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Get into the Groove

So, you go to classes (or work) everyday, and you think you are in tip-top mental condition. You're sharp, you're smart, and you're in-the-know. In other words, you are under the impression that you can handle whatever we, the Fine Folks at Game Control, can throw at you.

Guess Again.

I personally have had at least one clue idea that is so evil I still chuckle about it every time I think of it. I do not know if it will make its way into the game, but it is best to be prepared. So, what can *you* do to prepare yourself for our maniacal assault on your wits and skills?

Pray. MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

Oops. Sorry, I just remembered another clue.

There are a number of things you can do to help prepare yourself mentally for Get-a-Clue. I don't really know how you spend each day, but I'm sure a few simple exercises will help work out some mental muscles you haven't used in a while. Sometime before Get-a-Clue, you should try to do each of the following:

• Go to Team Trivia. There are contests held in various bars and restaurants all over town. What in the heck, you might be asking yourself, does Team Trivia have to do with Get-a-Clue? Absolutely nothing. But, in an appropriately difficult game, you will reach into the old memory banks for knowledge on history, geography, politics, science, sociology, and numerous other subjects, and at least one of the multi-part questions will require you to do some real analytical thinking. Besides, it's fun.
• Find some old class notes, or some old tests. See if you can still do the problems you had in freshmen calculus, physics, and chemistry. How much did you forget?
• Do the Jumble in the paper. It'll only take a few minutes. Once again, this may or may not have anything to do with Get-a-Clue, but it is a good test of both your vocabulary and reasoning skills.
• Watch "Win Ben Stein's Money" on TV. This is a good way to test general knowledge, and is also a pretty close approximation of the sense of humor Game Control has.
• Watch a Japanese game show, if you can. This is also a good way to mentally prepare yourself for what Game Control might put you through.
• Rent and watch "Die Hard with a Vengence" a.k.a. "Get-a-Clue with Bombs". This is the model we have used for this year's game.
• Study a book on Tech history. Of course, you all know this stuff already, but it never hurts to brush up.
• Read a mystery book. Solving clues, making connections, catching the bad guy - it's good fun, and you never know what you might pick up from some fictional detective. Matt recommends books by Colin Dexter and P. D. James, in addition to the old classics by Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
• Read a non-fiction book. History or philosophy might be better than some other choices, but any book you are interested in will do. The idea is to expand your mind a bit, and pick up some new ideas or information.
• And finally, look at a map of Atlanta. Now, this has nothing to do with solving the clues or other mental gymnastics, but it is always a good idea to familiarize yourself with the game board before learning to play any new game. That strange landmark or back-road shortcut you just discovered might even come in handy.

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