Whether you’re celebrating the Holidays, stuck indoors due to the unpleasant wintery weather, or are just looking for a new activity for you and your friends, here’s a couple of games to play, all of which were invented by some of your favorite TV shows.
True American – New Girl
Jess: “It’s 50% drinking game, 50% life size Candy Land”
Schmidt: “Well it’s more like 75% drinking game, 25% Candy Land. By the way, the floor is molten lava.”
Winston: “It’s more 90% drinking game, with a loose Candy Land structure”
First featured in the season one episode “Normal” (1×20) and then again in the season two episode “Cooler” (2×15), True American is the perfect indoor drinking game for any small group of friends. All you need is some alcohol, generic knowledge of American history/pop culture, and some sturdy furniture to stand upon, because don’t’ forget, the floor is lava.
Although the drinking part of the game has always been made clear, the vast majority of the rules remain vague; however, some awesome New Girl fans (or fan) helpfully created a set of working rules for everyday play. Check them out here: http://www.trueamericanrules.com/
The Cones of Dunshire – Parks and Recreation
If you’re looking for both a board game and an arts and crafts project, this ones for you. As seen in the ninth episode of the sixth season of Parks and Recreation, the Cones of Dunshire comes courtesy of self-proclaimed nerd, Ben Wyatt.
With the ability to accommodate 8-12 players, this is an excellent option for any decently sized group with zero plans to go outside. It also offers a little something for everyone with a trivia element, wizards, hats, world building, and challenge play.
NBC provides the general gist for how to play the Cones of Dunshire, but fair warning, you made need to improvise a bit.
*If you aren’t sure if you want to undertake such a project, but enjoyed the episode of Parks and Recreation then I recommend reading the oral history of the Cones of Dunshire scene by Vulture.
Tall Card – Firefly
If card games are more your speed, then Tall Card it is. Shepard Book, Jayne, and Simon can be seen playing this poker-like game in the beginning of the episode “Shindig” (1×4). The option to gamble for chores or other undesirable work also makes this the perfect activity for anyone who doesn’t want to put money on the line.
However, much like the Cones of Dunshire, Tall Card may become a bit of a DIY project since you’ll have to create a deck of cards for the occasion. Looking for a shortcut, thankfully some ambitious Browncoat (Firefly fan) created a set of free printable playing cards that won’t utilize all of your printer’s ink. (It may be an Angelfire site but the links still work.)
For even more TV-exclusive games from shows like Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, and Farscape visit the Den of Geek.
