I spy

Last updated

I spy is a guessing game where one player (the spy or it) chooses an object within sight and announces to the other players that "I spy with my little eye something beginning with...", naming the first letter of the object. Other players attempt to guess this object. It is often played as a car game.

Contents

Rules

One player is chosen to be the Spy, and they silently select an object that is visible to all the players. He or she does not announce their choice, [1] and instead say, "I spy with my little eye something beginning with ...", naming the letter the chosen object starts with (e.g. "I spy with my little eye something beginning with C" if the chosen object is a cow). [2]

Other players then have to guess the chosen object. Traditionally players ask directly about particular possibilities ("Is it a tree?"). Once a guesser has correctly identified the object, they become the Spy for the next round and the game starts again. [3] If younger children are playing who are not so good at guessing, the role of Spy can be passed around in a set order.

The Spy cannot change the object once it has been chosen. [3] The game relies on trust as the Spy is the only person who knows whether the guessers are correct or not.

Variants

In situations where players are traveling from place to place through the course of the game, such as a car journey, players may agree that any chosen object should remain visible, rather than an item such as a particular street sign which will only be visible for a few moments when the game begins. Players may also agree to decide if the objects will be all outside or all inside the vehicle. [4]

Some versions of the game allow players to narrow down the search with yes-or-no questions such as "Is it on your left?" or "Is it an animal?". The Spy can also offer clues if the guessers are stumped, such as saying ‘Hot’ when a guess is close or ‘Cold’ if it is not. [3]

An alternative version is substituting the initial letter for an adjective such as the colour of the object (e.g. "I spy with my little eye something blue"), [5] while another is to say "I Spy with my little eye something that sounds like". [3] Some sites such as About Parenting describe the letter version as the variant to the colour-based game. This site has the form "I spy something, and it's blue" as the traditional version, deeming "I spy with my little eye..." as an alternative. [6] Having clues based on an object's shape is another alternative, while quick thinkers can deliberately choose objects that can only be seen for a limited amount of time. [1] Howcast notes that looking at an object when announcing its colour is a "dead giveaway" so this should be avoided. [1]

Another variation that encourages language development involves the Spy giving various descriptive clues, such as describing a watch as "something made of metal and glass that makes a quiet noise". [6]

Purpose

A patient in a traumatic brain injury clinic plays a game of "I Spy" with photographic cards, to help with cognitive functions that may have been lost I Spy cards.jpg
A patient in a traumatic brain injury clinic plays a game of "I Spy" with photographic cards, to help with cognitive functions that may have been lost

About Parenting notes, "I Spy is one of the first games that most children learn to play", and recommends the game for "doctor's offices, restaurants and other places where you sometimes have to wait with kids", but discourages its use in moving cars. [6] The game "requires no equipment and can be played almost anywhere and with as many people as you want", both with adults and children, though a minimum of 2 players is required. [3] I spy is often played with young children as a means to avert boredom in long journeys. A survey by British insurance company Direct Line found that 58% of families played I spy, and 65% of the parents consulted had played it on journeys as a child. [8] Raising Children Network recommends a colour-based variation of the game for pre-schoolers, and a variation encouraging the learning of sounds for school age kids ("I spy with my little eye something beginning with f-f-f. What do you think I’m looking at that starts with that sound?") [9] The fun comes with trying to discover the identity of a mysterious object. [10] The game allows kids to practice their oral/aural skills. [11]

Mary Tomczyk argues I Spy is a clever reasoning game that allows kids to solve puzzles, and gives them an opportunity to "'stump' Mom or Dad". She says children "learn to be more observant about the world around them, learn about colours, shapes, and textures, and use logic and reasoning to draw conclusions". She recommends it for preschool and kindergarten kids. Despite its simplicity and repetitiveness, the game grows a child's vocabulary and can also serve as a distraction for an impatient child. [12] Howcast argues "It will keep their minds occupied just about anywhere." [1] The game can be played in almost any environment, indoors or outdoors, [6] including indoors on a rainy day. [13]

History

The game I Spy is first recorded in the early 20th century. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) defines it, under Spy giving the earliest citation as a mention in Rosamond Lehmann's 1946 work The Gipsy's Baby. [5] A Brief Manual of Games for Organized Play lists a game named "I See" which is similar to "I Spy". [14] One etymological website though reports an earlier mention in a 1937 Canadian publication. [15] The concept likely originated from the spy-mania that occurred during and after World War II.[ citation needed ] In a 1985 The Free Lance-Star article Games to play on the road, I Spy is described as a variant of The Detective Game, and has the player say "I spy something, the color _____. Can you guess what I spy?" Detective involves the player telling one of their children they are looking for a certain object and giving them clues until they get it right. After succeeding, the child becomes the clue giver. This version can only be played with two people. [16]

The Oxford English Dictionary also records I Spy as a variant spelling for the different children's game of Hy Spy, with citations going back to 1777. [17] Phrase Finder notes "The guessing game was preceded by another children's game called I Spy (or Hy Spy), a variant of what is now called Hide and Seek and was known in the UK from the 18th century." [15] A 1931 edition of The Age describes I Spy (literally "Eye Spy") as a dynamic variant of Hide and Seek. [18] Another variant was played at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1972 where children heard a tape and watched slides that gave them hints to certain art pieces. [19] One 19th century children's book is titled "I Spy With My Little Eye". [20]

There are many games that are based on this concept, examples being the I-Spy series of gamebooks that ask players to find objects in a Where's Wally? -esque setting, and an I Spy computer game.

The game was the namesake for the song "iSpy", featuring American rappers Kyle and Lil Yachty, which features the wording in its chorus. [21]

The game and its wording are well known in western popular culture, for example the title of the 2002 horror film My Little Eye uses part of the wording from the game. [22]

A US short film directed by Alexander Nebel titled I Spy has the following synopsis: "Full of imagination, Mia convinces bored Ingo to play the game of ‘I Spy’. More and more the game dissolves the ordinary kitchen into a wildly animated sea-adventure dream reality." [23]

In 2007, The Wiggles: a popular children's music brand included the song "I Spy" based on the game. The song is available on The Wiggles' Getting Strong (Wiggle and Learn) DVD and audio CD.

There's also a "John Cleese on How to Irritate People" sketch in which two bored airline pilots are playing I Spy as a pastime while on cruise flight.

The term 'I spy with my little eye' has been used by singer Robbie Williams in his song "Love Supreme".

The video game Minecraft has an in-game achievement that is named "Eye Spy". The horror video game Andy's Apple Farm also features a minigame where the player plays some rounds of "I spy".

Strawberry Shortcake attempts to play the game during one episode of Strawberry Shortcake: Berry in the Big City when she gets trapped in a traffic jam. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charades</span> Word guessing game

Charades is a parlor or party word guessing game. Originally, the game was a dramatic form of literary charades : a single person would act out each syllable of a word or phrase in order, followed by the whole phrase together, while the rest of the group guessed. A variant was to have teams who acted scenes out together while the others guessed. Today, it is common to require the actors to mime their hints without using any spoken words, which requires some conventional gestures. Puns and visual puns were and remain common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hopscotch</span> Common playground game involving jumping between squares

Hopscotch is a popular playground game in which players toss a small object, called a lagger, into numbered triangles or a pattern of rectangles outlined on the ground and then hop or jump through the spaces and retrieve the object. It is a children's game that can be played with several players or alone. Hopscotch is a physical and cognitive workout.

Car games are games played to pass the time on long car journeys, often started by parents to amuse restless children. They generally require little or no equipment or playing space. Some such games are designed specifically to be played while traveling, while others are games that can be played in a variety of settings including car journeys.

<i>The ClueFinders</i> Childrens educational software series

The ClueFinders is an educational software series aimed at children aged 8–12 that features a group of mystery-solving teenagers. The series was created by The Learning Company as a counterpart to their Reader Rabbit series for older, elementary-aged students. The series has received praise for its balance of education and entertainment, resulting in numerous awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tag (game)</span> Game of chasing and catching other people

Tag is a playground game involving one or more players chasing other players in an attempt to "tag" and mark them out of play, typically by touching with a hand. There are many variations; most forms have no teams, scores, or equipment. Usually when a person is tagged, the tagger says, "It!" or "Tag, you're 'It'!" The last one tagged during tag is "It" for the next round. The game is known by other names in various parts of the world, including "running and catching" in India and "catch and cook" in the Middle East.

Twenty questions is a spoken parlor game which encourages deductive reasoning and creativity. It originated in the United States and was played widely in the 19th century. It escalated in popularity during the late 1940s, when it became the format for a successful weekly radio quiz program.

<i>Figure It Out</i> American childrens panel game show

Figure It Out is an American children's panel game show that aired on Nickelodeon. The original series, hosted by Summer Sanders, ran for four seasons from July 7, 1997, to December 12, 1999. The show was revived in 2012, with Jeff Sutphen as host, with the revival airing from June 11, 2012, to July 16, 2013. The series was originally recorded at Nickelodeon Studios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. The revival episodes were filmed on stage 19 at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles.

<i>Thief: The Dark Project</i> 1998 video game

Thief: The Dark Project is a 1998 first-person stealth video game developed by Looking Glass Studios and published by Eidos Interactive. Set in a fantasy metropolis called the City, players take on the role of Garrett, a master thief trained by a secret society who, while carrying out a series of robberies, becomes embroiled in a complex plot that ultimately sees him attempting to prevent a great power from unleashing chaos on the world.

Wink murder is a party game or parlour game in which a secretly selected player is able to "kill" others by winking at them, while the surviving players try to identify the killer. The game is also variously known as murder wink, killer, murder in the dark, lonely ghost and killer killer. The practical minimum number of players is four, but the spirit of the game is best captured by groups of at least six players or more.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forty forty</span> Childrens game

Forty Forty is a children's game combining elements of the games "It" and Hide and seek. One player is "on", or "It", and they must capture the other players by 'spying' them rather than by tagging as there is no physical contact with another player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buck buck</span> Outdoor childrens game

Buck buck is a children's game with several variants. One version of the game is played when "one player hops onto another's back" and the climber guesses "the number of certain objects out of sight". Another version of the game is played with "one group of players [jumping] onto the backs of a second group in order to build as large a pile as possible or to cause the supporting players to collapse."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hidden object game</span> Video game genre

A hidden object game, also called hidden picture or hidden object puzzle adventure (HOPA), is a subgenre of puzzle video games in which the player must find items from a list that are hidden within a scene. Hidden object games are a popular trend in casual gaming. Time-limited trial versions of these games are usually available for download, although many are free to download on app stores. They primarily make money through in-app purchases and ads. Popular themes include detective crime stories, adventure, gothic romance, and mystery.

Pyramid is an Australian children's quiz show screening on the Nine Network from 2009 to 2015 hosted by Shura Taft. It is co-produced by Sony Pictures Television and produced by Sydney-based Ambience Entertainment. It began broadcasting on 1 September 2009 and is filmed in front of a live studio audience. It involves two teams competing in games of "vocal charades". The show is based on the 1979 United States game show The Junior Partner Pyramid, a children's variant of the Sony Pictures Television Pyramid franchise.

Mister Maker is a British children's television series produced by RDF Media /The Foundation for CBeebies. The series aired from 17 September 2007 until 12 April 2009.

<i>Draw Something</i> Mobile app developed by Omgpop

Draw Something was a video game developed by OMGPop based on its browser game Draw My Thing, launched on February 6, 2012. It won a Flurry App Spotlight Award in 2012. In the first five weeks after its launching, the game was downloaded 20 million times. On March 21, 2012, both Draw Something and OMGPop were bought by the gaming company Zynga for $180 million. The game's popularity peaked on the day of the sale at 15 million daily active users, and the number has been dropped to 10 million by early May.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guessing</span> Swift conclusion drawn from data directly at hand

Guessing is the act of drawing a swift conclusion, called a guess, from data directly at hand, which is then held as probable or tentative, while the person making the guess admittedly lacks material for a greater degree of certainty. A guess is an unstable answer, as it is "always putative, fallible, open to further revision and interpretation, and validated against the horizon of possible meanings by showing that one interpretation is more probable than another in light of what we already know". In many of its uses, "the meaning of guessing is assumed as implicitly understood", and the term is therefore often used without being meticulously defined. Guessing may combine elements of deduction, induction, abduction, and the purely random selection of one choice from a set of given options. Guessing may also involve the intuition of the guesser, who may have a "gut feeling" about which answer is correct without necessarily being able to articulate a reason for having this feeling.

There have been two distinct mobile adaptations of the Hasbro board game Clue.

<i>I Spy with My Little Eye</i> 2011 childrens picture book by Edward Gibbs

I Spy With My Little Eye... is a 2011 children's picture book by Edward Gibbs. It is based on the I spy game with the reader being given written and visual clues about an animal on the initial double page and the answer with a picture of the animal on the following double page.

Cluedo, known as Clue in North America, is a murder mystery-themed multimedia franchise started in 1949 with the manufacture of the Cluedo board game. The franchise has since expanded to film, television game shows, book series, computer games, board game spinoffs, a comic, a play, a musical, jigsaws, card games, and other media.

Spyfall is a 2014 card game for 3–8 players designed by Alexander Ushan and published by Hobby World. A sequel, Spyfall 2, was published in 2017. A superhero themed variant, DC Spyfall, was published in 2018. The game has evolved over the years, with new variations and "advanced rules" emerging to keep gameplay fresh and engaging, a captivating social deduction board game, has become a beloved pastime for many. The game's core premise revolves around uncovering the spy hidden among the players. As the game has evolved, new variations and "advanced rules" have emerged, introducing elements like multiple spies to heighten the challenge and create a more chaotic, engaging experience.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "How to Play "I Spy with My Little Eye" - Howcast". Howcast. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  2. Cohen, Vicki; Cowen, John (2007). "Listening Games". Literacy for Children in an Information Age: Teaching Reading, Writing, and Thinking. Cengage Learning. p. 334. ISBN   9780534611194. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "The rules of the game I Spy - Insight Optometrists". Insight Optometrists. December 16, 2013. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  4. "The Milwaukee Journal - Google News Archive Search" . Retrieved 10 September 2014.[ dead link ]
  5. 1 2 "Spy, v. 4 (d)". Oxford English Dictionary. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2012.(Available online to subscribers)
  6. 1 2 3 4 Susan Adcox. "I Spy - A Game for Young and Old". About. Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  7. "Arctic Medics treat TBI victims". Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Archived from the original on 2019-11-01. Retrieved 2019-11-01.
  8. "Are we there yet?". Direct Line. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. "Literacy activities for children". Raising Children Network . Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  10. Kidspot Australia / Get Started Australia. "Clue Eye Spy Game - Activities For Kids - Kidspot Australia". Kidspot Australia. Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  11. "I Spy With My Little Eye" (PDF). Fit-2-Learn. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2014-12-17. Retrieved 2014-08-29.
  12. "I Spy Clever Game". The Southeast Missourian . December 10, 1996. Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  13. Dargham, Janelle (April 20, 2005). "Play I Spy". Sarasota Herald-Tribune . Archived from the original on 25 October 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  14. Roberts, Lydia Jane; Speakman, Martha Travilla; Bureau, United States Children's; Rude, Anna E. (1922). A Brief Manual of Games for Organized Play, Adapted from Standard Sources: 1922-1923. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 3.{{cite book}}: |last3= has generic name (help)
  15. 1 2 Martin, Gary. "The meaning and origin of the expression: I spy with my little eye". The Phrase Finder. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012. The game isn't especially old and the first record of it that I can find is in The Winnipeg Free Press, December 1937: "Other games ... are: What is My Thought Like, I Spy With My Little Eye (children love this) and Bird, Beast, Flower or Fish."
  16. "The Free Lance-Star - Google News Archive Search". Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  17. "hy-spy" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/OED/6218229577.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  18. "Some Jolly Games to Play Out of Doors". The Age . December 4, 1931. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  19. "Children Play Game At Museum". Florence Times . September 3, 1972. Archived from the original on 12 March 2021. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  20. Holden, Cathe (February 19, 2010). "I Spy: Blogging with Child". Just Something I Made. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  21. "Kyle-iSpy-remix". Genius.com. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
  22. "My Little Eye". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2012.
  23. "MSP Film Society - I Spy with My Little Eye". MSP Film Society. Archived from the original on 3 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  24. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3n6ZGP3oBy0