It's the simple things, Ology. Nowadays we've got all sorts of virtual goodies to distract us. Just today, for example, we've got Final Fantasy XIII and God of War III on the horizon, just waiting to conquer consoles everywhere. These are massive, gorgeous epics, people--the killer apps that no one can ignore.
And yet, in the few moments I've had between posting and midterms, I've been playing a simple memory game with three of my buddies.
The Swedish Armed Forces' Officer Exam has been kicking around the Internet for some time now. It's an online challenge that forces its players to multitask and memorize their way through puzzles of ever-increasing complexity. This old exam was a good diversion for maybe five or tens minutes, tops, but the new team test--now available in English!--is a time-stealer of the highest degree.
The basic principle--solve critical thinking problems with inventive thought-maneuvers--is still the same, but now you've got three other players in on the action. Each is assigned a color (go, yellow!) and a space on a four-sector grid. The teamwork is simple: each player has his or own challenges to solve, and successes travel clockwise. This means that if you do well on your fourth of the exam, the next player has more time to figure out his/her own section. Mess up, and you'll rob the next player of precious time. The same is true for the officer-in-training at your back: if your team-mate can't hack it, you'll soon be staring at a game-over screen.
The challenges range from reflex-testers (an Operation-esque cursor obstacle course) to cerebral curveballs (find all sixes in a grid full of nines). Every so often the entire team will have to come together to click on colored circles, numbered 1-12, in order.
You can play this with three strangers (and you'll even get to find out where they live!) but you'll probably have the best experience if your three comrades are in the room with you. That way you can shriek, "GREEN, PICK UP THE PACE!" and actually expect some results.
At the end of the test you get to see how you stack up against the average player. Your score (based on how long the four of you survived) is broken down into smaller areas like concentration and memory. Ostensibly, this shows you how effective your squad would be in a tactical, battlefield situation. In reality it shows you which three of your friends are the smartest.
I won't be able to play this with fellow Ologists until this Friday...you have until then to post your best team score in the comments. I'll give you all a hint to get started: after the numbered-circles team puzzle, your quadrants can switch places. Pay attention so you don't read the wrong instructions!
