Fourth and inches

In keeping with the title, today's post is related to games. And in keeping with the topic of games, today's post is being constructed with a particular rule in mind. Based upon an article about creative writing exercises, this rule is serving to make this post difficult to complete. However, the attempt must be made, if for no other reason than discipline.

With a collection of games numbering well into the hundreds, it is fair to say that games are a personal favorite. In keeping with the tone of the previous post, it seems that games have the capacity to at least approach the "transcendence" described earlier. By moving one "above and beyond" the material universe (given that, in the essence, all games take place in the imagination), it could be fairly said that games can allow one to "transcend". How many times have you played a game with family or friends, only to be shocked to discover that the hours have flown by?

Perhaps that sense of moving beyond the mundane is what makes games so appealing. The sense of experiencing things, even imaginarily (does the brain know the difference?) that one would never experience in "real life". The exploration of the unknown, and the thrill of discovery as another level is achieved, another card is turned, another battle is won.

Although, ironically, it is possible that another appeal of games is just the opposite: a sense of "knowing what the rules are". In a very literal sense, when playing a game, one is in control. You know what the rules are. You have a limited amount of information to process, and even unanticipated events that occur do so within the context of the game itself. (You're not surprised when your opponent cashes his cards in for reinforcements in a game of "Risk", for example, but you would be shocked to see him place a dinosaur on the board and proceed to play Godzilla all over your pieces...) Particularly if you have played a game before, you know what to expect.

The universe, however, imparts no such assurances to its players. :) Every day is a new roll of the dice, every moment brings with it the potential for a new, entirely unfamiliar rule. That may or may not ever be applied again. The universe offers an innumerable amount of opportunities and challenges to its players, but a sense of being in control is not one of them.

Anyway, games are cool. :) So, have you figured out the rule constraining the above paragraphs yet? Here's a hint - I just broke it. :)