Mind game enlivens students across U.S.
Andy Boyle
Issue date: 3/19/07 Section: Arts & Entertainment
You just lost.
But that's OK, because most people probably don't know they were playing "The Game" in the first place. Many students have started to play this postmodern game throughout the country, and Nebraska is no exception.
The rules are simple, according to the Web site LoseTheGame.com:
Rule 1: You are playing The Game.
Rule 2: Whenever you think about The Game, you lose.
Rule 3: Loss must be announced.
There are some derivations from that, but for Zac Brugler, a freshman industrial engineering major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The Game has come naturally to him.
When he first learned about The Game and subsequently lost for the first time, he said he was angry but couldn't help from laughing.
"I guess that's the whole point," he said. "It's kind of fun spirited."
He said the important thing is to always let everyone else around you know as soon as you lose, this way you can make other people lose and maybe turn a few people on to The Game.
There are about 100 people he knows playing The Game, Brugler said, and they're not just in Nebraska.
One of his high school friends goes to college in West Virginia and another in Boston, he said, and they've both heard about The Game.
"They're like, 'We play that here!' " he said. "It's crazy."
Another local player of The Game, Jeremy Hanson, afreshman actuarial sciences major, said he first learned about The Game in the summer of 2006, and after his first loss he said he felt like he'd "been ripped off."
He said The Game is worth playing because it's fun.
"Why not?" he said. "It doesn't take any time out of your life."
Now that he has discovered The Game, Hanson said he's become a little more paranoid, but not in a bad way.
"I'm always careful about incoming text messages and messages on Facebook," he said.
He's also always on the prowl to make other people lose.
"It's always fun to see how many people will get pissed at you for saying that you just lost," he said.
Brugler said sometimes losing The Game reminds him of other things he had forgotten about, like getting a hold of a friend or homework.
Playing The Game also had one added benefit, he said, when one of his friends walked into his house during the interview.
To the dismay of his friend, he said, "Hey Nate. I just lost."
But that's OK, because most people probably don't know they were playing "The Game" in the first place. Many students have started to play this postmodern game throughout the country, and Nebraska is no exception.
The rules are simple, according to the Web site LoseTheGame.com:
Rule 1: You are playing The Game.
Rule 2: Whenever you think about The Game, you lose.
Rule 3: Loss must be announced.
There are some derivations from that, but for Zac Brugler, a freshman industrial engineering major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, The Game has come naturally to him.
When he first learned about The Game and subsequently lost for the first time, he said he was angry but couldn't help from laughing.
"I guess that's the whole point," he said. "It's kind of fun spirited."
He said the important thing is to always let everyone else around you know as soon as you lose, this way you can make other people lose and maybe turn a few people on to The Game.
There are about 100 people he knows playing The Game, Brugler said, and they're not just in Nebraska.
One of his high school friends goes to college in West Virginia and another in Boston, he said, and they've both heard about The Game.
"They're like, 'We play that here!' " he said. "It's crazy."
Another local player of The Game, Jeremy Hanson, afreshman actuarial sciences major, said he first learned about The Game in the summer of 2006, and after his first loss he said he felt like he'd "been ripped off."
He said The Game is worth playing because it's fun.
"Why not?" he said. "It doesn't take any time out of your life."
Now that he has discovered The Game, Hanson said he's become a little more paranoid, but not in a bad way.
"I'm always careful about incoming text messages and messages on Facebook," he said.
He's also always on the prowl to make other people lose.
"It's always fun to see how many people will get pissed at you for saying that you just lost," he said.
Brugler said sometimes losing The Game reminds him of other things he had forgotten about, like getting a hold of a friend or homework.
Playing The Game also had one added benefit, he said, when one of his friends walked into his house during the interview.
To the dismay of his friend, he said, "Hey Nate. I just lost."
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 13
BW
posted 3/19/07 @ 12:45 PM CST
Was this story a joke?
Loser
posted 3/19/07 @ 2:13 PM CST
I lost...
steve
posted 7/22/07 @ 5:01 PM CST
haha. this is fantastic. in glasgow we have a shop called forbidden planet and so many people in there know about the game. i have much fun walking in, mentioning the game and walking out with about 5 people staring at me looking like they want to kill me. (Continued…)
The Game
posted 9/23/07 @ 8:00 AM CST
You just lost The Game.
artistsrunwild
posted 10/20/07 @ 8:48 AM CST
I'm in Australia and a large number of my friends play The Game and also a lot of people at other schools play The Game
it's really big in Australia. (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 1/29/08 @ 6:40 PM CST
OMG! My friends and I actually just lost the Game today, and we're in Alabama. Weird huh? 4Chan sometimes gives wonderful things eh?
Anonymous
posted 3/02/08 @ 4:22 AM CST
DAMMIT YOU JUST MADE ME LOOSE
"But that's OK" No, it's not! In fact, I think I'll start forgetting everything now all together! *forgets everything*
ARC_1337NEwb
posted 4/01/08 @ 8:58 AM CST
Me and my friends in West Virginia play and I just lost
Eric
posted 4/02/08 @ 5:00 PM CST
....I lose.
Anon
posted 4/03/08 @ 2:07 PM CST
That Hanson guy doesn't seem to know what he's talking about. He says he's "being careful about messages"? If you're being careful, you're thinking of the game. (Continued…)
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