Here’s the thing about living in the 90s: everyone played the same game no matter who you are.
Heck, even quarreling is different in the 90s and now. Here, take a look at the differences between quarreling in the 90s and now:
Now, moving on back to games.
We had to make do with what we have and did not depend on the Internet, or some sponsored content from some silly platforms like Goody Feed, to tell us what games we should be playing.
That was when friendships were bonded over a game of zero point, relationships were formed over a game of five stones and enemies were made because of the overuse of the phrase “no revenge”.
Seeing that it’s going to be Children’s Day soon, here’s a tribute to some of the games that only us the 90s kids would know: how many of these do you still remember?
Zero Point
It’s a sin not to start off this list with Zero Point, inarguably the game of the 90s. While many would associate this game with the girls, that itself is a fallacy: there are guys playing the game as well, although the way they jump is relatively different (you know, there’s no need to cover the skirt).
How the game is played isn’t simple, though: rubber bands are being tied to form a rope that would be held by two people on each end. The players would then skip over different “stages”, and whoever failed would be out of the game.
I, for one, have forgotten the stages. Do you still remember them?
Waterful Ring Toss
To be honest, I didn’t even know this game has a name until I did some research.
This game that looked that it belonged to the dinosaur age isn’t for the faint-hearted. The objective of the game is simple, though: push all the rings into the sticks. Everyone, and I literally meant everyone, who has lived through the 90s would have tried this before.
Playing this is like playing Flappy Bird: it’s so difficult, you’ll toss the entire thing in anger. But yet it’s addictive.
When you’re so angry, you might just do what this guy did.
Well, Sniffling Dark…
Hopscotch
If I had taken this game seriously when I was a kid, I wouldn’t have struggled with my Standing Board Jump.
This jumping game used to be the trendiest thing in the past: kids would gather in void decks just to challenge each other. It’s rare to see a hopscotch not taken by some other kids from some other schools, so we usually improvise by drawing our own hopscotch with chalks.
The rules of the game is…okay. I’ve forgotten. You just need to jump with one leg and ensure you don’t land on two feet.
And you’re supposed to pick something up from the ground. Wait, if only I had taken this game seriously, I would have aced my shuttle run in IPPT too…
String Game (The Cat Cradle’s Game)
Another game that is associated more with the girls, this game, technically called the Cat Cradle’s Game, requires you to create patterns with a string using both your hands. The loser is the one who couldn’t create a pattern out from the winner’s pattern.
Now, you 90s kids, kee chiu if anyone of you have done this before: you always jio your crush to play this with you so that you can “accidentally” touch his or her hand.
No? Don’t bluff lah. I’m pretty certain this game has created many relationships.
Paper Soccer
I’m not trying to be sexism here but this game is really just for the guys.
Easily made with just a piece of paper and a pen, players merely put the tip of the pen on the paper and press the other end of the pen to create a line. The end of the line is where the ball “lands”, and the next player would have to “kick” the ball from where it ends.
The objective is to score a goal by “kicking” the ball into a drawn goalpost.
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Good old days, indeed.
Pick-up Stick
I’m telling you, this is the best game ever and kids should really be playing this.
Basically, sticks that look like chopsticks on diet will be dropped to the floor, and you would have to pick up specific sticks without touching certain sticks.
It’s a game that requires your full concentration, excellent hand-eye coordination and a bit of luck.
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Kids who missed this really miss something good, man. Anyone knows where I can buy this?
Five Stones
Out of all the games, this might be one of the oldest ones that even your parents have played before.
The goal is to throw five bean bags (they look like stones, so they’re called stones) into the air and catch them in a strict sequence. Whoever can complete all the stages first would win.
The appeal of this game is that it can be played alone – you just have to restart from stage one if you failed one stage. No wonder this game survived both our parents’ generation and our generation, eh?
Master Mind
Ah, finally, a game that requires you to use your brain.
Explaining the game in a paragraph or two wouldn’t suffice, and it won’t do justice to this masterful game.
If you’re some Gen Z reader wondering what the fuss is all about, you can download the game (Android or iOS) instead.
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Because unlike the other games in this list, this game can be played without breaking a single sweat.
Catching / Police & Thief /Iceman
It doesn’t matter what you call this game: the rules are always the same.
There are always a few catchers (or just one if there aren’t many player) who “catch” others, and usually, people play this in an HDB block so that they won’t need to run far. For the uninitiated, this is basically Running Man.
And did you notice that the fastest and fittest runners (Kim Jong Kook and Kang Gary) usually win the game? Well, in the 90s same, it’s the same.
Handheld Games
The great grandfather of Pokemon GO used to be reserved merely for the rich. In the past, whoever brought any of these badasses to school would have more (fake) friends.
Then came Game Boy, the grandfather of these handheld games. Then our dear Nokia, and then…
Handheld games suddenly came back to us – as an app.