Tiny Games for Work

By Hide&Seek and Paulina Ganucheau

Designed to give the maximum amount of fun for the minimum amount of rule-reading, Tiny Games for Work will let you find the perfect game for whatever situation you're in. All you need is this book, and the stuff that's around you. (Friends optional)

Games for sticky notes and coffee grinds, games for dealing with customers and even games for working from home. Whether you're feeling creative or competitive, silly or energetic, we've got you covered.

“It's like carrying around a collection of Victorian parlour games – except the Tiny Games take advantage of modern social settings and contexts. They're amusing, raucous and inventive” - The Guardian

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Sep 20, 2015
• ISBN: 9781472815071

Hide&Seek

Hide&Seek is a game design studio based in London and New York. Through a compelling combination of design, technology and cultural partnership, their work re-imagines public space as a place to play and spans multiple platforms: console, smartphone, browser, TV and street. The studio is founded on the belief that play is essential to our health, minds and relationships, and will play an increasing role in the civic culture of the 21st century. They create new games and experiences, curate and support the work of artists and designers through the Sandpit series, design and consult with global brands, and speak at events around the world. The Nature Games Weekend is part of Hide&Seek's own series of social games events over the summer supported by Arts Council England. Hide&Seek are Artists in Residence at the Southbank Centre and recent partners include: Channel 4, BBC, Tate Modern, Warner Brothers, Royal Opera House, Hogmanay Festival and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe. Their work has been recognised by D&D, Creative Review, BAFTA, The One Show, Living Labs Global Awards and Guardian MEGAS. Founder & Director Alex Fleetwood won British Council Performing Arts Entrepreneur of the Year, and Development Director Margaret Robertson was recently named one of the UK's top games designers by Develop Magazine.

Book preview

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

TINY TIPS

THE GAMES

Desert Island Things

Autocomplicated

Thanks Clive

Safe Search Off

Please Don’t Touch the Artwork

Red Bombs

Crossed Paths

Pickpocket

Post-It Towers

Adverticle

Eagle Eye

Gold Medal in Birthday Remembering

Not April Fool’s

Small Talk

Triangulated

Milk, No Sugar

Very Important Inbox

Business And Pleasure

Standing Order

That’s Not a Palm Tree

Spin Me Right Round

The Power of Positive Listening

Footloose

Speechless

Screen Burn

No, You Hang Up!

Dangerous Words

Photocop

Wrong Statement

Whippersnapper

Second Hand Rembrandt

Friend or Foe

Accented Clothing

Business!

2002 Berlin Thunder Season

Punched Whole

In Shape

Space Stealers

Deadly Acquaintances

Stock Take

Folk Etymology

Sounds Like Quite a Shirt

Side Swipe

Secret Singer

Spiralling Out

Eyes Down

Paper Chase

Don’t Draw the Short Straw

One-Liner

You Lose

Last Man Standing

18 Holes

Games Index

HELLO!

THIS BOOK IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE READ IN ORDER.

Skip this introduction and go straight to the games to get playing.

Alternatively, head to the back of the book for a full listing of games by number of players.

INTRODUCTION

GAMES ARE JUST AS POPULAR NOW AS THEY HAVE BEEN FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.

It’s sometimes tempting to think of them as a newer cultural phenomenon, but we’ve had some form of them throughout all of recorded history. What has changed is the scale.

When I think about games now, I think about the biggest football matches, the most engrossingly huge videogames. Everything is epic in scale, it’s like all stories have defaulted to being War & Peace.

When I think of some of my most happy memories of games, I think of my childhood. Playing cards at Christmas, standing on the sofa because a Micro Machines race is so tense, inventing a game with a ball, and a bat, and a see-saw in the green behind our house. These games were not more special because of some magical childhood perspective. They were more special because I had the time to dedicate myself to play.

In an era where so much focus is put on how hard we work, and how hard we play, it’s worth remembering two key things: harder is not always better, and work and play are not opposites.