4 Silly Games to Help You Survive Corona Virus Quarantine Insanity

It’s safe to say that the world is going into a bit of a meltdown. British people, as usual, have confronted this pseudo-apocalypse in our own unique way. As supermarkets are ransacked by hordes of frenzied, middle-class shoppers, what were the first things to go? Not food, not medical supplies, but toilet paper. Armageddon may be coming but we’ll be damned if our rear ends take on anything less than 4-ply.

As public places are shut down one by one and a state of quarantine is enforced, it appears we are set to be spending a lot more time in the confines of our own homes.

Students, more than most groups, are well prepared to make supplies stretch; we already have a war chest of canned goods, super noodles and pasta to fall back on over the coming weeks. Alas our enemy is not hunger, but boredom.

Sure there is probably ‘work’ to be getting on with and an endless supply of TV series to binge, yet sometimes we crave more active forms of entertainment. Fear not! Here are some intensely silly activities to help you kill time and stave off a descent into savagery.

Hide and Seek

When was the last time you bunch of sinners played hide and seek?

This childhood classic offers the chance to reconnect with some of the innocence weathered away by student life, allowing you to take pleasure in the simple act of outwitting your fellow quarantiners.

The rules are basic: one person counts to thirty (or twenty if you really want to live dangerously) while the others hide. After each person has been found, they MUST NOT help the finder, but they are, of course, welcome to goad and mislead them.

If the last remaining player has concealed themselves so expertly that they cannot be found, then the course of action is simple: give up and start the next game. It’s boring to keep searching for them and, in any case, they have already won. Eventually, they will realise this has occurred and grumpily re-join the group.

Spotify Game

This activity will be significantly more fun if participants have a heightened receptiveness to music… It involves merely typing a combination of two words into a Spotify search and immersing yourselves in whatever comes out of the speakers.

Of course, the types of words entered will be reflected in the music that you find: ‘tangerine dream’ is likely to take you down a path of dream pop or psychedelic rock whereas ‘demonic cheesecake’ will lead you to something far more sinister.

Be imaginative, and you might just stumble across your new favourite artist –although prepare to sift through some trash.

Scattergories

For those who prefer slightly more structure to their quarantine hi-jinks. Players are presented with a list of twelve categories, anything from ‘famous landmarks’ to ‘things that are sticky’.

At the start of each round, a letter is randomly generated and players are given two minutes to fill in as many of the items as they can with words beginning with said letter.

It is integral that you think outside the box: if two players choose the same word then neither gets a point. So, if the letter is ‘C’ and under the category ‘animals’ you have put ‘cat’… well then you should just be ashamed of yourself.

Ridiculous answers are actively encouraged and, if you can successfully defend your choice, you will scoop up some points. A free Scattergories generator can be found here.

Throwing Game

If you have exhausted all other options, a good old fashioned chucking game will suffice. Grab yourself some kind of receptacle, whether a bucket, a laundry basket or even an empty washing up bowl and a projectile.

A tennis ball or stress ball would be ideal but, if times are particularly hard, a pair of bunched-up old socks will do the trick, provided they are not so crusty as to repulse your competitors.

Start at an easy distance, but gradually move your target further and further back until it becomes a real challenge. Make up your own rules in terms of scoring; I won’t spoon feed this to you.

And there you have it. This list was designed to stop you moving into the land of insanity, but perhaps it shows that I am already there myself.