Make your Own Game

Imagination is a unique human quality that deserves steady nurturing and encouragement. Engaging in imaginative thinking does more than entertain your creative mind – it helps break through stagnant mental barriers formed by day-to-day drudgery, enabling you to find inventive solutions when problem solving.

One of the best ways to get your creative juices flowing is to play. Not to worry if you’re like the majority of working adults who don’t typically engage in creative game activities; you don’t have to take the Barbie RV out for a spin or send G.I. Joe into the fray to take part in imaginative play.

One of the most entertaining ways to play as an adult is to create your own game. Here are few ideas to get you started:

Create a Scavenger Hunt
I’m starting you off with an easy one: scavenger hunts. Creating a scavenger hunt is fun and simple. All you need to do is prepare a list of specific items that participants of the hunt need to find, such as a paper clip, a flyer from a local arts event, a local restaurant take-out menu signed by the manager, a picture of your state flag, a sock with a hole in it, a potato, a cereal box prize, or a bank deposit envelope. Once you have your list created, gather a group of your friends together, divide into teams, and set the timer. The first team back with every item on the list wins.

Create a Game Based on a TV Show
Have you ever heard of the “Hi Bob” drinking game? Back when the original “Bob Newhart Show” was Nick at Night’s poster child, a drinking game based on the frequency with which characters said, “Hi Bob” was created. It was a pretty simple game: every time someone on the show uttered the phrase, “Hi Bob,” game participants call out, “HI BOB!” and take a drink. Use your imagination to create a similar type of game, with or without the drinking.

Role Play Game
Why not create an old-school role play game (RPG) where you imagine a world, characters, magic spells and abilities, dungeons, and monsters. Create an objective for the characters and ways characters can improve their capabilities and skills by gaining knowledge or levels.

Computer Games
There are several online communities that allow people to design, publish, and share their original game with others. A few websites that can help you to create your own game include GameSalad (http://gamesalad.com) and Sploder (http://www.sploder.com/).

Make Your Own Board Game
Creating a custom board game is the granddaddy of homemade game creation. Using your imagination, you can create a creative product based on your hobbies and things you enjoy. You can make the game as simplistic as you’d like or you can craft 3D elements like buildings, ships, and monsters. There are several online resources that help you generate ideas on how to create a homemade board game (http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Your-Own-Board-Game). The only rule is to create a game that you’d actually have fun playing.

As you can see, immersing yourself in the creative thinking process doesn’t have to be a tedious endeavor. It can be all fun and games.

[box color=”” icon=”” ] Tim is a writer for cabletv.com.  If you would like to see what he is up to follow him on Twitter. @CableTV[/box]