Socks and Puppets is about making and giving presents to people in the mail. Silly things, artistic things, stuff to make people laugh. It is entirely light-hearted, and not to be taken seriously. If you're playing this game to win, then you're definately doing something wrong.
This game of Socks and Puppets will run for One Round Only. The game opens on the 25th November, and ends on Christmas Day. (If you like, you can open your presents on Christmas day.) When all the scores are compiled, the winners will recieve a bonus present from The Director. This is a special Christmas edition of Socks and Puppets.
With their sign up email, each player emails to the Director a gift that they would very much like to recieve for Christmas. (see below for gift ideas.) The Director then sends this wish, along with the intended recipient's details, to three suitors, who have about a month to make and get something vaguely representing the gift to the recipient. Gifts are sent annonymously, and include a card containing the suitor's pseudonym. Every player in this regard sends three gifts, and recieves three gifts also.
Once the gifts are recieved, each recipient writes a short report describing what they were given. The Director publishes these reports on the website.
The game is open to anyone living within the United Kingdom, although the Director may include additional players at his discretion.
Everyone who wishes to play should email the Director at dtb26@cantab.net with the following details:
There's no reason to provide false details, so don't. Please don't sign up for this game unless you are willing to spend a couple of hours on the game.
The Director for this game is David Birch (dtb26@cantab.net) He has final say in all matters, and may change the rules at random if he gets cranky. The spirit of the rules is more important than the rules themselves.
It's not really possible to cheat at this game, but if you do so and get caught you might get called a poopyhead.
You are expected to be a responsible person when playing this game. Don't do anything stupid like sending someone a bag of sherbet in the post, sure it's tasty, but if the mail is inspected you can bet someone will think it's drugs.
For the particularly enthusiastic, there will be some bonus challenges issued during the game. The Director will report on these bonus tasks in the usual fashion.
Gifts will usually need to be something small and easily mailable, otherwise they're kind of hard to get to your target. They also need to be something of artistic value, that could be made by anyone in half an hour or so, with little expense. A sock puppet, for example, is fine. A sock on the other hand is not. Why? - because a lot of people can't make it in half an hour. Similarly not everyone would have the lego to make "A lego Death-Star" but they would be able to make "A model Death-Star". This game isn't about buying gifts, it's about making gifts, if it looks a suitor is spending to impress, they may be disqualified... You can't buy your way into our hearts you know.
Your gift also has to be something that it's reasonable for people to have a stab at. "Compose me some music" is a bit of a weak request, because some people will be great at it, and a lot of people won't have a clue how to do it. "Write me the words for a love song to the tune of the hokey cokey" on the other hand is fine.
Think about what you want, a good gift is one that three people will all manage to make for you, but do in very different ways. It might be fun (if not recommended) to be a bit abstract in making your gifts, so "a dragon" may lead your suitors to be quite inventive in their approach. Try not to be too broad though. It's much harder to write "a poem" than it is to write "a poem about how badgers are more awesome than robots"
Cakes and other foodstuffs are not within the bounds of these rules, as the time spent in the mail could depreciate the quality of the gift. Bribing your suitor with additional gifts such as these is frowned upon by the Director, since it is naughty. There are no rules against bribing the Director, because he likes bribes.
The Director, of course, may reject your proposal if he thinks it is against the spirit of the game, or too hard to do, it is a good idea to supply a couple of back-up ideas with your gift request, so as to ensure something gets picked. Also be sure to include relevant information in your bio about what you like.
At the end of the day, there's going to be some luck here. You might think your aria to the left nostril is the most awesome gift ever, but your recipient might not. Judging and reporting is entirely down to the recipient, and this is why you need to stay annonymous for the game to work. If they know who you are it might influence them. When reporting on an item, you should only really consider the gift's artistic merit, presentation and relevance.
Your report can contain pretty much anything you want it to. If you email a picture, the director will include it in the report. Describe what exactly it is you got sent, and what you like or dislike about it. Send reports for each item you get, and the Director will publish them on the website to keep everyone entertained. Reports will go up under your real name, unless you specify otherwise in the report email.
If you think a gift you recieved was particularly awesome, then make special mention of it in your report. When all reports are recieved, the Director will select gifts he deems worthy of prizes, and generate awards as appropriate.
By signing up to play this game, you are agreeing to give a mailing address to people who might be playing. Your address won't go anywhere puclic, and as a suitor you should keep information like this to yourself.
The primary method of contacting the Director is through email, but should you wish to speak in person, he will try and arrange to meet with you.
Any queries about the game or the meaning of life can be emailed to the Director, again at dtb26@cantab.net
The game shall operate through this website, all information should be presented here or emailed to the players.
This game was invented by David Birch, although it was inspired by Steve Jackson's Killer, and a six hour car journey with too little sugar. You are free to invent and run your own game of Socks and Puppets, and modify the rules as appropriate, but please credit us a little bit, and tell us!.
The first set of rules can be found here Here