The downside to any summer trip is the wait: Waiting at the airport, in the van or for the amusement park ride. And while it’s easier than ever to distract a carload of people — thank you, satellite radio and Nintendo DS — every group needs options for when the iPod dies. With that in mind, here are a few of our favorite lo-fi games. None require batteries or have a limit on the number of players, but all amuse. — Andy Rathbun, Herald Writer
THE ABCs
Overview: This game is as easy as 1-2-3.
Rules: Players look for letters of the alphabet on billboards and road signs. After spotting a letter, the player calls it out, preventing other players from adding it to their list. The game can be adapted to airports or amusement park lines by searching for letters on T-shirts and other signs.
Scoring: The first player to find all 26 letters in alphabetical order wins.
THE NAME CHAIN
Overview: Finally, reading Us Weekly pays off.
Rules: A player says the name of a celebrity. The next player has 10 seconds to name a famous person whose first name begins with the first letter of the original celebrity’s last name. For greater difficulty, players can choose a category such as movie actors or sports figures.
Example: Player One says Tom Hanks. Player Two says Hugh Jackman, choosing a celebrity whose first name begins with H, (from Hanks). Player Three can’t think of an actor whose name begins with a J (from Jackman), and so loses the round.
PADIDDLE
Overview: This game can keep you sharp at night in the car.
Rules: Players look for cars with one headlight burned out. The first player to spot one says “Padiddle” and slaps the roof of the car.
Scoring: The first to spot three padiddles wins a prize. Players can choose prizes in advance, allowing them to compete to see who gets to choose where to eat, for example.
STATE PLATES
Overview: This game works best on long rides.
Rules: Players look for state license plates. Every time a player spots a new state, they point out the plate, which then can’t be used by another player.
Scoring: Whoever sees the most state plates wins.
GHOST
Overview: This spelling game blends Scrabble with Horse.
Rules: A player says a letter. In a set rotation, other players add a letter, trying to avoid spelling a complete word. When a word is spelled, the player who added the last letter loses the round. Words must be in English and can’t be proper nouns or abbreviations. A dictionary or group vote settles spelling disputes.
Examples: Player One says C. Player Two adds an A. Player Three adds an R, spelling “car” and losing the round. Rounds are also lost if no word can be spelled: After Player One says C, Player Two says X, losing the round since no words begin with “cx.”
Scoring: The round’s loser earns a “G.” After losing five rounds, and spelling ghost, the player is disqualified. Remaining players continue until one remains.
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