You, my friend, have been 'Quelf'ed.

i have to say that it has been quite a while since i have laughed to the point of my side hurting. this state of self was acheived last monday due to a silly, but hilarious game called Quelf. if you are like me, you don't like complicated games (although once you get into the swing of things, it is fun, but you are a little apprehensive to start and it usually takes 3-4 times of playing it before it becomes truly fun). you also enjoy competitive games, but really only when you win (such as risk) because usually you end up getting angry that the other person made a move that you didn't think was practical (for them or for you) and no one will talk to each other for several days. there are also the speed games that make one anxious and sometimes give up (california speed with an old high school friend gives me the jitters). or the mindless games that, after a few minutes, lose their luster (egyptian rat screw- who came up with that name?).

now, all of the above genre of games have their place and, given, there are times when one does not want to be silly and laugh histerically (the only instance i can think of is when a puppy dies), but i propose that Quelf always has a time and a place. i have seen many crack under its influence, some with alcohol, others without; those that are naturally stiff, or naturally goofy. words such as "pincers" or looking someone directly in the eye and saying "i have you now," like darth vadar will make you smile and think of a time when nothing else mattered in the world except relaxing, laughing, and being with friends.

now, you are probably asking, "how does one get to such a state?" or more importantly, "how does one play this game?" well naturally, like all board games, there are pieces and you begin at the start and roll a dice to get to the end. there are cards that you pick up for whatever color/space you land on. there are five types of cards: stuntz, showbiz, quizzle, rulez, and scatterbrainz. with a stuntz card, you have to do some crazy, well...stunt. balancing acts, costume creations (like turning your pants inside out), daredevil moves (standing in the shape of an x for a few turns), or weird contraptions. showbiz, you mime, sing, tapdance, draw, do impressions, write poetry. quizzle, you are given mind-twisting trivia, nutty riddles, and brain teasers (none of which are things you wouldn't know in a million years, but also not as common as "who is president of the united states?"). rulez (my personal favorite) are thigs that you or the group has to do, snort like a pig when you laugh, roll the dice with your elbows, whenever you make eye contact with someone you say "i have you now!" scatterbrainz, you choose one of two topics and everyone gives answers until no one can think of a valid one ("ways to get your leg out of a spring-loaded, steel bear trap" or "brands of lipstick").

this does sound very similar to other games such as cranium, but in those games, you (yourself or a team) really want to win and it semi-matters. it can be funny, but it depends on the people you play with. Quelf is hilarious regardless.

another question you might be asking, "how is this media?" well, it is a means of helping you to do something that you wouldn't normally do like speaking in the third person for an hour, or singing made up words to an unknown country song. and it is also assists in making you laugh with friends. is there a subliminal message in this medium? i submit no. thoughts?