Pin the Blame on the Colleague, Recapture the Flag, Telephone (Your Parents Once in a While)—comic Josh Gondelman and artist Molly Roth share a list of just a few of their favorite games that adults play.
Children play all the time. They play by instinct or according to organized rules. They play until they are told to stop playing, it’s getting dark outside. The conventional wisdom is that adults lose the ability or interest in play. But that’s just not true. Adults engage in play as well. It’s just that the games themselves change.
PIN THE BLAME ON THE COLLEAGUE
Number of players: 2+
Description of gameplay: Colleagues attempt to deflect responsibility for a project gone wrong onto one another. Techniques may range from passive aggressive emails to outright trash talking during closed door meetings. Players may attempt to assign blame whether or not they are “It” (the player currently considered responsible) at the time.
Game ends when…: The game officially ends when blame is assigned by a referee (boss), but previous game results may be challenged for as long as any single original player remains at the same place of employment.
Look for the next installment of Games Adults Play in the coming weeks.
