List of fictional games
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is a list of fictional games, that is games specifically created for works of fiction. Games such as Star Trek's three-dimensional chess or Discworld's Thud do not count as they existed as real games before their fictional appearances. (Although 3D chess did not exist exactly as portrayed in Star Trek and Thud was based on the Discworld novels, they both still had a real existence first).
However, many fictional games have been "translated" to the real world by fans or ludophiles by creating pieces and rules to fit the descriptions given in the source work. For example, Fizzbin can be found (albeit unofficially) in reality, and Mornington Crescent is widely played in online forums. As such, real-world games that began as fictional devices will still be listed here.
This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Contents |
[edit] Billiards games
- Dom-jot - Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Grav-Pool - Red Dwarf
- Pond - Discworld
- Quantum Pool - Cosmonaut Keep by Ken MacLeod
[edit] Board games
- 110th congress the games - Last Call with Carson Daly
- Azad - the novel The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks
- Bender - File 13
- Blander - File 13
- Blender - File 13
- Blinder - File 13
- Blonder - File 13
- Blunder - File 13
- Bounder - File 13
- Citizenship - The Simpsons
- Clam Traffic Jam - "Grift of the Magi" episode of The Simpsons
- Coupling - "Bed Time" episode of Coupling
- Crapple - "The Five Diamonds (aka A Hard Act to Follow)" episode of Stroker and Hoop
- Cyvasse - George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series
- Dejarik Holochess - played on the Millennium Falcon by C3PO and Chewbacca in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Rules (fan-created),
- Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence - Ren and Stimpy
- Doplimcy (a parody of Diplomacy) - File 13
- Double Cranko - a game made up by Hawkeye Pierce and B.J. Hunnicutt on the TV series M*A*S*H, combining checkers, chess, poker and gin rummy. A checker cannot be "kinged" (as in checkers) if it is "in check" (as in chess), and if a player has a gin hand, both players have to drink from the distillery in their tent, "the Swamp." When Radar O'Reilly asks how to play, Hawkeye says, "Bishops are worth three jacks, checkers are wild, and you have to be 21 or over to open." When Hawkeye plays Colonel Potter, he uses an apparently strange move, and the Colonel asks B.J., "Is that in the rules?" B.J. replies, "What rules?" Hawkeye then says, "I think you're ready for Triple Cranko!"
- The Dutchman's Treasure Hunt - SpongeBob SquarePants
- Edna Krabopoly (a fictionalised version of Monopoly) - The Simpsons
- Eels and Escalators (similar to Snakes and Ladders) - SpongeBob SquarePants animated TV series
- Energy-Shortage Game - The Simpsons
- Escape from Zyzzlvaria - the futuristic board game played in many Duck Konundrums
- Euthanasia - Robot Chicken animated TV series
- Exclusive Possession (a fictionalised version of Monopoly) - Discworld
- Flounder - File 13
- Founder - File 13
- Frisk (a parody of Risk) - File 13
- Gallipolopoly (a fictionalised version of Monopoly) - The Simpsons
- The Game of County Seats - "Grift of the Magi" episode of The Simpsons
- The Game of Fencing - The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner
- The Game of Lent (parody of The Game of Life) - The Simpsons
- Gobble - a word game, File 13
- Goblin's Teeth - Who's Afraid of Beowulf? by Tom Holt
- Grounder - File 13
- Handyland (a parody of Candy Land) - File 13
- Hippo in the House - The Simpsons
- Hungry, Hungry Oprahs - The Man Show (redesigned Hungry Hungry Hippos game with the hippos replaced by Oprah Winfreys)
- Icehouse - The Empty City by Andrew Looney (an example of a fictional game that now exists as a real-world one)
- Interstellar Pig - in the novel of the same name by William Sleator
- Jetan - a chess-like strategy game from the Edgar Rice Burroughs novel The Chessmen of Mars
- Jumanji - from the book and movie of the same name
- Kadis-kot - Star Trek: Voyager
- Kaissa - Kaissa - and related variants - is a chess like game described in John Norman's (Dr. John Lange) World of Gor. Various rules exist, but the object is always to capture the opponents Home Stone, a non capturing piece that is limited to one space moves and is placed on the board after play has begun.
- Klin Zha - Klingon game from the Star Trek novel The Final Reflection (not considered part of the current canon)
- Land Baron (a fictionalised version of Monopoly) - DC Comics
- Latrotabuli - Pastel Defender Heliotrope
- LIVING (parody of The Game of Life|LIFE) - South Park
- Logos - "Bad Words" episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (a pseudo-Scrabble game)
- Manopoly (a parody of Monopoly) - File 13
- Marshgammon - from How I Met Your Mother episode Game Night
- Misery Date - mentioned on Ren and Stimpy (parody of Mystery Date)
- Monotony (a parody of Monopoly) - Green Acres TV series; also mentioned on Ren and Stimpy
- No Go (a parody of Go) - File 13
- Pai Sho - Avatar: The Last Airbender
- Personality Chess - from The Tar-Aiym Krang, by Alan Dean Foster
- Plunder - File 13
- Polish Checkers (a parody of Chinese checkers) - File 13
- Pounder - File 13
- Ravenous, Ravenous Rhinos - The Simpsons (thinly disguised version of Hungry Hungry Hippos)
- Scot Free - board game based on the Kennedy assassination, The Kentucky Fried Movie
- Scrabbleship - A combination of Scrabble and Battleship a game Lisa claims makes no sense. The Simpsons
- Scramble (a parody of Scrabble) - File 13
- Scribble (a parody of Scrabble) - Green Acres TV series; also mentioned on Ren and Stimpy
- Sounder - File 13
- Spank the Monkey - Rockos Modern Life
- Stealth Chess - chess variant played in the Assassins' Guild, in which pieces move invisibly, Discworld
- Taasen - Unicorn Jelly
- Three Cornered Pitney - Mad magazine
- Throws - The White Rose novel by Glen Cook: Throws was essentially four-player checkers. The board was four times the usual size. Players played from each side. An element of chance was added by throwing a die before each move. If a player’s throw came up six, he could move any combination of pieces six moves. Checkers rules generally applied, except that a jump could be declined.
- Tool Time - Home Improvement
- Travel-Up - Starship by Brian W. Aldiss (1958) (Non-Stop in British editions)
- Trivet Pursuit (a parody of Trivial Pursuit) - File 13
- Truck Dodgers (a parody of the Buck Rogers board game) - File 13
- Two Decades of Dignity - Family Guy episode Petarded
- Uncle Wriggly (a parody of the Uncle Wiggly board game) - File 13
- Vivisection - Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories - An Operation-like game where the player dissects real rats
- Who Killed Who? - The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy Parody of Clue.
- Wizard Chess - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- Zaggle! The Fun Phonics Game - from the Missing School installment of the webcomic Perry Bible Fellowship
- Zathura - from the book and movie of the same name
[edit] Card games
- Alliances - Beggar's Banquet (1997, ISBN 0-441-00434-2 ), by Daniel Hood.
- Cabbage (a parody of Cribbage) - Green Acres TV series
- Crabbage (a parody of Cribbage) - File 13
- Cripple Mr Onion - Discworld (Note: Fan rules have been created, but are not official, and use ordinary playing cards rather than a Discworld "Caroc" deck.)
- Cups - game invented by Chandler as an excuse to give money to Joey - Friends TV series
- Diamondback - Cerebus by Dave Sim
- Dos (a parody of UNO) - File 13
- Double Fanucci - Zork computer game
- Dragon Poker - The MythAdventures books by Robert Asprin
- Exploding Snap - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- Fizzbin - Star Trek
- Go Johnny Go Go Go Go - The League of Gentlemen
- Pazaak - Star Wars. Played in Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords.
- Pyramid - Battlestar Galactica (1978) series
- Sabacc - Star Wars (Note: Fan rules have been created, but are not official.)
- Speed Card Game - a card game featured in the game Xenogears
- Tall Card - a card game played in the TV series Firefly.
- Tegwar - Bang the Drum Slowly (the novel by Mark Harris, also a film) It is a game basically designed to separate a sucker from his cash. The letters stand for "The Exciting Game Without Any Rules." When the characters in the film play the game, they appear to be making things up as they go along.
- Tetra Master - a card game in Final Fantasy IX played with cards depicting monsters and characters from the game. (An interesting sidenote: This game was eventually produced as a real collectable card game in Europe. But makes its first appearance as a fictional game in FF9)
- Three-Dragon Ante - Dungeons & Dragons
- Tongo - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine TV series
- Tonk - The Black Company series by Glen Cook
- Triad - Battlestar Galactica (2004) series
- Triple Triad - a card game in Final Fantasy VIII played with cards depicting monsters and characters from the game.
- Whis - a card game in Tales of Eternia played with cards depicting the five elements.
[edit] Electronic games
See List of fictional electronic games
[edit] Role-playing games
- Battlin' Bakeries (a "roll-playing" game) - What's New
- Black Dog - (A parody of White Wolf, a popular role-playing game within the universe its based on) - World of Darkness
- BURPS, the 'Boring Universal RolePlaying System' (plus the BURPS Blue Collar worldbook and the supplements BURPS Mundane Tech, BURPS Itty Bitty Bestiary, and BURPS Folks) - Roleplayer #23
- Bunchin' & Bankin' - File 13
- Clunkin' & Clankin' - File 13
- Coin Toss Dungeon - What's New
- Crunchin' & Baggin' - File 13
- Dungeon of Soap - What's New
- Dungeons & Dungeons - Zork
- Dunkin' & Gaggin' - File 13
- Dwarflord: The Conquest - Lizzie McGuire
- Escape From C'thulu - What's New
- From Space - Absurd Notions
- Goryhawk (a parody of Greyhawk) - Dork Tower
- Gunships & Galleons - File 13
- HackMaster (and its many spinoffs) - Knights of the Dinner Table
- Hobby Shop of Doom - What's New
- Home & Hearth - What's New
- Hunchin' & Braggin' - File 13
- Luncheons & Flagons - File 13
- Mage: The Ascription (a parody of Mage: The Ascension) - Dork Tower
- Mazes and Monsters - novel/TV movie of the same name
- Munchin' & Draggin' - File 13
- Nudgin' & Taggin' - File 13
- Ol' Quadim (a parody of Al-Qadim) - Dork Tower
- Painscape (a parody of Planescape) - Dork Tower
- Pixie: The Stomping (a parody of Changeling: The Dreaming) - Dork Tower
- Punchin' & Packin' - File 13
- Spongin' & Slackin' - File 13
- Stanchions & Wagons - File 13
- Sunken & Saggin' - File 13
- Traps & Treasures - Absurd Notions
- Vampire: The Groveling (a parody of Vampire: The Masquerade) - Dork Tower
- Vampires: The Game About Vampires (ditto) - Absurd Notions
- Vegetable Wars - What's New
- Warhamster (a parody of Warhammer) - Dork Tower
- Werewolf: The Apothecary (a parody of Werewolf: The Apocalypse) - Dork Tower
- Wizards and Warlords - The Anodyne Necklace by Martha Grimes
- Wizards & Warriors - DC Comics
- The World- a very popular MMORPG in the .hack anime series.
[edit] Sports
- 43-Man Squamish - fictional college sport from Mad Magazine
- Aargrooha - Troll football, traditionally played with a human head, Discworld
- Aeroball - futuristic version of basketball played with jet packs in the 2000 AD strip Harlem Heroes
- Anbo-Jitsu - from Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Apopudobalia - encyclopedia fictitious entry
- Assassin's Guild Wall Game - " a cross between squash, urban rock climbing and actual bodily harm", Discworld (named after the Eton Wall Game)
- BASEketball - from the movie of the same name
- Blernsball - 30th century version of baseball, Futurama
- Blitzball - Final Fantasy X, also a game created by Phineas in the novel, "A Separate Peace."
- Blood Bowl - Warhammer Fantasy
- Brockian Ultra-Cricket - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
- B'tduz - A game in which two dwarfs stand a few feet apart and throw rocks at each others' heads. Discworld
- Calvinball - Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
- Centrifugal Bumble Puppy - Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- Churling - Kids in the Hall
- Croquet using flamingos as mallets - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
- Electro-Magnetic Golf - from Brave New World
- Eschaton - the novel Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
- Escalator Squash - from Brave New World
- Farnarkeling - created by John Clarke, in the 1980s Australian TV comedy show The Gillies Report. It was played on a field called a grommet in periods called umlauts, with players 'warbling vigorously' with 'the bevelled orb'. Dave Sorensen was 'the hope of Australian farnarkeling'.
- Fightball - the basketballish game played by the gangs in the Fightball card game
- Fizzball - Involves hitting beer cans with bats or other sticks, with no points or competitive elements, popularized in Sam & Max comics
- Futuresport - from the movie of the same name.
- German batball - from Kurt Vonnegut's novel The Sirens of Titan
- Guyball - Ball game invented by Green Wing's Dr Guy Secretan.
- Hadaul - from Jack Vance's Demon Princes book The Face
- Hussade - from Jack Vance's Alastor series.
- Kohlii - from Lego's Bionicle franchise.
- Jugging - from the movie The Blood of Heroes
- Killball - referenced several times in the book The Running Man, but not described much
- Kosho - from the TV series The Prisoner
- The Maze (or Glide) - from The Maze Game by Diana Reed Slattery
- Motorball - from the Battle Angel Alita manga
- Nib - an exceedingly violent sport mentioned in the Starship Titanic novel and computer game.
- Parrises Squares[1] - an athletic, full-contact sport in Star Trek
- Pokémon Battle - tactical blood sport between two trainers and their teams of Pokémon; has also been negatively compared to cockfighting
- Pokémon Contest - beauty pageant-like offshoot of Pokémon Battling that focuses more on appealing to a panel of judges with visually-dazzling moves than pummeling opponents into submission
- Pro Thunderball - from Upright Citizens Brigade
- Pyramid - a ball game played on a pyramid-shaped court in the new Battlestar Galactica series
- Quidditch - from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- Quodpot - from Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
- Podracing - violent vehicular racing sport from Star Wars
- Real Foosball - from I Am Weasel
- Riemann Surface Tennis - from Brave New World
- Rollerball - from the movie of the same name
- Sky-surfing - appearing in numerous Judge Dredd stories.
- Spheda - A golf-like game from the PlayStation 2 adventure game Dark Chronicle (Dark Cloud 2).
- Springball - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- Star Racing - low-to-medium altitude hovercraft racing sport from Oban Star-Racers; superficially similar to Podracing
- The Game - From Piers Anthony's Apprentice Adept series of novels. Includes almost all known games and competitions; winners of the yearly Tourney get to become Citizens.
- Thunderball - Full contact basketball with a hockey-like playing area, and encouragement of wrestling, fighting and general manhandling of other players.
- Timmyball - Fairly Odd Parents
- Triad- a contact sport with elements of football and basketball from Battlestar Galactica (1978) series
- Troll Ball - from supplementary material published for the RuneQuest roleplaying game and other Glorantha references.
- Ultimate Robot Fighting - "Raging Bender" episode of Futurama
- Wizard Squash - also called Real Squash (similar to real tennis), a much more leisurely game than ordinary squash, except that the ball may rebound off a wall it hasn't hit. Discworld
- vendor-bossaball (just like bossaball but with one differnce it's played with energy balls) from the fictionpress series deep vortex
- Zero-G Football - Red Dwarf sitcom
- Zero-G Kickboxing - Red Dwarf sitcom
See also List of fictional sports teams
[edit] Other games
- Barbarian Invaders (a clockpunk arcade game, paroding Space Invaders) - Discworld
- Chula - in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode Move Along Home
- Cock, Muff, Bumhole - in Nathan Barley, a variation of Rock, Paper, Scissors
- Dabo (a roulette-like game at Quark's) - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- "The game" in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Game" - head-mounted virtual reality game
- The Glass Bead Game - Hermann Hesse's novel of the same name
- Gobstones - Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling, a marbles-like game where players are sprayed with foul-smelling liquid when they lose.
- House Rules Parcheesi - Ozy and Millie, a game similar to Calvinball but with predefined rules (only it's never explained what they are). The Zen idea that one must learn to let go of concrete ideas and objectives is very close to the dragons' hearts, so a game of House Rules Parcheesi only ends when a player accepts the current location of the roll of duct tape as being equally valid to the "goal," and serenely stops trying to move it. Whether the player then wins or is being rewarded for not-winning is ambiguous.
- Mornington Crescent - I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue radio comedy programme
- Moules ("a game of skill and dexterity, involving tortoises") - Discworld
- Pooh Sticks - Winnie-the-Pooh
- Questions - Verbal game played in Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead. [2]
- Quis - a building game from the Saga of the Skolian Empire novels by Catherine Asaro involving the laying down of geometric solid shapes (dice) in various combinations. The game rules contain encoded knowledge of one of the former empires in the novel series.
- The Quizzing Device (a water-driven, clockpunk quiz machine) - Discworld
- Roshambo - while RoShamBo is actually rock-paper-scissors, in South Park, competers kick each other in the balls as hard as they can.
- Shibo Yancong-San (Tile-based Agatean game, similar to Mahjong, name translates as "Cripple Mr Onion") - Discworld
- Sim Sandwich - The Simpsons (A parody of the omnipresent "Sim" games)
- Sphere Break - Final Fantasy X-2, a mathematical game in which coins of differing values are used to break a numbered sphere.
- The Game
