DeMasi

Gail DeMasi

Professor Nancy McGartland

College Writing II

April 15, 2012

Playing for Life

His name was Max Roeder Roeder Max. I remember the day he drowned under a small

bridge over an even smaller stream. I do not think he drowned because I did not need him

anymore. I think he drowned because I realized there was not a place for him in the world I was

growing into, my life as an eight year old. There was room for Max Roeder in my life, but not

room for him in the world of growing up and grownups. I knew enough to realize he could not

come. I did not know enough to know he was my imaginary playmate. It would be years before I

understood Max Roeder’s role in my life.

Paradoxical? It is. To have an imaginary playmate, even to witness his death, and not

realize fully that he was imaginary, is a bit of a paradox. However, play is paradoxical. On the

one hand, it seems to have a purpose: to help children learn and develop. On the other hand, it

seems by virtue of itself to have no purpose: play is spontaneous, freely entered into, and creates

a life of its own.

I would like to take you into this play paradox in the pages of this paper. I want to “bring

out the kid” in you and guide, you, to the realization that we are made to play. All of us, whether

young or old, wealthy or poor, educated or uneducated, we are all made to play. Play throughout

adulthood is necessary to develop life skills, to find happiness and purpose, and to improve our

social networks, from family to work to community.

DeMasi 2

What is Play?

“No behavioral concept has proven more ill-defined, elusive, controversial, and even

unfashionable.” (Burghardt 15)

Having read many journal articles and books over the past few weeks it is clear there is

no definition for play, at least one which the emergent play scientists can agree upon. Stuart

Brown, a psychiatrist turned play researcher and writer, offers a sufficient definition for the

purpose of this paper “…let us define play as a spontaneous, nonstereotyped, intrinsically

pleasurable activity, free of anxiety or other overpowering emotion, without a visible, clear-cut

goal other than its own activity. If the goal supersedes the intrinsic joy of the activity, it ceases to

be ‘pure’ play.” (Brown 6)

Gary Krane, psychologist, writer and playshop leader offers this thought on play “… [It] is

therefore not what we do, but how we do it. In play, we seek to create new ways of relating with

people, words, actions, ideas, images, things, and ourselves. And we do it by creating obstacles

Play

intense focus

obstacles to surmount

spontaneous & fun

temporary loss of one's

ego

receptive to new ideas

curiosity & flexibility

DeMasi 3

or challenges to overcome, by freeing ourselves from arbitrary rules and creating new ones in

order to expand our range of possible action.” (18)

Apparently purposesless - done for its own sake, no survival value

Voulntary- it is not obligatory or required by duty

Inerent attraction- it is fun, it makes you feel good

Freedom from time- when engaged in play, one loses a sense of the passage of time

Diminished conciousness of self- one stops thinking about oneself, how one looks, is fully engaged

Improvisational potential- open to chance, may thus stumble into new way of seeing and thinking

Continuation desire- a desire to keep doing it, the pleasure of the experience drives the desire

PROPERTIES OF PLAY

PROCESS OF PLAY

DeMasi 4

(Brown 5)

boysplayinginwater.jpg

What is the play state?

When animals and people enter into play, they enter into the “play state.” The play state

is an altered state of consciousness. Animals and people alike experience it. The following

pictorial demonstrates beautifully the play state.

The time is late October; the bear is a 1200-pound polar bear. The bear has been cut off

from its major food supply; ice has not formed allowing him access to it. He comes upon

Anticipation- waiting with expectation, wonderment, curiosity, excitement, uncertainty

Surprise- unexpected, a discovery, a new sensation or idea, a shifting

Pleasure - a good feeling, like the unexpected pleasure we feel at the punch line of a good joke

Understanding- the acquisition of new knowledge, a synthesizing of distinct and separate concepts, an incorporation of ideas that were previously foreign

Strength- the mastery that comes from constructive experience and understanding, the empowerment of coming through a scary experience unscathed, of knowing more about how the world works

Poise- grace, contentment, composure, and a sense of balance in life

DeMasi 5

two, tethered, Husky dogs, belonging to a wildlife photographer. The scene that unfolds

befuddles judgment, as one of the Husky dogs wags her tale and gets down into the “play

bow”. The bear, signals back his readiness to play: body language is curved, claws are

not extended, and he is also ready to play. Despite their species, despite the dictates of

instinct and survival, the play state overrides and the two animals enter a different reality.

The ritual is repeated for a week, until the bear leaves. (Brown 22)

DeMasi 6

Fme- when engaged in play, one

loses a sense of the passage of time

When

W

Feelings in the play state

delight & clarity

involvement

confidencetimeliness & serenity

motivation

DeMasi 7

When play is a part of our life, we experience these feelings of the play state, also called the

‘flow’. This develops into a playful attitude, playfulness, a disposition towards life that reflects

the experiences of the play state. (Krane 23)

Play gives meaning to our life and helps us find our purpose, which is happiness.

In Victor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning, he talks of man’s quest to find the

purpose of his life, the meaning for which his days are lived. Frankl, a psychiatrist, spent several

years in Nazi concentration camps. During that time, he lost his father, mother, brother and wife.

Every day brought hourly, life threatening experiences. He was starved, brutalized, and lost

everything; almost. He did not lose his dignity. He did not lose his perspective, or attitude,

towards life. He shares in his book “I was struggling to find the reason for my sufferings, my

slow dying. In a last violent protest against the hopelessness of imminent death, I sensed my

spirit piercing through the enveloping gloom. I felt it transcend that hopeless, meaningless world,

and from somewhere I heard a victorious ‘Yes’ in answer to my question of the existence of an

ultimate purpose.” (60) Frankl offers to the world the ability and opportunity to “weave the

threads of a life into a firm pattern of meaning and responsibility.” (87) He acknowledges the

uniqueness of each person’s life and does purport to offer a universal purpose and meaning to all

of life. “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life to carry out a concrete

assignment which demands fulfillment.” He continues, “Ultimately, one should not ask what the

meaning of his life is, but rather must recognize that it is he who is asked. In a word, each is

questioned by life, and each can only answer to life by answering for his own life; to life he can

only respond by being responsible…responsibleness is the very essence of human existence.”

(131) For Frankl, as for each person’s journey, we are called to transcend whatever life puts

DeMasi 8

before us; to find meaning in an event or circumstance, and to transcend it by incorporating it

into our life.

Our purpose in life, our natural desire, is for happiness. The famed Catholic theologian

and saint, Augustine, writes in De Moribus “We all want to live happily; in the whole human

race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated.”

(1312)

Play makes us happy. Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi is a scientist who has studied play and

happiness more than any other scientist has. Making a distinction between non-challenging

forms of entertainment (TV and movies), he and many other research scientists have concluded

after thirty years of study “those involved in pursuits which challenge us, while maintaining a

balance between our abilities and that challenge, are the people who are the happiest.” (Krane

30) Play is such an endeavor.

William Glasser, a noted psychiatrist, proposed the following chart of basic needs. It

includes love & belonging, power, fun, survival and freedom. Educator Richard Sagor, to

complement Glasser’s needs with the five basic human psychological needs, proposed the chart

next to it. Note on the corresponding chart are competence, optimism, belonging, potency, and

usefulness. When Glasser wrote further on the need for fun, he included laughter, enjoyment

learning and change. The feelings experienced in the play state include confidence, delight,

involvement and motivation. During play we experience laughter, change and learning.

Play fulfills a basic human need for fun, freedom, and love and belonging. Play also fulfills

human psychological needs of competence, potency, optimism, and belonging.

DeMasi 9

(Corey 334)

Play transforms us. This transformation lasts beyond the actual play experience. It

becomes a part of our fiber. The playful attitude incorporates itself into our perceptions. It leads

us to be able to transcend the events and conflicts of our daily existence. We find purpose and

meaning in our life. We find happiness.

We are made for play.

There is a term in the field of science called neoteny. The origin of the word is Greek and

means to stretch. Brown explains it well: “By slowing down the rate of development and the

extension of the phases of development from birth to old age, the organism so configured retains

juvenile characteristics into adult phases of development and behavior. By design, we humans

are the most neotenous of species.” (Brown 3) Neoteny refers then, to the retention of juvenile

characteristics into adulthood through the process of rapid development (conception to two

years of age). This neotenous state of human affairs, Brown concludes, “Assures plasticity of

learning by avoiding specialization through the retention of immaturity.” In other words, our

brains remain able to develop, to change, to grow new neural pathways, by remaining young and

DeMasi 10

not becoming rigid. (3) Ashley Montagu, a noted and highly regarded anthropologist, refers to

neoteny as our “uniqueness, in always remaining in a state of development.” (Montagu 3) He

goes on to list neotenous traits of humans that are active throughout our life cycle (107)

What matters about neoteny is the idea that each of us retains the flexibility to learn and change

over the entire course of our lifetime. Brain studies also support the capacity of the brain to grow

new neural connections, particularly though play. (Brown) Below are two pictures of Fiona

Shaw’s brain. (Fiona is a leading British actor who agreed to have her brain imaged.)

Fiona’s right brain while counting

Neotenous

traits of

humans

playfulness friendship love sensitivity flexibility

work curiosity knowing learning sound thinking

creativity open-mindedness optimism enthusiasm

compassion honesty-trust resiliency sense of humor

wonder organization imagination sensitivity

intelligence joyfulness laughter and tears song and

dance experimental- mindedness

One of the accompanying animations

shows, in green, the three main parts

of her brain, which Fiona used when

she was simply counting: they are

the part, which controls the

movement of the lips and tongue, the

part associated with hearing and a

third part involved in planning what

she was going to say.

The second animation shows the

parts, in yellow, which she also

employed when "performing".

Towards the front of the brain, there

is a part associated with "higher

order" control of behavior. Towards

the top of the brain is a section,

DeMasi 11

Fiona’s right brain while acting

Play develops life skills.

Several years ago, I traveled to Washington, D.C. with the youngest five of my fourteen

children. We were on adventure. The plan was to visit my daughter, Patience, a student in the

Master’s program at John Paul II. I will always remember how much we played, those five days.

Mercy, Lily, Kolbe, Antonia, Andre and I: we were included right in to the heart and flow of the

graduate students’ lives. We played board games, sang around campfires, recited silly poetry,

went to the Mall to play soccer, and most of all, and played spontaneous games, which had funny

names and no props. Mafia was one such game. We all gathered in the living room- all ages and

abilities, the rules of the game were explained to us newbies, and the fun began. It was

exhilarating, hysterical, and no one wanted it to end. We played one game after the other. This

was normal life for these young men and women. Although they studied long hours and many

One of the accompanying animations

shows, in green, the three main parts

of her brain, which Fiona used when

she was simply counting: they are

the part, which controls the

movement of the lips and tongue, the

part associated with hearing and a

third part involved in planning what

she was going to say.

The second animation shows the

parts, in yellow, which she also

employed when "performing".

Towards the front of the brain, there

is a part associated with "higher

order" control of behavior. Towards

the top of the brain is a section,

Brain activity during play creates neural pathways. Brown

“These neural connections don’t seem to have immediate

function, but when fired up by play is in fact essential to

continued brain organization.” (Brown 41)

DeMasi 12

worked odd jobs, playing games was a part of their daily fabric. The impression of goodness and

joy has never left me.

My grandson, Jack, lives with us, along with his sister and his mom. Jack has had a tough

time in his young eight years. His dad is a difficult man and makes Jack’s life unpredictable.

Jack has had trouble in school, socially. He gets good grades, though I am unsure whether he is

“passing by coping” or if he is really learning. Sometimes I wonder if he has shades of autism.

Last week he told my Kolbe, 15, that a boy in his class was having a birthday party. Jack was the

only boy in the class not invited. The day of the party, the boys shuffled off, together, and one

made sure to look back and stick his tongue out at Jack. The week before a child offered Jack

fifty cents if he promised not to play with the kids. Jack has an issue or two; he can be persistent

and he can have trouble following directions. Last year the third grade teacher was nearly driven

“to drink” because of Jack, and so spent the year screaming at him and putting his desk out tint

he hallway. (It is a private school). Despite the number of times my daughter and I offered

tangible, workable solutions to Jack’s behavior, we were never able to work as a team. Jack has a

miserable school life, a difficult Dad he gets to be with every other weekend, and us. As a

family, we have decided that Jack most needs to play. If Jack is play deprived, and I think he is,

he may have but a few years to set things a right. Kolbe has taken Jack under his wing and the

two of them have become inseparable, whenever Jack is around. In one month’s time, Kolbe has

become a confidant, and a friend. It is remarkable to me; both that Kolbe has done this mostly on

his own and that Jack has blossomed. Recently Kolbe advised Jack to invite one boy home from

his class to ride dirt bikes, swim in the pool and play basketball or other games. Jack’s dilemma

was whether to invite the boy who plays Pokémon all day or his “frenemy”. I had never even

heard the word, but it is a word, and it is applicable. They have decided to invite the frenemy

DeMasi 13

home. Play will lead the way to solving relationship struggles and repairing a very fragile self-

esteem. It may even save Jack’s life.

Many years ago, we adopted a boy named Fern. He came to us right before his 6th

birthday. Three years later, we would be on the doorsteps of the children’s division of the State

Hospital with commitment papers. Unfortunately, the Doctor on call that night would not honor

our papers and sent us home; home with a very disturbed nine-year-old boy.

We did get Fern treatment, eventually. He went to Colorado, to the Attachment Center.

While there, he divulged the nightmare three of our children, babies (age 2 – 6) had been living

for three years, at his hand. Fern, diagnosed with Reactive Attachment disorder, remained in

Colorado until he became of age. I don’t know where he is now. Over the course of three years,

he managed to kill animals, attempt to kill one of our children, and committed unspeakable acts

of violence, all without our knowledge. I was mighty suspicious, but unable to prove anything,

until that summer, when we had him committed.

What we came to learn about him well after his stay with us were facts such as his

growing up in a satanic cult. He did actually participate in the murder of his sister Fern had been

severely ritualistically abused form birth. He was very bright, and he had no conscience. What

does Fern have to do with play?

Fern, in addition to the abuse he suffered, was also a victim of severe play deprivation.

He had excellent social skills, but could not play with anyone. Children were afraid of him,

animals knew not go near him. He made it his life to control whatever and whomever he could.

That translated into his becoming a perpetrator and our children becoming his victims.

How did we respond, how did we recover? After the initial trauma, we spent many years

rebuilding trust with our children. We determined to make life honest, yet magical. We knew our

DeMasi 14

attitude had as much to do with their well-being as did keeping them safe. We came to see life

through children’s eyes, respecting what matter most to them, as opposed to us the grown-ups.

We listened, we served, and we fought for intimacy. It became very important to not allow the

children to escape being in relationship with us, as hard as it could get. We strove towards a joy,

towards living a life dependent on spirit and heart. We started to homeschool the children and as

the years went by, we all grew together. We continued to have babies, knowing that life was

worth living. We depended on laughter and tears, humor and kindness, optimism, compassion,

wonder, and playfulness. Our kids played. We learned and played together. We more than

survived: we are happy. We never could erase the tragedy, but we could and did transcend it.

Play, as evidenced in the above personal vignettes, enhanced family cohesiveness,

increased problem solving, creativity, and productivity. It reduced sibling conflict and other

conflicts. Play has helped with healing, mental clarity, and will help with psychological healing.

It has taught better communication skills, and the ability to fine tune reaction time! It has brought

people together in friendship and built community. It has improved our outlook on life.

Why grownups do not play and why it matters.

“Play is for kids.”

Not so, especially according to a recent study conducted by social researchers on a group

of adult business executives. The study was on play and health and included 101 men and

women participants, over a 12-month period. The results: “when play is featured prominently in

the personal identity of the individual there is a greater awareness for and acceptance of their

own emotions and a greater skill at expressing their feelings in appropriate ways. They also

DeMasi 15

pursue intellectual stimulation, avoid exposure to harmful chemicals and drugs, and engage in

behaviors that promote the health and welfare of their broader social community.” (Doster et al.

1071) These business executives appear to support the notion that play, “as a creative activity,

induces positive emotions and provides a cognitive buffer from novel stress. Play, as an attitude,

not just an activity, encourages cognitive flexibility and improves quality of life for individuals.”

(1073)

“I need to spend time with my family after I work.”

Then there is good news for you! The family that plays together stays together. Current

research, according to Professor Dianne Smith from Brigham Young University, “the more time

a family spends together participating in recreational activities, the higher degree of family

cohesiveness. Family recreation is one meaningful way to create stronger families.” (Smith 1)

Smith reviewed several studies done over the course of eight years and reports: “Recreation

allows family members to share common interests, increase cohesion, and have fun. According

to research, families who do things together, like enjoying the outdoors or taking vacations, are

more likely to be happy, strong families. Family values of communication, decision making,

problem solving and cooperation in work and play can be enhanced in recreational settings.” (3)

The definition of family recreation included games, hikes, sports, picnics, kite flying, walking,

gardening and fitness activities. While the study noted increased socialization (getting along

together, sharing, learning, and increased family loyalty), it also suggested the overall benefit to

society, as a society is only “as strong as its homes and families.” (6)

I am stressed enough without adding another ‘must do’ to my list. Play science is hype.

Psychiatrist Lenore Terr writes in her book “Adult play is picking up interest in

therapeutic usefulness. [Play is turning out to be]…a great nonmedicinal tranquilizer.” (Leo)

DeMasi 16

There is an emergent industry concerned with laughter and play, and it is targeting the working

world. Consultants are available to help companies realize the health and morale benefit of

playing and having fun. Matt Weinstein of one such company, Playfair, Inc. quips, “Laughter

and play are a way to make the workplace more human.” Humor advisors and play specialists are

commanding rates of $1000 to $2000 per hour to offer advice and insights to corporations like

AT & T and General Electric. (Leo 1999) It is not hype; there may be something in it even for

the stressed out.

“Í think it is better to spend time studying and improving the mind.”

If you lived in Japan, you would not think so. Yet, we hold the Japanese educational

system in great esteem. In Japan, play is “living”. A Japanese teacher refers to play as “a

necessity that provides us with the power of living through optimism and initiative.” (Taylor et

al. 3) Playfulness, equated with a state of heart, and referred to as ‘lightheartedness’, ‘spirit’, or

‘mind’ Japanese children’s development is “protected by play, [which is] the power of living,

the basic foundation of feelings, desires and attitudes.” (Taylor et al. 1) The government, in its

document on kindergarten education outlines the role of play: “children learn through play, [that

play] is their voluntary activity and that such activity creates the foundation for a balance

between mind and body.” (Taylor et al. 4)

Stuart Brown discusses Cal Tech’s Jet Propulsion Lab’s dilemma in his book. The lab

had been the researcher for seven decades, but found themselves with a problem in the nineties.

As their top engineers readied for retirement (having put men on the moon and created

innovative robotic technology), replacements were hard to find. “Even though JPL hired top

graduates from all the best schools – MIT, Stanford, Cal Tech –the new hires were often missing

something. The experienced managers found that the newly minted engineers might excel at the

DeMasi 17

theoretical…but they didn’t do well with practical difficulties.” Apparently, the processes of

problem solving involving taking a problem apart, “tossing it around, breaking it down, teasing

out its critical elements and rearranging them in innovative solutions” was lost on them. (Brown

10) These students were highly academic, well educated, had done science camps instead of

sports. Eventually JPL solved their problem with the help of a fellow who ran a machine shop.

He questioned the retiring and the new recruits and found that the former had all worked and

played with their hands when they were growing up. The latter had never taken a bicycle apart,

put an engine together, or done anything with their hands. Herein was the problem. Brown:

“Those who had played with their hands as kids and adults possessed far stronger practical

problem-solving skills than their counterparts who merely excelled in theoretical mathematics.”

(11)

Spending time playing improves the mind, increases creativity and spawns mastery.

What about gambling, war gaming, teasing and recreational aggression, or idleness?

There is bad play, and it is not healthy. Like eating or drinking alcohol, it is a reality that

people will be bad players and will look for the dark side. As with other addictions-, extreme

behavior, which is self-destructive and hurts others, does not bring happiness. Is play sinful, a

waste of time or idleness? Recalling the beginning of this paper as a way to address the above

concerns, consider this: “let us define play as a spontaneous, nonstereotyped, intrinsically

pleasurable activity, free of anxiety or other overpowering emotion, without a visible, clear-cut

goal other than its own activity. If the goal supersedes the intrinsic joy of the activity, it ceases to

be ‘pure’ play.” (Brown 6) Bad play disqualifies itself as play. The benefits of play as already

discussed contraindicate the idea that play is sinful or idle; which is not to say that bad play isn’t

either of those two things.

DeMasi 18

“I don’t know how to play. How do you play when you haven’t forever? I am afraid.”

Many grownups are afraid. Do you know why? Play is about intimacy. We do not have to

know how to play, or what to play, when we have not played since a child. We need to be open

to the adventure. We need to be convinced that play is, indeed, good for us. We need to know the

risk of being adult play deprived. Interviewer Alison Kadlec, after an interview with Stuart

Brown, “Adults, for example, who have either forgotten or lost its joys, or put play in their back

pocket, are people who, as a result of their own adult play deprivation regardless of how much

play they may have had as kids, will be rigid, narrow in their thinking, brittle in their response to

stress, and much less open to handling the curve balls life throws us.” (Kadlec 2) Setting

ourselves on a course to play, to play for life, is about allowing ourselves to be intimate with

those we love, those we enjoy spending time with and those we with whom we are in

relationship. It is about being whole, continuing our journey in life, becoming the best we can be.

It is about our own happiness and the happiness others. Playing for life is about building a better

world, our own and the one to which we all belong.

I have forgotten so many things over my 57 years, but I have never forgotten Max Roeder

Roeder Max. He is still with me. How remarkable is that? An imaginary friend, yet a true friend

to the end. I am so thankful for the play I have enjoyed throughout my life, for each adventure,

for each moment to laugh and to love. Are you ready?

DeMasi 19

Works Cited

Brown, Stuart. The Power of Play Philadelphia: Perseus 2007 Print

Burghardt, Gordon. The Genesis of Animal Play Cambridge: MIT 2005 Print

Corey, Gerald. Theories and Practice of Counseling & Psychotherapy Belmont: Brooks/Cole

2013 Print

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly. Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention New

DeMasi 20

York: Harper Collins 1991 Print

Donaldson, Fred. Playing by Heart Hartford: Health 1993 Print

Doster, Joseph, Rebecca Miekle, Celeste Riley, Raphael Toledo, and Arthur Goven. “Play and

Health among a Group of Adult Business Executives” Social Behavior & Personality

34(9) 2006: 1071-1080. Print

Elkind, David. The Power of Play New York: Penguin 2010 Print

Fagen, Robert. “Animal play, games of angels, biology, and Brian.” In A.D. Pellegrini (ed.) The

Future of Play Theory (pp.23-44) Albany: State University of NY Press 1995 Print

Frankl, Victor. Man’s Search for Meaning NewYork: Washington Square Press 1946 Print

Frost, Joe. “Play Deprivation: A Factor in Juvenile Violence”. Dimensions in Early Childhood

1995 V 23 n 3 pp. 14- 20

Goldhalber, Jeanne. “If We Call It Science Then Can We Let the Children Play?”. Childhood

Education Fall 1994 V71 n1 pp.24-27

Kadlec, Alison. “Play and Public Life” National Civic Review 2009: 3-11.Print

Krane, Gary. Simple Fun for Busy People Berkeley: Conari 1998 Print

Higham, Alan. “What’s my Brain’s Motivation?” Today Programme BBC n.d. Web

10 April 2012

Leo, John. “Chortle While You Work” U.S.News and World Report 126 (16)

1999: 19.Print

Montagu, Ashley. Growing Young New York: Bergin & Garvey 1981 Print

Narey, Theresa. “One Thing Leads to Another: Evolution, Play and Technology”. Online

submission to ERIC 2010 http:www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet

Singer, J.L., Singer, D.G. “Imaginative Play as Precursor of Narrative Consciousness”. Abstracts

DeMasi 21

in Anthropology 2006: Vol 25(2) pp97-117

Smith, Diane. “Strengthening Family Values in the Twenty-First Century” Journal of Physical

Education, Recreation & Dance 68 (8) 1997: 39-41

Spinka, M., Newberry, R.C., Bekoff, M. “Mammalian Play: Training for the

Unexpected”. The Quarterly Review of Biology 2001: 76(2) 141-168

Taylor, Satomi, Crosby Rogers, Arleen Dodd, Toshiko Kaneda, Iku Nagasaki, Yasuhiro

Watanabe and Toru Goshiki. “The Meaning of Play: a Cross-Cultural Study of American

And Japanese Teachers’ Perspectives on Play” Journal of Early Childhood Teacher

Education 24 2004 311-321

All photos from the public domain, found on Google Chrome Images

Addendum

How to Play Mafia

The game of Mafia is about convincing others, about being able to lie believably, and about being able to figure out if other people are lying. It will reveal a lot about players to each other, and works best if the players know a little bit about each other first. It is tremendous fun if the players have a sense of humor.

The setting is a once peaceful town which has been invaded by the dark forces of corruption - the Mafia.

DeMasi 22

The Mafia's sole purpose is to murder the productive citizens in their bed. They have free reign of the town at night, but by day they appear to be normal citizens.

As a response to these terrible events, the townspeople have hired an Inspector, whose job is to remain disguised while attempting to root our the members of the Mafia.

Game Rules

Game Setup

The game of Mafia is played by an odd number of people. Good numbers are 9, 11, or 13. Players are either townspeople or Mafia. In addition, one of the townspeople is the Inspector. Who plays what is determined at random. One method for determining who is who is to use cards: black cards for the mafia, red cards for townspeople, and the king of hearts for the inspector. Players may not show their cards to others.

The number of Mafia and townspeople can vary, depending on which side is winning more often:

Players Mafia Leans Toward

9 3 Even

9 2 Townspeople

11 3 Even

11 4 Mafia

13 3 Townspeople

13 4 Even

13 5 Mafia

Starting with 3 Mafia is generally recommended.

Order of Play

The game takes place over the duration of several "days" and "nights". Play begins at the start of the first "day", and proceeds as follows:

1. Everyone discusses who might be in the Mafia. Eventually, a vote is called and the (un)lucky candidate is run out of town (or lynched, or tarred and feathered, or... You get the idea). As they are run out of town (of whatever), the player gets to make one final statement. The first person thus removed from play becomes the Moderator

2. Night falls. Everyone goes to sleep (by closing their eyes).

DeMasi 23

3. The Moderator tells the members of the Mafia to open their eyes. The members of the Mafia then select someone they will murder, by pointing at people until they all agree on one. The Mafia then close their eyes.

4. The Moderator tells the Inspector to open his eyes. This happens even if the Inspector has been killed, or run out of town. The Inspector then points at a suspect. The Moderator nods "yes" if that person in the Mafia, or "no" if they are innocent. The Inspector then closes his eyes.

5. The Moderator announces the coming of the morning, and the name of the luckless victim. Embelishments on the method of death are fun here (Ooh, Jim was found garotted in his Barcalounger!).

6. The townspeople, realizing that their previous council did not root out all the evil, return to step one and play proceeds from there.

Winning Conditions

The game is over when:

All of the Mafia have been eliminated. The townspeople win There are an equal number of townspeople and Mafia at the end of a "day". The Mafia

wins

Play Hints

Calling a Vote

During the day, the townspeople get to vote on who to run out of town. At any point during the discussion, someone can call a vote by saying "I vote So-and-So is a Mafia and should be run out of town." If more than half the living players agree, then the elected person is unceremoniously removed from the game. There should always be an odd number of players during the day, so a vote will not end in a deadlock. Voting and debated may become heated. That's where the fun lies!

The First Day

During the first day, members of the Mafia have no information about who's in the Mafia or not. The person to get voted out is pretty random, so it's up to everyone to make a good, convincing first statement that will result in them not being voted out.

Once the first night falls, though, the Mafia will be able to act in a much mure unified way.

The Inspector

The Inspector has no way to prove their role, since players are not allowed to show their cards to one another to prove they are what they say there are. Admitting one is the Inspector can result in a swift death in the middle of the night, unless only one member of the Mafia was left alive.

DeMasi 24

Try these games as well:

Fruit Basket Equipment Needed – People intelligent enough to stand in a circle.How to Play – Make a tight circle – no gaps. Each person chooses a fruit (a little help – strawberry, banana, watermelon, tomato [yes, it is a fruit], cherry, grape). Then It is in the middle. It calls out a fruit. Everyone who has chosen that fruit has to run to another area – an empty space left by a member of the same fruit group. It tries to get into one of those places, therefore leaving one different person in the middle to be It. One cannot move to the space directly beside them, nor can they stay in the same spot – if It doesn’t make it to an empty space, It has to do the whole thing over again, with another fruit. Oh, the ghastly horrors!

Mummy Wrap Equipment Needed – One roll of toilet paper for every 2 peopleHow to Play – A fun game. Split into teams of two and give each team a roll of toilet paper. Games with toilet paper are always good. Then one person tries to turn the other into a mummy. Everything has to be covered except the eyes. First team done wins.

MOVIES: The Three Idiots, A Beautiful Life, Dan in Real Life, Waiting for Forever

BOOKS: They Love to Laugh (good family read aloud) Simple Fun for Busy People