CuriousWorks Toolkit

Snake is a simple game where participants are blindfolded and must rely on their other senses to survive!

Participants

• Minimum: 4 
• Maximum: 15

Equipment

• Gym-mats/rugs/blankets/rope (anything tactile that can mark out space on the floor) 
• Blindfolds (optional)

Techniques

• Darken the space, all eyes are closed.... all you can hear is the hisssss...Prepare to get very immersed in this game - and very scared!  This one is great for firing up the imagination, listening with the body and investigating 'objectives'.

How to Play

• Start by marking out a large space for the group.  You need to have something soft and tactile around the boundaries of the space. Gym mats are great for this.  People will be running around with their eyes closed so the space needs to be clear and safe and the edges of the space entirely marked out with something that the feet can feel as soon as one is heading out of bounds. 
• Shoes off is best. 
• All the participants should enter into the marked out space and with their eyes still open familiarise their feet with the touch of the boundary-line (if no gym mats you could use rope laid on the floor, towels or rugs etc.) 
• You're about to choose the snake. Get everybody shoulder to shoulder in a circle, inside the marked space, heads down and eyes closed. Darken the space - turn off lights, close blinds etc. 
• Tell the participants "I am about to choose the snake.. mwhaahahahahah! I will give you a light tap on the shoulder and you will be the snake. Don't tell anyone!" 
• Everyone MUST keep their eyes closed (if people are having trouble keeping their eyes closed you can use blind-folds) 
• Once you have chosen the snake, tell everyone "Keep your eyes closed, the snake has been chosen. Stay calm and stay still for now. Snake, you are after your prey - to attack, your hand must squeeze a persons' shoulder.  People, if your shoulder is squeezed by the snake, you must die a most loud and horrible death!  Once you are dead you can open your eyes and come to the boundaries of the space with me to watch and sometimes guide the others still left in the game.  Snake - you can move only if you are hissing at the same time.  Snake - you may be still and silent, or move and hiss towards your prey.  All of you can start to move now." 
• This is an amazing game to be watching from the sidelines.  People become quite terrified by the hissing, people huddle together in fear, arms reaching out, heads angled to best catch all the sounds.  Keep an eye on the safety of participants. Make sure they keep moving - don't let people hide in a corner for too long. 
• Don't be afraid to let this game play out for a while - the participants will become increasing absorbed. 
• Afterwards, allow the snake and the last person to be caught to extrapolate on their experiences, also talk about what it looked like from the sidelines - there will be lots of close shaves! Those who died early would have seen some really interesting 'scenarios' played out in the space just through this game.