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GIRAFFES VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP 2016 (Windows, Mac)

BY SANDWICH PUISSANT

The problem with many sports is that they’re taken too seriously. Competition is king in the land of sports. It drives violent rivalries, absurdly detailed post-match breakdowns, discussions of people as integers as if they were made in a factory to dispense sporting performance. For a long time this stern-faced attitude dominated sports videogames, but more recently, the genre has found its silly side. Giraffes Volleyball Championship 2016 is the latest sports game to favor laughter over skill. You can see it immediately: you and your opponent are cast as lolloping giraffes, legs like spiders and necks that extend and contract at will. Normal volleyball rules apply as you bounce the ball with your heads and bodies, but it’s the visual comedy that keeps you playing, each of you giggling at the spaghetti-legged plight of your giraffes as they scuttle across the screen. It’s the rare kind of sports game that brings you closer to other people rather than pushes you apart.

Perfect for: Animal Olympians, siblings, competitive friends

Playtime: A few minutes a match