking numbers (positive integers). Every player picks a number. Winner is the one with the smallest number not picked by any player. IYT has (or used to have) a game like this, and I've seen it as “auctions” where the person placing the lowest unique bid wins a car (but you pay a (small) amount of money for the priviledge of placing a bid).

ture abbs..and I'm a math freak..but I think word association is more stimulating than picking numbers…what say ye all ?

I just wrote on the blackboard 10 times?

“check your spelling before you post”

sorry guys,I've been sloppy..and I know better..and I can spyll reyl goyd

hey did anyone ever consider this threads idea?

maybe ways to make this “anti-empathy” idea a reality:

1-do it once a week

2-have someone (or a team *)create a database re the weekly “word”.

*this might be a way to make use of members talents & give them the feeling they are part of the community by helping..they couls submit stuff for approval).