The Basics

The Game is a multidisciplinary endeavor that challenges its players on an emotional, intellectual, and physical level. Usually organized around a loose theme (e.g. The Indiana Jones Game or The Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence Game), it is a wild test of knowledge, intuition, endurance and psychological balance that pits teams of players against one another. But these are not just ordinary people...

The Game was conceived to challenge the formidable mental and physical resources of Stanford students. As teams work together on various, multimedia 'clues, ' an environment for teamwork and individual creativity is created. In the face of physical, intellectual, and competitive pressures, teams learn to persevere and depend on the individuals that form it.

The Game is simple. It is a journey and a race to see which team can move the quickest from clue to clue until The Game is done. The best teams have members from a wide variety of 'specialty' disciplines. There is no higher reward than having completed The Game and competed against the best and brightest that Stanford has to offer.

Approximate time: 25-35 hours!

What is The Game?

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The Basics

The Spirit of The Game Respect for yourself, others, and The Game.

Who? Usually 15-20 teams of 4-8 people. Fun teams dress up to fit the Theme of The Game. By exclusive invite only.

When? An entire weekend: Saturday Morning until you finish or give up (Sunday afternoon/night). Usually 25-35 hours. Traditionally, Spring Quarter.

Where? The Greater Bay Area. Usually 350-450 miles traversed in various assorted vehicles.

What to bring? A well-rounded team with people from many backgrounds. One team captain is usually invited to play and the captain creates the team. The broader and the more perspectives a team can bring to bear on a clue the better. It also must be mentally and physically strong as well as psychologically balanced. This is because the team must function well together for a long time in an extremely exciting, challenging and competitive environment.
Great personnel and a fluid team dynamic is the most crucial thing to have, but anyone and anything may be brought along. Although The Game is not a trivia contest, various reference books come in handy. Food and tools should not be forgotten. You never know what will come in useful, but remember space is limited in your vehicle. Much like the Desert Survival Test, a good team must prioritize and be organized. Preparing for The Game is half the fun!

Who makes these things? This is a labor of love for any Game Control (GC). Usually GC is a group of people who have played before and are so enamored of The Game experience that they wish to make one. There is no official organization that is designated to make a Game. Whoever has the resources (time, energy and money!) and more importantly, the creativity can make one. The Game is only as good as the people who make it.
It is important that you give back to The Game community. It is the only way that The Game survives. As we say in Gameland, if you don't like it, make your own!

How's it work? The Game is a race where teams of all backgrounds come together to play and see who can finish The Game first. This is done by being the first to solve all the challenging and innovative Clues. At each location or Game Site, each team searches for a clue that can come in various forms. The goal is to solve each clue as quickly as possible.
Each solution to a clue is the location of the next clue. Upon arriving at the next site, a frenzied physical search for the next exciting clue, which again can have a variety of forms, takes place. Solving clue to clue, driving from site to site, working together as a team is a The Game in a nutshell. All teams are expected to play safely and under The Spirit of The Game. There is no physical prize except for the bragging rights but believe me, the experience is reward enough.
During The Game, teams are encouraged to try as hard as they can on a clue but even the best teams need some hints on many of the clues. In light of this, a team can call Game Control at any time during The Game for help. In general, the team that makes the fewest calls gets the most "respect" regardless of what place they finish in. Each Game has its unique theme that it loosely organizes itself around. See The Coming Attractions and The Archives for upcoming and past Games.

The Spirit of The Game	Respect for yourself, others, and The Game.
Who?	Usually 15-20 teams of 4-8 people. Fun teams dress up to fit the Theme of The Game. By exclusive invite only.
When?	An entire weekend: Saturday Morning until you finish or give up (Sunday afternoon/night). Usually 25-35 hours. Traditionally, Spring Quarter.
Where?	The Greater Bay Area. Usually 350-450 miles traversed in various assorted vehicles.
What to bring?	A well-rounded team with people from many backgrounds. One team captain is usually invited to play and the captain creates the team. The broader and the more perspectives a team can bring to bear on a clue the better. It also must be mentally and physically strong as well as psychologically balanced. This is because the team must function well together for a long time in an extremely exciting, challenging and competitive environment. Great personnel and a fluid team dynamic is the most crucial thing to have, but anyone and anything may be brought along. Although The Game is not a trivia contest, various reference books come in handy. Food and tools should not be forgotten. You never know what will come in useful, but remember space is limited in your vehicle. Much like the Desert Survival Test, a good team must prioritize and be organized. Preparing for The Game is half the fun!
Who makes these things?	This is a labor of love for any Game Control (GC). Usually GC is a group of people who have played before and are so enamored of The Game experience that they wish to make one. There is no official organization that is designated to make a Game. Whoever has the resources (time, energy and money!) and more importantly, the creativity can make one. The Game is only as good as the people who make it. It is important that you give back to The Game community. It is the only way that The Game survives. As we say in Gameland, if you don't like it, make your own!
How's it work?	The Game is a race where teams of all backgrounds come together to play and see who can finish The Game first. This is done by being the first to solve all the challenging and innovative Clues. At each location or Game Site, each team searches for a clue that can come in various forms. The goal is to solve each clue as quickly as possible. Each solution to a clue is the location of the next clue. Upon arriving at the next site, a frenzied physical search for the next exciting clue, which again can have a variety of forms, takes place. Solving clue to clue, driving from site to site, working together as a team is a The Game in a nutshell. All teams are expected to play safely and under The Spirit of The Game. There is no physical prize except for the bragging rights but believe me, the experience is reward enough. During The Game, teams are encouraged to try as hard as they can on a clue but even the best teams need some hints on many of the clues. In light of this, a team can call Game Control at any time during The Game for help. In general, the team that makes the fewest calls gets the most "respect" regardless of what place they finish in. Each Game has its unique theme that it loosely organizes itself around. See The Coming Attractions and The Archives for upcoming and past Games.