Katy rea11y is terrible at that game

Summer holidays hit GNN as only four gamers could make it to mine (Adam) and Hannah's this week. However with Martin and Katy present the foursome probably made up the most (over) competitive field GNN can field.

Competitivity struck early: As the only one of us who'd played Mammut I struggled to explain how players divvy up the cardboard spoils from their Mammoth hunt so that others won't steal them. Martin quietly snuck the rule book from my hands and proceeded to take over - unknowingly paying homage to a grand old tradition of competitive rules explanation. It was probably for the best as I trailed in last. Martin also struggled, thus proving that explainers curse is still a real and cruel affliction. Katie ran away with the game early on and the result was never in doubt and entirely unrelatedly she enjoyed it.

Katy 71

Hannah 43

Martin 42

Adam 36

Next up was Deep Sea Adventure. The dice-based-push-your-luck-oxygen-deprivation game. A game which saw Katy imploring her competitors "don't be greedy" as if for all our benefit. A transparent ploy to save her own skin which we duly ignored, abandoning her to drown as we hauled our huge stacks of loot back to the surface. Twice. It was around now that Martin gave us the title for this post.

Adam 33

Martin 29

Hannah 15

Katy 4

Finally, as Katy professed ignorance of Team Play, Martin and (sitting opposite) Adam's eyes lit up (as we'd obviously all be too lazy to move seats to even out the newbie players), but when it was presented she remembered (especially the rule about NOT TELLING YOUR PARTNER WHAT THEY SHOULD DO). The game featured Martin rocking a crying baby Effie, holding a hand of cards and playing his turn, all with only two hands. As Effie's hunger pushed us to rush the ending it would have been a tie, but Martin spotted that I'd claimed a goal card incorrectly (playing a pair of odd cards when we needed evens) and the tie turned into defeat - but proved that however competitive we may be, the games are always played with the proper GNN spirit. And no one muttered about how he should have just kept quiet. Okay?

Hannah & Katy 30
Martin & Adam 27