Caution - this is a long, highly detailed story about my effort to create the perfect party game, and how things went the first time we played it with my girlfriend, her sister, and another couple. It starts out slow, and you won't see much action for quite a while - hopefully I'll make up for that in the final third of the story.
BTW: I still have the cards, if anyone is interested in getting up a game. ;-)=================================
When I was 23 years old, I invented the perfect adult party game.
There may be some situations where other games may be preferred, but for my purposes (and probably yours) this was the greatest game ever. I have dozens of friends and partners who will back my claim.
I never chose to share it, rather saving it for my own purposes, but now you will learn the secret that worked so well, so many times for yours truly. It started with a couple of friends, and was refined under use many times and I can proudly state that nine times out of ten, it got me farther with friends and strangers than I ever had before.
Let's start with a simple hypothesis and purpose. I would hazard to guess there are a lot more guys out there that would be willing to play 'adult' games with their friends and neighbors if they could just convince their partners. How do we get those partners to participate?
How do you boil a frog? If you throw him in boiling water, he'll just jump out. But if you put him in water he's comfortable in, he'll just sit there as you slowly raise the temperature, until he's boiled alive.
Combine this concept with just a little bit of misdirection and peer pressure and you're set.
That's all you really need to know to recreate the perfect adult party game.
What? You want more? Ok, let's start from the beginning.
THE CONCEPT
My live-in girlfriend Cheryl had met Denise at work. They had quickly become close friends, and spent most of their lunch hours and breaks together. A lot of people thought they were related, they looked so similar: tall lean blondes, with straight shoulder length hair, and above average, if not huge, breasts. I believe most red-blooded American boys couldn't help but envision a 'twins' or 'sisters' fantasy when they saw these two walking around together. Cheryl knew she was a pretty hot item, but I honestly believe that Denise never understood her own ability to make a man's blood boil.
After they'd been chumming around for a few weeks, we got together as couples and usually had a very good time. Dave and I had several common interests, and he was a pretty sharp guy, with a good sense of humor and obviously similar taste in women. Denise was bubbly and likeable, if not the sharpest tool in the shed, and just a little bit on the naive side. Cheryl wasn't much better in terms of naiveté, but she was sharp as a tack, with an acerbic wit, and a teasing way about her.
We really enjoyed each other's company and over the next few months we found ourselves doing more and more things together. The only detriment to the relationship was that they lived about an hour away, two hours during rush hour.
Cheryl and I had a terrific sexual relationship, she was very accommodating and willing to experiment, and pretty much always ready. I believe Dave and Denise had a relationship almost as good. Over the months, our conversations had gotten a little racier, and Denise was always quick to blush, but eventually even she would joke about a bit. Cheryl and Denise talked about their sex lives, and I would occasionally hear bits and pieces of theirs; it just served to turn me on.
I found myself fantasizing about the four of us in ways I never had before. I imagined having my way with Denise, in every possible position. While lying in bed, even in the after glow of our own lovemaking, I would think about what it would be like to share Denise with Dave, while Cheryl waited her turn, egging us on, knowing she was next. During one of our activities I caught a glimpse of Denise naked after a shower, leaning over adjusting a water knob, and the vision was burned in my brain. Soon, my fertile imagination was hard at work conceiving of a way to bring the group together in a more "intimate" fashion.
We did play the occasional card game, as well as charades, Trivial Pursuit, and a few other games, and although the comments got a little risqué on occasion, no action followed. The subject of Strip Poker had been broached on a couple of occasions before being laughed off by the girls, as if we couldn't really be serious. The good news was that Dave had done the original suggesting.
I let my fertile imagination percolate on the subject for a while, and soon had the first germination of an idea.
Question: Are games fair to all?
Answer: Obviously not. Some people prefer luck games, others knowledge, others skill. Some enjoy Charades, some Trivial Pursuit, others Poker. In our situation, I usually won the trivia games, while Dave's wife Denise loved charades. Cheryl was addicted to card games.
Key Idea: Can we cater to a variety of preferences to eliminate excuses NOT to play?
Question: How do you introduce an adult game to the group?
Answer: Very Carefully. Suggest playing strip poker and get yelled at or teased. Roll out Around the World in Bed, and watch your neighbor's wife stomp out. Maybe you get everyone as drunk as possible, and then suggest turning out the lights and playing hide-the-weenie? There's got to be a better solution.
Key Idea: Is there a way to introduce an adult game that's not an adult game?
Question: Is there any way to eliminate possible initial reluctance especially involving suggestive or sexy situations?
Answer: There's an old saying, "All women are just two drinks away from a girl-on-girl adventure." If this is true, can it be exploited? Some men and women are ready now, but don't want to admit it. Others just don't want to go first. Others just don't want to be the ones to chicken out. Let's take advantage of these mores.
Key Idea: Can built in peer pressure, liquid courage, and self-selective challenges overcome reluctance?
Question: How complex can the game be?
Answer: You've got to be able to teach it in 30 seconds, so nobody can beg the excuse that it's too complicated, and you have to be able to play it drunk off your ass.
Key Idea: KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid
I think the idea came to me late in bed one night, while fantasizing about the four of us. My solution was pretty simple at first, although rather ingenious if I do say so myself.
It was a hybrid of Truth or Dare, Spin the Bottle, Trivial Pursuit, Strip Poker, and many more games, all rolled into one.
I spent a couple of days researching the mechanics and assembling the actual materials, which I did at a very reasonable cost. I started play testing and scrapped two initial ideas before I finally settled on the one that I thought really captured the essence of what I was looking for. After quietly play testing in imaginary scenarios for several more evenings, fine tuning, I went about trying to arrange for the first actual game play.
I had spent more than a month working out the basics of my game, and I felt it was time to give it a try. There was a craft show going on the upcoming weekend, just northwest of Baltimore a little over an hour from my place. I suggested to Cheryl that we invite Dave and Denise to go with us, and that they could spend the night before at our place, so we could get an early start. They'd spent the night at our place several times before, and should be no big deal. The ladies worked it all out, and plans were set for Dave and Denise to come over directly after work. We'd eat dinner out, and stay at our place before leaving the next morning. The scenario was ideal.
THE PRELIMINARIES
I arranged to have lunch with Dave on a Thursday. I'm sure my call surprised him, but I wanted to leave nothing to chance. We typically didn't associate much outside of group outings.
We exchanged pleasantries as we ordered our Barbecue, and found a booth to sit at.
"So Dave, tell me, what is Denise's favorite drink?" I asked him.
"Probably Pineapple Daiquiri's, why?"
"Tomorrow night, when y'all come over, I have a new game that I want to play, and I want everything to be just right, including all the best liquid moral lubricants." I answered with a sly grin.
"Oh really? Tell me more." He leaned over, all his attention off the food for the moment.
"Let's just say that it starts real tame, but it has the capability for unlimited fun, embarrassment and debauchery. I don't want to go into too much detail, but it could get pretty wild. If you could support me on this, I think we may get a chance to see what our girls would be willing to do under the ideal circumstances. I know I'd love to see both Denise and Cheryl pushed outside of their normal 'safety' zone."
"We're not talking Strip Poker or something are we? I can tell you now that Denise will NEVER go for that. I've discussed it in private and she's definitely a no-go." He seemed interested, but worried.
"No, if the game does get wild, it will be so gradual they won't realize it until hopefully it's too late. It's an experiment. If it goes haywire I'm going to claim ignorance about the details of the game. So, what do you think?" I asked.
"Can't you tell me something?" He pleaded.
"In concept it's pretty simple. Each person has a lot of choice in how the game is played for them, and what type of 'forfeits' they pay. There's a gradual increase in penalty, which I have a lot of control over. Consider it a combination of party games you already know, and some more, let's say 'less-inhibited' games."
"Like what's 'less-inhibited'?" He definitely was interested.
"There could be some embarrassing questions, some non-partner physical contact, definitely some drinking, some girl-girl physical contact, even some stripping and more. We may not get that far, but then again, who knows how far it could go?"
"Jesus. That would be cool. And Cheryl is up for this?"
"Cheryl doesn't know either. It's my baby, and only you and I know. I take it you wouldn't mind seeing Cheryl naked, or maybe kissing Denise? Or how about if you had to measure her breasts using your 'tongue' as a unit of measurement?"
"Are you shitting me?" He answered. "I'd probably split my shorts when she opened the first button."
"Like I said, it probably won't go that far, at least not the first time, but the potential exists."
"Count me in. Whatever you need, I'm there. This could be way cool."
"Absolutely." I offered a mock toast with my ice-tea, which he accepted with a shit-eating grin.
THE SETUP
Dinner was a huge success. I'd picked a nearby seafood house which I knew had fabulous food, but not too large a serving size. I didn't want anyone uncomfortably full. It was over dessert that Cheryl dropped the bombshell that almost made me call the whole thing off.
"We've got to get back soon," she said after turning down a refill on coffee. "Beth is going to be over before too long, and I don't want her stuck outside waiting for us."
"Beth?" I asked. "Why is your sister coming over?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you. She's going to be going to the craft show with us tomorrow, and I figured it would be easier for us all to leave from here. You know what a pain it is for her to get around since she doesn't know the area."
Beth was Cheryl's little sister, just off the farm. She was still a kid, who'd graduated high-school early and decided to go to college near her big sister. She was a few inches shorter than Cheryl, with dirty blonde hair and more curves. She played field hockey, and had a real muscular build, with solid legs. She'd only come to town in the last 3 weeks, and lived on campus about 20 minutes away. She, too, had recently been sneaking into my fantasies, but I hardly knew her as of yet.
On the car ride home, I debated whether to postpone my plans for a better time, but everyone was in such a happy mood, with the girls just a bit tipsy, that I couldn't make up my mind.
With a scrumptious dinner and a couple of drinks under our belts, we were soon reclining in my living room. Beth had not arrived yet. Dave and I normally dressed in suits for work and today was no different, so I announced I wanted to get comfortable before I cranked up the blender. Everyone agreed, and we were soon in our rooms dressing down.
"Are you up to something?" Cheryl asked me as I slipped on some boxers and a comfortable pair of fleece shorts.
"Why?"
"I don't know. But I keep seeing these odd looks, and I could swear you are up to no good." She looked at me with a quizzical gaze.
Damn, she knew me all too well. "Not really, but a funny thing happened at work. You know Lenny, the guy I told you about who once worked for Milton Bradley?"
"Yeah, I remember him, the obnoxious loudmouth." She obviously recalled him from our latest Christmas party.
"He told me about a game he received from a working group he's part of and asked if I could play-test it for him. He says it's a party game. It looks interesting. I told him I was having company over tonight and we went back to his office and he gave it to me." I walked over to my briefcase and pulled out some cards and a spinner, handing them to her. "He called it a cross between a half-dozen party games with a twist."
"So you want to play this tonight?"
"I don't know, but I thought we could at least look it over." I tried to act nonchalant.
The doorbell rang at that moment, announcing her sister's arrival and she dropped the cards on the bed. She had been standing there in her panties, looking at the cards, when the bell rang. She grabbed the shirt I had pulled out for myself and pulled it on, so she could answer the door.
"I guess it's ok, as long as it's not too weird," she said. "But I don't know if Beth should be playing any games that include heavy drinking at this point."
"It's better than watching TV or playing Trivial Pursuit again," I offered.
"Amen to that," she tossed back to me, from the doorway as she headed out to the living room.
INTRODUCING THE GAME
I was the first one dressed, so I headed to the kitchen and mixed up a pitcher of Pineapple Daiquiri's, followed by a pitcher of Strawberry Margarita's, none of them too strong. I also had an ample supply of Budweiser on hand for Dave and Guinness for myself. Beth might be underage, but not in my house. However, she'd have to make do with what everyone else was drinking.
Introductions were made. It was the first time that Dave and Denise had met Beth. Everyone was seated in the living room, drink of choice at hand, when during a lull in conversation, I suggested we play a game that I had just picked up that day.
"It's pretty simple. Each card in these decks has a variety of challenges on them. Before you select your card, you choose which type of challenge you like. There are 7 types. The first three are questions. Number one is a trivia question, two is a tough true/false, and three is a 'word definition' type question. The next three are activity types. There is a charades test where you act out a word or phrase, a celebrity impersonation challenge, and a 'Pictionary' type word you have to sketch. The last is a 'mystery' challenge." I passed around a few of the cards off the top of one of the several decks I had.
"Once you've selected the kind of challenge you're going to do, you draw a card and find out what your actual challenge is. The answers to the questions are on the back of the card.
"If you have a challenge that requires us to guess, you get to select from 1 to 3 'helpers' who do the guessing. If any person gets it right you both get credit for the win.
"After the challenge is over, you pull a card from the second pile, the Payoff. If you failed your challenge you have to perform the penalty on the card. The penalty may require you to spin the dial to select how it's done. If you won the challenge, you get to keep the card. On the bottom of the card is a color. Collect all 7 different colors and win."
"So it should be pretty simple. First, pick the type of challenge; the Spinner has the seven challenges listed around the perimeter in case you forget. Draw a challenge card. If you need a partner select the partner. Perform the challenge. Draw a Payoff card. If you failed the challenge perform the penalty, otherwise you can collect the colors. Collect all 7 different colors and win." Everyone was reading their cards, and I had passed out some of the penalty cards that were getting a laugh.
"Any questions?" I asked.
"What if we don't want to do the penalty?" Denise asked.
"I don't know, let me read the directions." I feigned ignorance. "Ah, it looks like I missed something. Everyone starts with a "Chicken-Out card, which you can use to turn down the Penalty, but you can only use it once. Then there are some "SPECIAL" cards mixed in to the Payoff cards that can change the game, and that includes more "Chicken-Out" cards. It says here you can also decline a penalty by taking a drink, answering a question, and drawing a second penalty card. The second penalty is done or you are out of the game. Finally it says that you can 'barter' to have someone else do the penalty for you."
"Barter? How?" Cheryl asked.
"I don't know, it doesn't say." I improvised. "Maybe you can offer to do one of theirs later, or exchange SPECIAL cards, whatever makes sense."
"Why are there so many decks?" Denise asked this time, peering at the half-dozen separate stacks held together by rubber bands.
"The colors of the decks show the questions getting more difficult. The colors of the penalties I guess are just more challenging as well. I figure we just start with the easiest. As you run out of cards, if the game goes on that long, you shuffle in more decks. So, what do you think?" I asked, looking around and hoping for the best.
Beth spoke up, "Sounds fun to me, I've never really heard of a game like this, but what the heck."
The other girls looked at each other, and Cheryl was the first to blink. "Sure, why not? If it's stupid or boring we can just quit and do something more interesting."
Denise answered in kind. "Ok with me, sounds kind of fun."
And so the stage was set for the first playing of my special game.
PHASE 1 - WARMUP
I gave Dave the two Challenge decks to shuffle together, while I shuffled together two Penalty decks and 5 'specials'. The decks had 30 cards. I figured about 30% would be penalties we'd have to do, or about 20 penalties, around 4 each. Then out of cards we'd have to advance. I pointed out to everyone the decks had labels; these Payoff decks were labeled "Funny (35 cards)" and "Embarrassing (25 cards)".
We pulled the chairs around the coffee table in front of the couch. I was seated in my lounger, with Beth in a kitchen chair to my left, and Denise on my right on the left end of the couch. Beside her was Cheryl, and Dave was seated in another kitchen chair opposite me. After a "Spin Off" Denise started the game.
The play started out well, with a couple of guessed questions, and Denise acting out "revolving door". During her turn we 'noticed' in the directions there was a two-minute limit on Charades, and a one-minute limit on Impersonations and Sketch. We had a one-minute hourglass-type timer I'd 'forgotten' about. Everyone was soon getting in the swing of things and getting louder and more boisterous.
Four of the Specials were picked up pretty quickly. Two were additional Chicken-Outs, that Beth and Dave picked up, one was a Proxy that Cheryl pulled that would allow her to have someone else take her place as a "penalty partner", and finally I picked up the "Time Warp" which would allow me to change the duration of a Penalty.
