User:David/Signs (game)

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I'm placing this here as I cannot yet establish notability. If it becomes prodded for deletion, I want to be able to replace it when and if I can establish notability.

{{Infobox_Game| subject_name=Signs | image_link= | image_caption= | players=3 or more (best with 10-20) | ages=5 and up | setup_time=less than 5 minutes | playing_time=Approx 1 - 5 mins per round| complexity=Low | strategy=Medium | random_chance=Low | skills=Stealth, bluff, creativity | footnotes=|}}

Signs is a party game for many people (the absolute minimum number of players is four, but games played with less than ten are not usually considered to be worth playing). It is adaptive to almost any size group, simple to learn, and accommodates a changing player base well, which has contributed to its popularity among high school and college students.

Players sit in a circle and select a "sign," or small physical motion that is unique to them. The "sign" should be easily recognizable, but not overly exaggerated (for instance, a small hand motion such as a thumbs-up or V sign work well). A player is selected to stand in the middle.

Play begins with a randomly selected player around the circle (P1). (The person in the middle is not told who the person is.) P1 now "has" the sign, and his/her goal is to "pass" the sign on to another player (P2) as quickly as possible without being caught by the person in the middle. In order to do so, P1 will perform P2's sign. However, P1 still "has" the sign until P2 "receives" or "catches" it by performing their own sign. P2 will then "pass" the sign on to another player as quickly as possible. In some variants of the game, once P1 passes the sign to P2, P2 automatically has the sign; P2 does not need to "receive" the sign from P1.

The person in the center (P3) must try to catch a player "with" the sign. P3 will look around the circle, searching for movement, accusing players by asking some variation of "Do you have it?" A player in the circle may not lie to this question. If P3 correctly identifies the player that "has" the sign, the players trade places and another round begins, with a different player selected to be the first person. It is generally forbidden for P3 go down the line of players and ask them all if they have the sign. It is also against the rules to change who you are passing the sign to. If the person does not see you, you may not try and send it to another player.

In one variant, the game does not need to be played in a circle all at the same time. It generally works best in a large social environment, like a school, church, or camp. The game starts as players, generally a very large group (25+), associate themselves with everyone's sign. Then one person is selected as "it". A player is also selected to start with this sign. Once the two have been selected, life goes on as normal, except now with the random passing and catching of signs throughout the day. However, if the "it" discovers who has the sign, the new "it" does not need to announce their new position as "it".

[[Category:Children's games]] [[Category:Party games]] {{game-stub}}