Level up

Level up

Winning and losing well

Good game. Run it back.

Everyone has played with the mate who sulks when he loses or gloats when he wins. Nobody wants to play with him again. Two-player games teach manners faster than anyone's mum ever did.

The magic circle of play only works if everyone agrees to step inside it and step back out after. That is sportsmanship, and it is a skill.

Train it on purpose

  1. After every loss, say 'good game' and mean it. Then ask for a rematch.
  2. When you are winning by heaps, try something new instead of grinding them down.
  3. Teach someone a game you are good at, and let them get a few wins.

Off the couch

Promotions you did not get, arguments you did not win, the footy grand final. How someone handles losing tells you more about them than almost anything, and everyone around you is quietly watching. A good loser is a good partner, a good mate and a good boss.

Sources

  1. Huizinga, J. (1938/1949). Homo Ludens: A Study of the Play-Element in Culture.
  2. Suits, B. (1978). The Grasshopper: Games, Life and Utopia.

Games that train it

10-Yard Fight cover10-Yard Fight
Two players is where it lives. It's shallow enough that whoever's ahead can grind the other bloke into the turf if he wants.Baseball coverBaseball
With one player, find a pitch the computer can't hit and it's over. With a mate, it's a real contest and somebody's going to lose.Blades of Steel coverBlades of Steel
Two people on a couch will start a fight on purpose inside five minutes. It's the game you pick when a mate wants to settle something.Bomberman II coverBomberman II
Battle Mode is a fine Friday night, and bombing a mate into a corner is always going to cause a bit of lip.California Games coverCalifornia Games
Short events, friends taking turns for the high score, passing the controller round. It's built for a crowd.Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers coverChip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers
With two players you'll both die laughing at some point. It's not about who finished, it's about how you played.Dr. Mario coverDr. Mario
Two-player is first to three, and big clears dump junk into your rival's bottle. Sending a pile across at the last second is a small, loud triumph.Duck Hunt coverDuck Hunt
In Game A a second player steers the duck with a controller. Suddenly it's a duel between the gun and the bird.Final Fantasy Mystic Quest coverFinal Fantasy Mystic Quest
It was built as a first RPG: save anywhere, gear equips itself, every fight in plain view. Easy for you, maybe, and perfect for someone who's never played one.Golf coverGolf
Match play for two turns a round into a long, quiet argument about who reads the wind better.Ice Climber coverIce Climber
At the top, the bonus stage is a race against a 40-second clock, and only one of you grabs the condor's feet first.Ice Hockey coverIce Hockey
Against a friend it's loud, silly and close, with cartoon fights and a penalty box to keep it fair.Ken Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run coverKen Griffey Jr.'s Winning Run
Two friends on a couch, a tied game in the late innings, both leaning forward, someone yelling as the throw comes in.Killer Instinct coverKiller Instinct
A player who knows the combos can flatten a beginner in one long string. Being on either end of that is a test of character.Kirby's Avalanche coverKirby's Avalanche
Kirby and his rivals swap full-sentence insults between rounds. It's trash talk with a pink puffball, and it's funny.Life Force coverLife Force
With a friend you'll steal each other's capsules. It's part of the fun, and it can turn a good evening sour.Mighty Final Fight coverMighty Final Fight
The retold story leans into its jokes, and the heroes are big-headed cartoon versions of themselves. It's a brawler that doesn't take itself seriously.Mortal Kombat II coverMortal Kombat II
A Babality shrinks your opponent into a crying baby and a Friendship has you dance. Even the finishers come with a punchline.NBA Jam coverNBA Jam
No fouls, no free throws, and you can shove a man to the floor. It's a party game first.Pocky & Rocky coverPocky & Rocky
Unlimited continues and a mate on the couch means you'll die a lot, together. How you take it decides whether you get to level six or quit at three.Pro Wrestling coverPro Wrestling
Best-of-three falls with no time limit against a mate on the couch. Someone's going to get piledriven and someone's going to gloat.R.B.I. Baseball coverR.B.I. Baseball
It's one of the quickest ways to settle an argument over baseball. Pick your side, settle the score, play again.Rock n' Roll Racing coverRock n' Roll Racing
Two players turns it into a shouting match, complete with Larry asking if you want to leave your loser friend behind.Skate or Die! coverSkate or Die!
The pool joust is two people, one empty pool, a short scrap that demands an instant rematch. Up to eight people can sign up for the full run.Street Fighter II: The World Warrior coverStreet Fighter II: The World Warrior
Eight fighters, one couch, and two players who can't pick the same fighter without a secret code. Someone's losing and someone's gloating.Super Bomberman 2 coverSuper Bomberman 2
With four people on one couch, every match ends in a shout, and the bomb you placed to trap a friend is just as likely to trap you.Super Bomberman 3 coverSuper Bomberman 3
Louder and messier than Super Bomberman 2, and that's the point. You'll lose heaps of rounds you didn't deserve to.Super Bomberman 5 coverSuper Bomberman 5
Nine fighters, ten maps, and arguments starting before the first bomb drops.Super Bomberman coverSuper Bomberman
Every match produces a story: the bomb that trapped its owner, the chain that took out two players. You'll be the punchline sometimes.Super Mario All-Stars coverSuper Mario All-Stars
Four classics and a second player taking turns as Luigi. Someone's going to fall in a pit and someone's going to laugh.Super Mario Kart coverSuper Mario Kart
The computer drivers have weapons you never get, so they partly cheat. In Battle Mode against a mate it's three balloons each and nobody to blame but yourself.Super Street Fighter II: The New Challengers coverSuper Street Fighter II: The New Challengers
Tournament mode takes eight friends, one console and a bracket. Somebody's going out in round one in front of everyone.Tecmo Super Bowl coverTecmo Super Bowl
Some players, Jackson and Lawrence Taylor most of all, break the balance. Somebody always picks the team with Bo, and somebody always complains.Tetris Attack coverTetris Attack
Every big chain drops garbage on your mate's side, and watching a five-line block land on him never gets old. Unless it's on you.Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 coverUltimate Mortal Kombat 3
There's a 2-on-2 mode and an eight-player tournament, and winning opens a wall of prize boxes. Seven people go home without it.Wild Gunman coverWild Gunman
It's a party piece best played with friends watching, and the early shot that throws a duel away gets a laugh every time.