ThinkBlot

ThinkBlot - What can you spot in a blot?

ThinkBlot features images that resemble cards in a Rorschach Test. Relax, no one is going to psychoanalyze you, but we will get a peek into how you think. 

The main component of this game is the spiral-bound, easel-stand ThinkBlot book. The base of the book also has a score board with 35 spaces, from start to finish, for up to six players. Instead of one major blot, most of the pages include multiple smaller blots, like the picture below. I am actually using this as a distance game. I just take a picture of each page in the book, and put each picture on a PowerPoint slide. Then share the PP and play the game remotely. 

There are 75 inkblot pages in the book. The blots were made by putting ink on a page and then folding it in half, so there are mirror images on left and right. The blots are the same on front and back with the exception that on one side the blots are all black and on the other side some of the blots are printed in black and some of them are printed in gray. The ones printed in gray are identified (with names) as specific items and if you have seen the same item, you will get bonus points. Your job will be to look for images within these blots.

Images can be anything you can see or imagine in the blots, there are no right or wrong answers. You can use the whole blot as one image, only a portion of the blot in an image, and even images within the white spaces surrounding the blots. The directions are printed on the first few pages of the book so you will never lose them (unless you lose the book and then your troubles are bigger than just losing the directions).

The game comes with a 2 minute timer. The scoring pad is where you will write what you see in the blot(s) and can be replaced with just plain white paper when you run out of sheets on the pad. There is a 12 sided die that, when thrown, will determine which of these images you will be looking for on the blot:

• Blot - Write down anything you see. There are 8 blot sides on the die and one each of the following:
• Creature - Anything non-human that walks, crawls, slinks or swims, by land, by air, even in outer space if your mind takes you there.
• Everyday people - In their flawed and perfect poses of parts. Find them dancing, driving, or dreaming, as long as they're human, they count for points.
• Food - If you'd eat it on a date, at work or on the go, and it needn't be healthy or delicious.
• Wearables - If you can wear it, cover yourself or accessorize with it, spot it within the blot.

You can see from the descriptions that they are encouraging you to be creative, funny, outrageous, where ever your mind takes you. But be ready to also be persuasive, as you might have to convince the others that what you see is really there.

This is the kind of game where you will work your way through the book of 75 pages and then be done. If you go through again you will most likely remember many of the images and the bonus images, giving you quite an edge. 

 

Object:

Be the first person to go to the end of the scoreboard and back. 

Set up:

Stand the easel board and flip the front around to the back. Set the timer and die next to the board. Give each player paper and pencil. Choose a path color on the score board and place a peg in the start space. Remember your path color.

Play:

Throw the die. Flip to a ThinkBlot page and turn the timer over. All players look at the blot and write down as many things as they can see. The more your write, the further ahead you will move on the scoreboard.

When the timer runs out the round is over. Go around the group clockwise and each person read one thing from their list. If someone can't "see" something you saw, all players vote as to whether you can keep that answer. Keep going around until all answers have been revealed. Once that is done, turn the page over and look at the gray side. If you identified any objects the same way as the game makers did, you get an extra point. Here is how you score:

• 2 points - Each unique answer (only you wrote it)
• 1 point - Two or more players had the same or a similar answer
• 1 point - For each item you listed that was also listed on the gray page. There are no bonus images or bonus points for category rolls of the dice.

Add your score and move that many holes forward on the pegboard. First person to reach 35 wins the game.

Try this:

• Skip the game (you knew I'd say that) and just play with the ThinkBlot board. Don't bother to write things down, just describe things you see and point them out. Good chance to work on visual closure.
• Work on visual discrimination, figure ground, visual form constancy, visual closure, visualization, manual dexterity, creativity, writing, socialization skills, process skills, executive functioning skills, play and leisure exploration and participation

In the box:1 spiral bound book with 75 inkblot pages, 1 timer, 1 clip to easel set-up, 1 12 sided die, 1 pad of ThinkBlot scoring paper, 6 blot pegs, 6 pencils

Adult, 2 to 6 players

If you are interested in purchasing this or just want more information, click on the image below.

You've Been Framed

You've Been Framed - 100 patterns!

You've Been Framed is a unique game with 36 mini frames and 100 different patterns to build that increase slowly in difficulty as they go up. For $15, I was in.

The game itself is based on speed: All players build the same frame and see who can do it the fastest. However, this game is perfect for a therapy setting with no game playing (speed) necessary. Just present a pattern card and build it.

There are enough supplies for up to 4 players. The frames are hard plastic, come in four different colors and three sizes. As you can see in the image above, each of the three different sizes get a littler taller as they get smaller.  The frames measure 2" square, 1.5" square and 1" square.

There are 50 pattern cards and each card has a different pattern on each side, so 100 patterns total. There are 3 levels of cards:

• Level 1 - Pattern will be built flat against the table.
• Level 2 - Patterns will be built flat against the table but pieces will be stacked on top of each other.
• Level 3 - Patterns will be built vertically, stacked on top of each other.

The patterns are numbered 1-100 so you can record where you leave off if you are working from easy on up. Seventy-five of the patterns are built flat against the table and 25 are built vertically. Each pattern that will be built vertically has a thick solid line under it to indicate the table. If these particular cards are not facing you when they come up during play, you will still have to be able to visualize and build the pattern right-side-up. Stacking smaller pieces inside of larger pieces isn't quite as easy as it looks as smaller pieces get wider and will have to be balanced inside. Here are several of the cards:

Build flat

Build vertical

There is also a small timer with a red button on top (see image above). When you finish building, press it quick and it will say "You've been framed." The quality is not great, but understandable.

Object:
Be the first to win 10 pattern cards and win the game.

Set up:
Shuffle the cards and place them in a pile on the table. Place the buzzer in the middle of the players. Give each play a set (large, medium, small) of frames of each of the four colors (12 total for each player). Choose one person to flip the cards.

Play:
All players play at the same time. Flip one card and everyone builds. When someone finishes and hits the buzzer all other players stop while it is checked. If the pattern is correct, the player wins the card. Here are penalties if the pattern does not match the card:

• Give back one of the cards you have already won if the pattern does not match. The flipper takes that card and the current pattern and puts both cards on the bottom of the deck.
• Give one card back if part of your pattern falls before it can be checked. Places cards under the deck.
• Sit out one turn if either of these happen and you don't have a card to give back.

Keep playing until someone wins 10 cards and wins the game. 

Try this:

• Skip the game. Build the models one at a time and let the individual build from your pattern if they are unable to build from a 2D pattern.
• Skip the game. Go through the deck just building the models. Then turn the deck a quarter turn and build the models again. Play through four times, each time from a different direction. The majority of the cards are not symmetrical. 

In the box: 48 frames, 50 pattern cards (100 patterns)

If you are interested in purchasing this game or just want more information, click on the image below.