We love games of all shapes and sizes, and guess what? So does the rest of the world. This is part of a larger project to document a homegrown game from every country in the world.
The binary is such a pure form. Either or. Black or white. Right or wrong. Win or lose. It’s easy. Stanley Kubrick thought so in 2001: A Space Odyssey. Programmers did, too, when they were figuring out computers. It’s something universal.
Try out Ampe with some friends and they’ll agree: it’s simple. None of this rock/paper/scissors nonsense. Three choices is one too many. Ampe is all or nothing.
NAME: Ampe
PLAYERS: 4-12
ITEMS NEEDED: None
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pick one person to be the leader. Everyone stands in a circle (less players) or halfcircle (more players).
2. The leader picks someone; they both clap hands and jump in sync. On the second jump, both players stick one of their feet forward. (A great deal of emphasis is placed on the rhythm of the game.)
3. If the player puts out the same foot as the leader, she becomes the leader. If not, the leader picks someone else and they begin again. Players can keep track of their score if they like.