Taskonomy of Games
What, you may ask, is a "taskonomy of games"? It is a classification of
games based on the tasks they involve performing (that is, a "taxonomy
of tasks", hence the name). These games mostly fall
into the category of "party games"--games in which the task(s) at hand are
the focus of the activity, with strategy (and sometimes even the keeping
of any sort of score) taking a back seat.
Why then, you may ask next, does one need a taskonomy? The primary purpose
of this classification is to highlight the many similarities between
ostensibly different games, and to stimulate experimentation with
new games. The model I have in mind is an experiment conducted by Jim Propp
at a games party in Boston, consisting of charades variations: Traction
Charades and Etch-A-Sketch Pictionary originate from that event.
This is intended to be a living document, thus never "complete" in any
sense. However, it should definitely be considered incomplete until
I link this list to actual descriptions of the
games named here, since most readers will be unfamiliar with a lot of
the titles I've used.
Any contributions from readers (descriptions of games already on the hierarchy,
new games to add to the hierarchy, suggested new categories) would be
welcome.
False Identification
A "false identification" task consists of attempting to distinguish
the true answer to a question from false answers made up on the spot by
other players. Games involving this task are usually played either in
a "symmetric" form (each turn, one player reports the true answer while others
make up answers and vote for the answer they believe is true) or an
"asymmetric" form (among a team of players, one reports the true answer
while others make up answers, and a separate person or team guesses which
answer is true).
- False Definitions (Fictionary, Balderdash, Says You!)
- False Notables (Beyond Balderdash)
- False Titles (from an Equinox party)
- False Poetry
- Hogwash (Andrew Chaikin)
- Wise and Otherwise
- To Tell the Truth
- False News: Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!
Restricted Communication
Acting
- Charades
- Body Language
- Mirror Charades
- Traction (Mirror) Charades
- Guesstures
- Pass the Chicken (commercial form?)
- Performance Flats
Drawing
- Pictionary (Win, Lose or Draw)
- Pictionary Categories (Darren Rigby)
- Blind Pictionary (Cranium)
- Sculptionary (Charado, Cranium, Barbarossa und die Raetselmeister)
- Desert Island Pictionary (Jennifer Sheffield)
- Etch-A-Sketch Pictionary (from a Boston games party)
Speaking
- Twenty-Five Words Or Less
- Chain Reaction (and variations)
- Taboo
- Cluesome
Writing
- Inklings
- Puzzles in verse (The Enigma et al)
Pass and Fold
This is a class of tasks in which players collectively create something,
but with limited knowledge about each other's contributions to the whole.
- Exquisite Corpse (Literature by Committee)
- Poetry by Committee (from Equinox 2001)
- Telephone Pictionary
Categories
This is a class of tasks in which players attempt to come up with objects
in a specific category, or subject to a specific criterion. A number of
these games are either "matching" games, in which players attempt to give
the same answers as others, or "nonmatching" games, in which players attempt
not to give the same answers as others.
General
- A to Z
- Pyramid bonus round
Matching
- The Match Game
- Cool Game
- Opposites Attract
- Sheep
Nonmatching
- Boggle
- Scattergories
- a chat room game whose name I forget
Guessing Games
Logic
These tasks involving identifying an object from a large space of possibilities
using deductive reasoning on the information revealed by a series of guesses.
- Battleship
- Clue
- Jotto
- Mastermind
Identification
The purpose of these tasks is to identify an object using questions of
a specific form. These typically require little or no equipment,
making them ideal travel games.
- Twenty Questions (What's My Line)
- French Toast (communicated by Brian Tivol)
- Spanish Omelet (Andrew Chaikin)
- Breakfast Combo (?)
- Botticelli
Word Identification
- Hangman (Wheel of Fortune)
- Jotto
Kiran S. Kedlaya (kray(at)post.com)