The Play's the Thing

Shouting, building partnerships, trying to destroy the competition, showing off how smart you are -- these are the activities Washington thrives on. So it's no wonder a new generation of high-tech, fast-paced board games has attracted a loyal following, expanding the market for game-night gatherings.

Jennifer Resick, 24, of Arlington has friends over to play Cranium and other board games every few weeks. She might set up a theme, such as girls' night, or she might host a quick game before heading out to the bars in Adams Morgan.

"I have had arguments over questions or things that happened during the game carry over to the cab ride on the way out, and I'll have to say, 'Game night is over, we all have to move on,' " Resick says.

She stresses the importance of choosing a game first, then inviting the correct number and mix of people. She has been known to send Evites for game nights "so you can lay out the ground rules, people can get psyched up about it, form teams ahead of time. Vendettas can carry over from the last game night."

Resick's game of choice is Cranium. Sales and orders for the game, first released in 1998, are at an all-time high, company officials say.

"Two or three years ago I got into Cranium," Resick says. "I really chose it because it was a compromise game. If I was going to talk people into a board game, it was always a hassle to get everyone to agree on a game. Some people like Taboo because of the word aspect of it, others would choose a trivia game, others wanted something creative, and Cranium was a good compromise because it has something for everyone."

In Cranium, players race around a game board in teams and draw cards based on the color of the space their game piece lands on. The cards might require a team to answer a trivia question or solve a word or spelling puzzle. It might require one teammate to hum a tune, act out a word charades-style or draw something without looking at the paper while team members try to guess the clue.

The idea for the game came to Cranium co-founder Richard Tait while he was on vacation in the Hamptons with his wife, Karen, and another couple in 1997 when his friends challenged them to a game of Pictionary.

"My wife and I are unbelievable [at Pictionary]," Tait says. "We crushed Dan and Maggie."

The defeat didn't go unanswered for long.

"They immediately challenged us to a game of Scrabble," Tait says. "Sure enough, they humbled us. . . . I felt like the idiot in the room, and I thought, 'Why isn't there a game that gives everyone a chance to shine?' "

Although the game may give everyone an opportunity to excel, part of the fun is that it also gives everyone a chance to fail spectacularly.