Players: Anne, Christine, Joshua, Lori, Scott
Even though this game did not take place at Mike's house, did not include an email announcement of a Pictionary game, and does not go along with the mission of this web page (which is that we "play games that emphasize skill, negotiation, and a bit of treachery"), I'm working fewer hours for the time being and thought I'd put something together for it. Besides, I promised that if the winner's would email me their winning strategy tip, I'd post it; and we all know that a "Winner's tip" without a "Game summary" is like an NFL season without 10 or more Tampa Bay losses.
Game started innocently enough, with three tipsy women voting down "1830" in favor of something "friendlier" (their word -- not mine). Joshua and Scott pulled ahead early but were slowed when they hit every conceivable "All Play" and lost most or many of them. Christine, Anne, and Lori steadily made up ground and passed the men with a combination of fortunate die rolls, skilled guesswork and both minimalist and post-impressionist drawing styles. (They may have cheated too, but why make accusations you can't prove?)
21 squares behind and hopelessly stuck on an "All Play," the men were ready to cede the game, when suddenly, Christine called out "pretty" and Lori exalted in what she thought was the final victory -- only problem was, the word we were after was "ugly." The punishment for that transgression was to allow Joshua and Scott to roll and continue their own turn. The men then ran off six words in quick succession and the wine consumption of their opponents increased with each roll of the dice. They trailed by only two squares when the women finally nailed their last "All Play" to claim victory and spoil what would've been a more dramatic web page entry.
A word from our winners, Anne, Christine, & Lori
"When playing group participation games like Pictionary, you must be able to feed off of each other. Going the extra step based on body language is more important than interpreting drawings. If you can, with one of two guesses, get a 'yes' nod from the drawing partner, before you start guessing further, CLARIFY what the nod was for. 'Are you saying yes for "box" or for "square"? Does it have to do with a box? Does it sound like box? Is it a phrase with the word box in it?' Once you get your second affirmative nod, you will spare the whole team from unrelated questions. Each time the reaction from your partner is violent (usually signifying, 'Almost! You are so close!') get him or her to stop drawing for a second to clarify WHICH part was very close. If they keep pointing to the paper, and you keep saying 'box' without asking any other questions about whether it should be 'square' or something that sounds like 'box,' you will run out of time, and frustrate both yourself and your partners." - Christine
"ESTROGEN!!" - Lori
"The only skills you need to play Pictionary well are: talent, intuition, and spontaneity; and our team had a perfect balance of all three skills, which we honed to master the game. While Lori was the master of intuition and could command the unrefined meaning from our scribbles, Christine had the awesome ability to bombard us with a barrage of spontaneous ideas. I, on the other hand, had a harder time liberating ideas from my mind (which was slightly stifled by the wine) but could draw a pretty mean stick man. Though I will admit that we had a slight advantage over the boys because it was three against two, they would never and could never match us in talent, intuition, and spontaneity." - Anne
Scott's words to live by:
- The winners should team up with my sisters and go for the Pictionary world's championship
- Anne's comments were both bold and cold, but I never get caught in an on- line argument (though she goaded me so well, I will call her a "master baiter").
- Joshua, I'm rolling from this day forward...
Even though this game did not take place at Mike's house, did not include an email announcement of a Pictionary game, and does not go along with the mission of this web page (which is that we "play games that emphasize skill, negotiation, and a bit of treachery"), I'm working fewer hours for the time being and thought I'd put something together for it. Besides, I promised that if the winner's would email me their winning strategy tip, I'd post it; and we all know that a "Winner's tip" without a "Game summary" is like an NFL season without 10 or more Tampa Bay losses.
Game started innocently enough, with three tipsy women voting down "1830" in favor of something "friendlier" (their word -- not mine). Joshua and Scott pulled ahead early but were slowed when they hit every conceivable "All Play" and lost most or many of them. Christine, Anne, and Lori steadily made up ground and passed the men with a combination of fortunate die rolls, skilled guesswork and both minimalist and post-impressionist drawing styles. (They may have cheated too, but why make accusations you can't prove?)
21 squares behind and hopelessly stuck on an "All Play," the men were ready to cede the game, when suddenly, Christine called out "pretty" and Lori exalted in what she thought was the final victory -- only problem was, the word we were after was "ugly." The punishment for that transgression was to allow Joshua and Scott to roll and continue their own turn. The men then ran off six words in quick succession and the wine consumption of their opponents increased with each roll of the dice. They trailed by only two squares when the women finally nailed their last "All Play" to claim victory and spoil what would've been a more dramatic web page entry.
"When playing group participation games like Pictionary, you must be able to feed off of each other. Going the extra step based on body language is more important than interpreting drawings. If you can, with one of two guesses, get a 'yes' nod from the drawing partner, before you start guessing further, CLARIFY what the nod was for. 'Are you saying yes for "box" or for "square"? Does it have to do with a box? Does it sound like box? Is it a phrase with the word box in it?' Once you get your second affirmative nod, you will spare the whole team from unrelated questions. Each time the reaction from your partner is violent (usually signifying, 'Almost! You are so close!') get him or her to stop drawing for a second to clarify WHICH part was very close. If they keep pointing to the paper, and you keep saying 'box' without asking any other questions about whether it should be 'square' or something that sounds like 'box,' you will run out of time, and frustrate both yourself and your partners." - Christine
"ESTROGEN!!" - Lori
"The only skills you need to play Pictionary well are: talent, intuition, and spontaneity; and our team had a perfect balance of all three skills, which we honed to master the game. While Lori was the master of intuition and could command the unrefined meaning from our scribbles, Christine had the awesome ability to bombard us with a barrage of spontaneous ideas. I, on the other hand, had a harder time liberating ideas from my mind (which was slightly stifled by the wine) but could draw a pretty mean stick man. Though I will admit that we had a slight advantage over the boys because it was three against two, they would never and could never match us in talent, intuition, and spontaneity." - Anne
Scott's words to live by:
- The winners should team up with my sisters and go for the Pictionary world's championship
- Anne's comments were both bold and cold, but I never get caught in an on- line argument (though she goaded me so well, I will call her a "master baiter").
- Joshua, I'm rolling from this day forward...
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