Do you remember the days when playing 'I Spy' with your family was a way of turning a tedious car journey into a frenzy of 'You don't spell centipede with an 'S' - it's a "C", stupid!'? Well now you're a bit more grown up you need a more adult approach to the game. This is how you play Grown-up I Spy.

Version 1

In Version 1, first think of something, and then try and think of how it began.

Examples

• I say, 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with - I'm definitely only having the one!'

  Everyone guesses, and sometimes some of their guesses will be jolly funny, until someone gets it right.

  I'm thinking of - A Hangover.

• I say 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with - January.'

  Yes, you got it, I'm thinking of - 1987.

• I say, 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with - Of course you can borrow the lawnmower.'

  I'm thinking of - the two foot-high grass in my back garden.

You can probably think of things just as exciting as this if you try very hard.

Version 2

Version 2 is perhaps more party-friendly. In this version you give the end situation and the people have to come up with the first step.

Examples

• Situation: The grass is two feet long in the back yard.

  The players say things like, 'I spy with my little eye something beginning with - I know goats eat anything but I wouldn't give it dynamite.'

  Or 'Something beginning with - Have you ever seen anything so ridiculous as this SuperGrow plant food? What good will that do?'

• Situation: World War 1

  'I spy with my little eye something beginning with - You'll never hit Archduke Ferdinand from here.'

  … and so on.

Some Different Games

If you enjoyed this, try a few of the other h2g2 Entries on Games

• I Can't Spy
• Identity Games
• Charades