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Game Blasts from Podcast 8

We brainstorm titles for possible games on our podcast.

Monster Hug

(Un)Lovable Bubbles

Brad’s Pitts

Chips + Dip

Hippo Mouth

Segway to Heaven

Tumble Dry

Tumble Weeds

Not Your Mother’s Dinner Party

Chim Cham Chump Change

Greta’s Gross Gravy

Gargling Gargoyles

Dweeb Believe In Magic

Parts Unknown

Diaper, Diaper, Diaper, Diaper

Trapped and Alone

#gameblast #gametitle

Game Blasts from Podcast 6

We brainstorm titles for possible games on our podcast.

Nacho Cheese

Not Yo Cheese

Check This Out Dude

Do It To It

Paradise Flossed

Prank Spank

Tuna Police

Cheese Barber

Mark Harmon

Ham Sam’ich

Itch It, Pitch It

Cool Burgers

Hot Slaw

Sloppy Seconds

#gameblast #gametitles

Game Blasts from Podcast 7

We brainstorm titles for possible games on our podcast.

Metal Mouth

Trumpet (& Bumpit)

Flat Face

Mush Tush

Deer Season

The Masters

Pink Lady

Break Up Text

Pupperazzi

Noodle Nuts

Birthday Quake

Not In My House

Be Kind, Rewind

Bees to Meet You

Pump Up The Cramps

Stroke Pirate

#gameblast #gametitles

Happy Blasters

Imagine if everyone in the world played this game every day?

HOW TO PLAY:

Write down 10 things that make you really happy, actions are the best. Example: 1. Hiking in the woods 2. Exploring new places 3. Petting baby pigs

Then give yourself a point for each thing you did in the last 24 hours.

How’d you do?

I have no doubt you can beat my score. I just got 1. Daaaaamn.

Got below 5? Only 2? None?

Get yourself some Happy Blasters, dog!

I gotta get blastin myself.

Barry

www.gamenightinacan.com

#newgames

The Scientific Reasons for Play

Finally, someone who legitimizes my lifelong goal for non-stop play.

Dr. Stuart Brown created the National Institute for Play, the most fun national institute of all national institutes.

Here is his Ted Talk explaining why play is so essential to us as humans: http://www.ted.com/talks/stuart_brown_says_play_is_more_than_fun_it_s_vital?language=en#t-22334

And here is the NY Times article from 2008: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/17/magazine/17play.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Also: “Baboons bend over and peer between their legs as an invitation to play.”

Me too!!

Barry

www.gamenightinacan.com

Game Show Bonanza!

So doing this project with Jason has awakened my desire for two things. Well three things, actually.

1. Finding all of my old game show appearances (Price Is Right, Taboo, Russian Roulette, Lingo, Celebrity Says, Shop till You Drop, Blame Game, and more...)

2. Being a contestant on another game show

3. Hosting a game show

#3 is slowly in the works. We got a few irons in the fire. Some biscuits in the oven. A couple babies in the broiler. More on that later...

For #2, anyone got any suggestions? I haven’t watched a game show in a while so I don’t know what’s the prime beef these days.

For #1, I just started researching how to even find copies of the old game shows, and at least found the episode number and a fan-made review of the episode I did of Lingo with my girlfriend at the time Joanna Kosmides. We won that shit! I found her review pretty funny:

Barry and his lady friend Jo overcome an early deficit on their way to $5000. 7.0 By Sid_Monge, Feb 08, 2007 Mark and Jennifer are on a roll until Shandi jinkses them. Up 125 to 25, Mark pulls a red stopper, giving control of the board and the game to Barry and Jo, fans of the Robot (the dance, that is). Barry and Jo run off 250 unanswered points and win going away. They roll through the Bonus Lingo round, getting seven words. They miss the big prize, but walk away with $5000. This episode is highlighted by the awful dance moves of Barry and Jo. But their enthusiasm is very refreshing, drawing witty comments from both Shandi and Chuck. This is definitely an episode worth watching.

Definitely an episode worth watching. Hey ohh!! Now I just need to find a copy of this and I’ll post our “awful dance moves” for all to see.

We want to hear about your game show experiences. What were you on? Did you win??

Barry

www.gamenightinacan.com

#gameshows

Game Review: The Name Game

The name game is set to music. Originally by Shirley Ellis in the 1960s, I’m rather partial to the recent remake you should hear by Jessica Lange. Because, well...Jessica Lange. The game promises to make a rhyme out of any name. But it’s pretty lazy in its execution, as you’ll see.

Game play: Say a person’s name. Say it again. Then things get “interesting.” You say “bo” and then say the name a third time, only now you drop the first letter and replace it with a “b”... You know what, let’s just use my name. This is how you play:

“Jason Jason Bo Bason Banana Fana Fo Fason Fee Fye Mo Mason. Jason!”

That’s pretty much it. There is one caveat that mixes things up: When dealing with a name that starts with a “B” an “F” or an “M”, you drop the first letter of that person’s name when it would just sound exactly the same as the person’s name

Example:

“Barry Barry Bo Arry Banana Fana Fo Farry Fee Fye Mo Marry. Barry!”

This game is pretty dumb. I should give it an “Eff Eff Bo Beff” simply for it’s failed claim to be rhyming when it is, in fact, simply making up nonsense words to do so. However, I’m giving it a D+ because it’s a really fun way for kids to sing about their friend Mitch and Chuck. This comes in handy on long road trips when you want to sneak in a curse word while sitting in the back of the car.

GRADE: D+

Jason

#game review #gamereview #gniac

How to Win On Shark Tank

Why am I qualified to write this? Because I won the Showcase Showdown on the Price is Right. Is that related? No. Shall I press on? Yes.

1. Know all the different variables you would accept before going in. If you can be decisive and clear in the moment, it works to your advantage. -If your point of entry is $100,000 for 10%, would you go up to 25%? 45% -Is there a different variable for different sharks? -Would you take one of Kevin’s royalty deals? If so, up to what amount?

2. If you sell something online, know how much it costs to acquire a new customer. If you don’t know this, do some online marketing until you do. I also suggest having an additional creative marketing plan that can act as more firepower, in case they ask.

3. Make sure you have real answers to their questions. If what you have is something that Kevin O’Leary will say is totally replicable, or there’s nothing proprietary, make sure you don’t dodge the answer, or say that you’re a hard worker. Figure out what the true value of your company or product is, and pitch that.

4. Don’t value your company at a ridiculously high number for a low percentage of Shark ownership. I imagine a lot of people do this because they mainly just want the publicity, but some honestly looking to make a deal have been excluded almost solely based on their insane valuation.

5. How can you add value to the Shark’s portfolio? Try to present yourself in a way that shows confidence and the ability to create a good business, without seeming like you need a shark. Being open to learning and flexible with decisions is a huge bonus, but if they feel like you are going to be a big drain on their time, they’ll swim away.

6. What is the most successful part of your business? What is your plan for the sharks’ investment money? If these two don’t have at least some overlap, then your chances drop dramatically.

7. What is your competition? Learn all you can about them.

8. Have fun. If the sharks are laughing, and it’s not at you, they seem much more amiable to making deals...because they’re investing in YOU.

Now go get that green!

Barry

#gniac

What Are Your Favorite Party Games?

I realized something today. We don’t have any “Strategy” games in our can yet. We have creative games and physical challenges, but nothing that involves a longer-form of strategy.

What are some parlor games that involve strategy?

-Wink Murder

-Mafia

Ok...that’s all I got so far. Googling “Party games strategy” doesn’t help in this case, it just sends you deep into a world of titles like “3 Dragon Ante,” and “Shadow Hunters.” So if you know of any others like these, please tell us!

I’ve played both Mafia and Wink Murder and they’re pretty fun. But they do get a little repetitive and I wish there were a 2nd level to them. Like at some point shit just gets super wacky. Maybe after five minutes of play everyone gets to throw a pillow at someone’s head.

My issue with games like these for GNIAC is that we have to explain every game within the confines of a 4″ diameter card. And we also don’t want any one game to go on for longer than 15 minutes. But we DO want at least a handful of our games to have the spirit of old classics like Charades, Celebrity, Pictionary, and Mafia. So while every game will be original in the can, I do love the idea of taking something like Mafia and simplifying it, and then adding a second level. You know...where shit gets wacky.

What are your favorite party games? Perhaps we can put a GNIAC twist on them, like after 5 minutes everyone throws a pillow at someone’s head.

Barry

#games #development #party games #game night

Game Review: The Genius of Cards Against Humanity

I have only played this game once. I look forward to playing it again, but my biggest takeaway is how smart this team has been in their design, packaging, marketing, expansion packs, business model...everything.

So for anyone who doesn’t know, CAH is a game much like Apples to Apples, except for adults. Look at the picture below for examples. I can see how this game would be offensive to some people, but for everyone else, it’s hilarious.

They began by giving away printable downloads of the game for free on their website. Then they did a Kickstarter campaign a few years ago (for about $15,000) just to get cards officially printed. Their Kickstarter video wasn’t very good, but it showed clearly how the game is played, which is really all they needed to do.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/maxtemkin/cards-against-humanity/description

Since that time they have made over $13 million, donated almost $2 million to different charities, and created over 12 new games and expansion packs. They even did a holiday special last year called “The Ten Days Or Whatever Of Kwanzaa,” where you paid something like $15, and they sent you a brand new surprise every day for 10 days. It included new cards, new games, miracle berries, even your own square foot of a private island. I am very sad I missed this experience. 10 days of surprises in the mail? Are you kidding me?

https://www.holidaybullshit.com

As I continue to gush about this creative crew, I am amazed at their business model. Everything is still sold online only. They don’t have to deal with any retailers, and they have their games shipped by a 3rd party. So essentially the product is made in a factory, then sent to amazon or a drop ship company, and then they do the shipping. So the Cards fellas don’t have to deal with any of that nonsense themselves. That’s awesome. This seems to free them all up to create more cards, more games, more ideas. And now they’re all millionaires.

Just like that. Easy peasy. Greazy squeezy. Federico Fellini.

GAME GRADE: A

Have you played Cards Against Humanity? What do you think?

#cards against humanity #gamereview #business

A Proper Introduction to Game Night In A Can

Jason and Barrry break it down...

#gniac #commercial

The Development Timeline of Game Night In A Can

1978 - Barry and Jason are born by different mothers in separate states.

1996 - Barry and Jason meet on the first day of school at UCLA.

1997 - Barry and Jason and Andy Coyne start a comedy band called The Bicycling Mariachis. This band goes on to play all over LA, and numerous shows included help from our friends in Maroon 5. (Although at the time their band was called Kara’s Flowers.)

1998 - Barry wins the Showcase Showdown on The Price is Right.

2001 - Jason goes on Jeopardy. He doesn’t get first place, but he does win a vacation to his own hometown of Laguna Beach. (Seriously.)

2006 - Barry and Jason are roommates in Mid-City Los Angeles, and begin hosting nights of Dirty Balderdash. This game is now in the GNIAC collection as Wordy Durds. One person makes up a word, everyone else makes up a dirty definition. Simple. Fun. Nasty.

2010 - Barry becomes a host at a game show themed restaurant called Vodvil. The idea is great, but the execution doesn’t quite work. Vodvil closes one year later.

2011 - Barry hosts Game Nights at bars and restaurants.

2013 - Jason joins Barry to host Game Nights.

2014 - Barry and Jason come up with the idea of Game Night In A Can. Then they forget about it.

2015 - Game Night In A Can is brought back to life while Barry co-hosts Jason’s podcast Creative Confidants.

2016 - Hoverboards!!

#gniac

Episode 8: Downtown Games Recap, Flamingo Flop and more!

If you're listening to this, you can imagine how awesome it is to see paper balls flying at the video camera. And even if you're watching this you still have to imagine how awesome Flamingo Flop is going to be. But whether you're still listening to or watching this podcast, chances are...you're dead.

Just kidding! Chances are, you're awesome!!

Check out this episode of the GNIAC Show!

#podcast

The Catchphrases

We’re trying a few on for size...