This game is © 2025 David Hammerle. All Rights Reserved. You are granted permission to download and play for non-commercial, personal use only. No redistribution or commercial exploitation is permitted. For any other use, please contact davehammerlecoder@gmail.com.
I made this little game for playing with my nephews, especially my 8-year-old nephew, and, at least the basic version seems to work pretty well and it's very quick.
It is a physical game that has some aspects in common with Marco Polo, but can be played without being in water. There is a basic version where the objective is just to start from one place and get to another place, and I've played it a few times with my nephews, who are 8, 14, and 15 years old. There is also a 'Marco Polo' variant where one person is the predator and must reach each other player and can check where they are by saying 'Marco' and having them respond with 'Polo', but I haven't actually played that one yet.
It's important to have someone who isn't playing to watch the players while they are moving with their eyes closed, so they don't break things or hurt themselves. It's also important that the player move very slowly for the same reason.
Each round of the game starts with picking a starting spot and a destination object that the player must touch to finish. Players can take turns picking spots, or they can agree on spots together.
The current player starts at the starting spot and closes his/her eyes and shouldn't open them until he/she touches the destination object. Someone else should stand by to make sure the person doesn't bump into something he/she shouldn't and hurt his/herself or damage something. The current player then slowly tries to move towards the destination object until he/she bumps into something or otherwise touches something. Each time the player touches something, it adds 1 point to the player's score. In this game a high score is bad and a low score is good. When the player touches the destination object, they are done and the next player starts his/her turn.
The player with the lowest score wins. You can also play multiple rounds and tally up each player's total score and the lowest total score wins.
Each player plays one game as the Predator and with all the other players being Prey.
Starting Each Game: First, you need to define the boundaries of the play area and where can go and where can't go. You probably shouldn't allow people to hide in closets or under tables and such. Next, the Predator picks a starting location and closes the Predator's eyes for the rest of the game. Then the Prey all pick starting locations and close their eyes for the rest of the game.
Every Three Rounds: At the beginning of the game and at the beginning of every 3rd round after that, the Predator says 'Marco' and the Prey say 'Polo' in response.
Every Round: First the Predator gets to move slowly until the Predator bumps something and then must stop. Then each of the Prey in turn order do the same.
Ending Each Game: When the Predator tags one of the Prey, the Prey is out for the rest of the game and can open their eyes. When the Predator has tagged all the Prey, the game is over and the Predator gets 1 point for each movement the Predator needed to do in order to tag all the Prey. Lower scores are better. After all players have had a chance to be the Predator, the one with the lowest score wins.