Endurance game

A traditional Eskimo sport in which the ears are used to pull until one submits.

An endurance game is a game where the object is to last as long as possible under some sort of stress. The stress might be physical pain, fear, social embarrassment or any other negative sensation. The important distinguishing feature of endurance games is that the object is to outlast one's opponents, rather than outdo them in any test of skill.

Endurance games are common in schoolyards, as they provide a way for children to establish a pecking-order based on toughness. They are also a feature of hazing rituals in institutions where hazing is common.

Examples

Children's games

Ethnic games

Electric games

Television

There have been a number of gameshows or reality shows which have included tests of endurance. This style of gameshow was pioneered in Japan such as Za Gaman — "The Endurance" — and there are now several British and American shows which test the contestants in this way.

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