Games We’ve Been Playing
Spring is here! Between the (dreaded) time change (seriously: enough with ‘daylight savings’ time already!), the days steadily getting longer, and the weather becoming surprisingly pleasant, we, the Team at The Film Rewind, have admittingly gotten a little distracted… But you know what: life happens.
With that being said, we have also passed the one-year point in the pandemic. Between self-isolating, surviving the winter stir-craziness, and reflecting upon current events, March has felt particularly exhausting. In order to shake things up we have compiled a list of some of the games we have been revisiting in order to distract ourselves and bring a little joy by sharing a few laughs with our families. Admittingly, all of our selections relate to film and TV (in one way or another), but what else would you expect from us? Let the games begin!
Trivia!
The Wonderful World of Disney Trivia Game
This Trivial Pursuit-style game was another childhood favorite of mine, featuring trivia questions on everything from classic Disney films to Disney parks. There are separate questions for adults and younger kids, which makes it a great choice for a family game night. I still return to this game frequently when the mood strikes me. The one downside is that this game was released in 2002, so that has to be in mind when answering some of the questions. – Bailey 💡
Scene It?
I wish that there were more expansions for this DVD trivia board game. Having the original Scene It? game, Scene It? Jr., Disney Scene It?, and the Turner Classic Movies Scene It? game pack (which could be played like an add-on to any “Scene It?” game or as a stand-alone game), there are so many things that I love about this trivia game. The different question types, integration of film and TV clips through the DVD that is included with each edition of the game, and ability to play in different modes, whether individually with 2+ players or in teams, it is just a great all-around trivia game. Scene It?, along with Trivial Pursuit, are classics that won’t go out of style, and so long as I have a working DVD player, I’m not planning on giving up my “Scene It? Games” anytime soon. – Sarah 🎬
Dice, anyone?
Liar’s Dice
While this isn’t a licensed game, I wouldn’t have known it existed if not for the pivotal sequence in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006, dir. Gore Verbinski) in which Will Turner plays against Davy Jones with his eternal soul on the line. It’s an intense betting game that involves deceit and suspicion. It’s easy to get the hang of, and all you need is five dice per player, though it does help you feel more pirate-y to have a fancy dice cup to slam down on the table. – Bailey ☠
Rock! Paper! Scissors! Lizard! Spock!
We all know that episode of The Big Bang Theory (specifically: season 2, episode 18, aka. “The Lizard-Spock Expansion”) or the one where Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) explains his updated version of the classic hand-game ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors,’ but, being Sheldon, he adds his own unique spin on the game… Enter the dice game where you use Sheldon’s modified ‘Rock-Paper-Scissors’ rules to duel with your opponents and see who can earn the most ‘chips’ by rolling dice and winning rounds against the other players. This dice game is simple, but still fun, just remember: rock crushes scissors, scissors cut paper, paper covers rock, rock crushes lizard, lizard eats paper, paper disproves Spock, Spock smashes scissors, scissors decapitate lizard, lizard poisons Spock, Spock vaporizes rock… – Sarah 🦎
Video Games
Disney’s Aladdin
This 1993 Sega Genesis game is a childhood favorite of mine. The platformer follows the plot of the 1992 Disney film, with the player jumping roofs, fighting guards, and traversing the Cave of Wonders as the titular character. As of 2019, the game was released in a PlayStation 4 edition, packaged along with Sega’s Lion King game. It’s a great way to relive the ‘90s and this sensational animated film. – Bailey 🍎
Epic Mickey
In the past year I’ve spent some time dusting off old video games that I never got around to finishing, and Epic Mickey (released in 2010 for the Wii) is one of them. What I love about this game are all the homages to classic Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit cartoons, plus the way each of the levels are designed around classic Disneyland rides and attractions. There are some playability issues (particularly with the way the camera can get stuck), but the storyline and graphics are entertaining enough to keep me going. Next up I’ll be tackling this game’s 2012 sequel, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two, so we’ll see how the sequel measures up to the first game. – Sarah 🎨
What games have you gravitated towards lately? Have you played any of our suggestions? Share your thoughts in the comments below and make sure you watch our March Film Club Pick, The Slipper and the Rose (1976), before checking back soon for our thoughts and reviews!
Copyright © 2021 Sarah Crane & Bailey Lizotte
