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MATCHMAKER,
MATCHMAKER

SURPRISE YOUR FRIENDS AND BE THE BEST AT FIGURING OUT THEIR SURPRISES!

For each round of this game, players must come up with one surprise item about themselves in each of three categories:

1. I’m a Fan

2. I’m Not a Fan

3. On My Wish List

I’m a Fan: For this category, list anything you like such as a specific movie, TV show, actor, athlete, food, place, or activity. Activities might include yoga, going to the opera, dancing, going to the beach, cycling, going to the movies, riding roller coasters, eating cereal with orange juice instead of milk, etc. (For example, you may be playing with a group of people who know many of your favorite things such as a favorite sports team or movie or vacation spot or that you love eating spaghetti and running marathons. But do they know EVERYTHING you like?! Probably not! Perhaps there’s a TV show you secretly enjoy or a food you used to eat and love as a kid. Or maybe there’s a silly activity you really enjoy doing but don’t talk about or an actor or actress you find intriguing. You should be able to find some fun surprises in the “I’m a Fan” category.)

I’m Not a Fan: For this category, list something specific you either don’t like OR have never seen, done, or tasted. In other words, it doesn’t necessarily have to be something or someone you don’t like. It can simply be something you have never tried, a place you have never visited, or something you have never seen such as a movie, show, event, etc. (For example, perhaps you’re a world traveler and everyone knows it, but there’s a city everyone thinks you probably visited that you haven’t. Or maybe everyone is under the impression you couldn’t possibly be afraid of anything, but panda bears absolutely freak you out.)

On My Wish List: For the wish list category, you can list a location you would love to visit, an activity you have always wanted to try, or even a specific person you have always wanted to meet. Anything really goes here, as well, but try to come up with things that very few people would know about.

Each player writes his or her “I’m a Fan” item on a small piece of paper without letting anyone see and places his or her name under the item. Each player then folds the piece of paper several times and throws it in a hat with everyone else’s papers. Players do the same with their “Not a Fan” and “Wish List” items, placing those in separate piles or hats. There should now be three piles or hats with all of the “I’m a Fan” items mixed together in one separate pile, “I’m Not a Fan” items in another pile, and “Wish List” items in another.

Players must attempt to surprise the other players by coming up with things they didn’t know that player liked or disliked or always wanted to do. The biggest surprises usually score the most points.

There are three rounds of this game. Place the “I’m Not a Fan” and “Wish List” piles aside for the time being. They will be used in rounds two and three. One at a time, each player picks out a random piece from the “I’m a Fan” pile and looks at it without letting anyone see what he or she picked. You may end up picking your own piece, and that’s perfectly fine (though it puts you at a slight disadvantage).

Next, every player makes three columns on another piece of paper. The first column is for the list of “I’m a Fan” items. The second column should be titled My Guesses and is for you to fill in which player you feel is a match with each item listed. The third column titled Correct Answers is for you to write the correct person in the appropriate row next to each item once the answers are revealed. Then add rows to your columns to make a chart. The number of rows in the chart should be equal to the number of players. (For example, if you have six players in the game, make six rows and number them from 1 to 6 down the side of the first column.)

Player 1 then begins and reads aloud the item he selected from the hat WITHOUT revealing the person who wrote that item. Every player now has to place that item next to the number 1 on the list in the far left “I’m a Fan” column. Player 2 now reads the item she selected, and everyone places that item next to number 2 in the “I’m a Fan” column. Player 3 then reads his item, and so on. Once all of the items are read, everyone guesses which item belongs to which player and writes each player’s name in column two next to the appro priate item. Obviously, you know your own, and if you didn’t pick your own “I’m a Fan” item out of the hat, then you know who matches up with two of the items and you just have to figure out the rest. Once everyone is done filling out column two, the true matches are revealed for each item beginning with the first item on the list. Place the names of the players in the correct rows in column three opposite their items.

Finally, after the answers have been revealed, it’s time for the Bonus Surprise Points! Every player votes for one person who he or she thinks had the most surprising “I’m a Fan” item. This is completely up to each player. You cannot vote for yourself, though. Simply look at columns one and three for the correct matches and circle the player in column three who surprised you the most with his or her “I’m a Fan” item.

Now repeat the entire process, creating three-column charts for the “I’m Not a Fan” items and then for the “On My Wish List” items. Pull the items from a hat for each round as before, and make your guesses. When total points are determined for the last category, tally up all of the points for all three categories to determine the overall winner.

With only four players in the game, you might decide to do all three categories at once. In other words, each player places all three of his or her items in the hat, and then everyone picks out three random pieces. Each player makes a numbered list from 1 to 12 (4 players X 3 categories). Players then take turns reading all three of their pieces. Players must guess not only the name but also the category and must place both pieces of information next to the appropriate item in column two. (For example, next to each item in column two, you would put Jack, Fan or Taylor, Wish List, or Lisa, Not a Fan, and so on. This provides a much greater challenge with fewer players.

If your guess in column two matches with the correct answer in the same row in column three, you receive 1 point. In other words, players earn 1 point for every correct match. Players receive two extra points for each “Surprise” vote they get!