On Games and Nijuin

        I wonder what attracts us to certain games over others?  Depending on the person, games might provide a social opportunity or a solitary escape; players may prefer the thrill of chance or the challenge of skill; people may crave variety and novelty, or consistency and familiarity; some people refuse to play a game they cannot win consistently while others prefer wrestling against the high possibility of failure; what some people call a game, others may call work.   A person may even prefer a different game for a different occasion or in different company.  I, myself, don't play games often (unless one counts tutoring games for work, making up stories, or guessing the age of old books before I look at their publication information).  However, my investigation into renku (as mentioned in a previous post) and my husband's recent birthday present of the game Dominion have gotten me back into playing games.  So far, my own preferences for gaming lie as follows: 

Apples to Apples for large groups of ages 7 and up

Settlers of Catan for groups of 3-6 (with expansion), ages 10 and up

Hide and seek for groups of two or more children, 

provided we have access to good hiding spots

Dominion for adult groups of 2-4, ages 10 and up

Spider Solitaire or Neverwinter Nights by myself

        I've had a difficult time finding players to write nijuin with me—the twenty-stanza form of renku--so my esteem for this poetry game is still undecided, pending a complete game or two with a group.  I did, however, finish a solo nijuin and have posted it below.  The game requires linking adjacent stanzas while shifting on to new subjects and moods, and the challenge is increased with the tradition of visiting each of the seasons and proscribed topics (love, the moon, and blossoms) in a particular sequence.  (As this is my first nijuin, I hope any experienced renku writers reading this will pardon whatever failures in form or weaknesses of expression I am sure exist.  I would welcome professional advice for improvements.)

 

An Autumn Nijuin
Composed 28 September to 1 October 2012 
Revised February 2013

1.         a walk alone            over wind-scattered acorns--            such noisy thoughts 2.         feeling chilly inside            and out after the news 3.         father and daughter debate the forecast under the autumn moon 4.         making plans            for the problem child __________________________ 5.         red string            over, under, and ‘round            the sleeper 6.         a frisson from a comment and burning face from a touch 7.         her lowered gaze            a flirtation or            consternation? 8.         only much hard proof            earns a first date 9.         an evening downpour isn’t enough to drown these sorrows 10.       whimpers under the bed from guard dogs afraid of thunder __________________________

11.       a perfect time for            a tryst with Jane Austen            and a mug of tea 12.       languid specks in the skewed square of sunshine 13.       improbably high,            a deceptively tiny            aluminum bird 14.       plowing through the spotless expanse of white 15.       the pristine world            silvered in moonlight fulfills            their Christmas hopes 16.       old Simeon and Anna rejoice in the temple __________________________ 17.       what a joy            to see prayers confirmed            by this sight 18.       the drab landscape with a robin on a Yield sign 19.       brick and ivy            hide the adventurer’s            secret blossoms 20.       wisteria’s velvet stems            escape the fence

On Ghost Leg

     Sometimes in manga, I'd see characters use an unfamiliar "Ladder Game" (a.k.a. "Ghost Leg" or "Amidakuji") to make decisions or assign tasks.  I couldn't figure out how it worked, so I looked it up on Wikipedia.  I will here demonstrate how it works and leave you to contemplate the interesting logic of why it works:

      One may play Ghost Leg to randomly assign people to chores in a household, roles in a play, or slots in a schedule--usually when the number of people equal the number of items.  Alternately, one can play Ghost Leg solo to randomly decide between several options, such as what ice cream flavor to eat, place to visit, or gift to give.
      Either way, the creator starts by drawing vertical lines equal to the number of participants and/or options, then by writing in the options below each line.  In an equal participants-to-options game, the creator may then either assign the top lines to participants or let them chose their lines; in a solo game, the player will later choose one top line at random. 

Fig. 1

       To finish preparing the game, the creator then draws random horizontal lines called "legs" between pairs of vertical lines (see Fig. 1).  Alternately, the creator may let each participant draw one leg.  I'll note that I've seen cosmetic variations of this game wherein some legs are diagonal or have curly-cues in the middle, which do not affect how the game is played.
      Finally, each player traces a path from the top of their chosen vertical line to the bottom, following each leg that their pencil meets to its linked vertical line, always continuing down to the bottom, thus pairing each starting item at the top with an ending item at the bottom (see Fig. 2).

Fig. 2

      No matter how many legs one adds, this game will always result in a 1:1 ratio; all top and bottom items will be paired without overlaps.  Fascinating, eh?  The game is also simple to make and play.  I think I may use this game in the future in place of "Eenie Meenie Miney Mo."  :)