Gotcha

I learned this game at the 2005 OCA Conference, at the "No Equipment, No Planning Time, No Problem" session facilitated by Matt Barr.

Place everyone (20 or so participants) standing in a large circle, facing inward. Place one person ("IT") in the center of the circle. IT is equipped with a "fake" water pistol (hands together making a pist0l). As IT turns around the circle, he/she chooses their first victim and shoots "fake" water at them, saying "GOTCHA". Be sure that IT is clear about who he/she is shooting. As IT shoots, the target must duck and the players on both sides of the ducker must quickly point and try to shoot each other with their own fake pistols, shouting "GOTCHA". Any mistakes can mean elimination at this point. For example, if the ducker forgets to duck, if he shoots, or if he says "GOTCHA", he's out. If the players on either side of the ducker shoot the wrong way or say "bang" instead of "GOTCHA", they're out. Also, the player in this case who gets shot first is out. All eliminated players must sit down.

Continue the game in the same pattern until there are only two players remaining from the original circle. Bring them to the middle of the circle and place them back to back, as if preparing for a duel. IT begins to count numbers in sequence, e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4... etc. For each number called, the two duelers take a step away from each other. When IT calls a number that is out of sequence (e.g., 2, 3, 4, 6), the duelers turn around and shoot each other with "GOTCHA". The winner is the last player standing.


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