Steal The Nerd: A Foam Flinging Game

Steal the Nerd

A Foam Flinging Game Created by the Johaansen Clan

Needed to Play 

Steal the Nerd is a game in which players armed with foam-blasters fight it out in an attempt to possess The Nerd. To play Steal The Nerd, you will need:

•  a stuffed animal or other non-fragile object between the size of a regulation basketball and a beach ball. This will be The Nerd.
• At least 3 players with one foam-flinging contraption for each player. A referee must be chosen of the three players if there is not one available.
• A house and a yard and be allowed to go between the two. It is best to play this game on a day where you will not track mud in the house.
• A timer of some sort that can be set for 15 minutes or a timekeeper on each team with a watch that can track 15 minutes of time may also be used. An alternative is to have the referee carry a whistle and a watch to keep track of time.

Object of the Game

There are two sides: The Nerd Keepers (or Keepers) and the Nerd Stealers (or Stealers). 

· The goal of the Keepers is to keep The Nerd from getting to the Home Base of the Stealers

· The goal of the Stealers is to get The Nerd to their Home Base.

Setup of the Game

To play the game, players divide into two teams; The Nerd Keepers and the Nerd Stealers. To start, it is best to divide into two even teams. If there are an odd number of players, the additional player goes on the Stealer team. If sides seem unequal, players may divide up in whatever way seems most fair.

The Stealers must designate one Spawn Point for each entry into the house at least 10 meters away from the entry point. They also must designate one of these Spawn Points as their Home Base and let the Keepers know which one it is. All the players on the Stealers team collect at the Home Base.

The Keepers meet at the entry point closest to the Home Base just inside the door with The Nerd and the timer in their hands, within voice range and eye contact of the Stealers. Once set, they set the timer for 15 minutes.

Play of the Game

To begin play, one of the players on the Stealer Team will raise their arm and count out to 15-Mississippi aloud. This is the amount of time the Keepers have to hide The Nerd somewhere and may not touch it again until a member of the Stealer Team has found it and begun carrying it to their Home Base. When the count reaches 15-Mississippi, the 15-minute timer is started and play begins.

The Stealers now have 15 minutes to breach the house, find The Nerd, have one of their team members get The Nerd back to their Home Base and touch the Home Base with The Nerd in their control/possession. If they do, the Stealers win; if not, The Keepers win.

Rules - Getting Hit

1. Before and while breaching an entrance before the Nerd has been found, if hit by a dart or high-impact round, Stealers must go back to the nearest Spawn point and “reset” their blasters by touching the Spawn point before they can attempt to either breach again or fling foam at a Keeper. In order to consider having breached, the Stealer must completely cross the inner plane of the door. Keepers are always frozen for 10 seconds when hit if outside the house or in the entrance way. 

2. Inside the house before The Nerd has been found, if hit by a dart/round, a player is frozen in place for 10 seconds. The struck player must place their blaster facing up in the air, state “I’m Hit”, and count to 10-Mississippi aloud. While counting, the frozen player is immune to darts/rounds while frozen, may not fire on other players or state where other players are, and may pivot on one foot similar to a basketball player to avoid or collect darts/rounds. Once the count reaches 10, the frozen character may once again be struck by or shoot others.

3. Once The Nerd has been found, if hit by a dart/round, in addition to the rules for being hit based on location above, the player must drop The Nerd and it must be picked up by a different player from either team. The player who finds The Nerd must inform everyone aloud that they have found The Nerd.

Rules - Moving The Nerd

Once The Nerd has been found, a Stealer may attempt to get The Nerd back to their Home Base by any means necessary. Again, if shot while carrying The Nerd, a Stealer must drop it.

A Keeper may not touch The Nerd once it is hidden until it has been found. Once found, a Keeper may pick up The Nerd and attempt to re-hide it. Again, if shot while carrying The Nerd, a Stealer must drop it.

Optional Rule: Shooting The Nerd

Once dropped by a Stealer and free on the ground, a Keeper may shoot The Nerd one time before another Stealer gets it. If hit 3 times in-between Stealer Possessions, The Nerd is considered to have been permanently frozen, and all of its knowledge is lost to both teams forever, and by default, the Keepers win. It would be wise for Stealers to not attempt to get The Nerd back to Home Base alone without the help of their teammates.

Optional Rule: 2 Minute Warning

If the house has more than one level, at two minutes, the Keepers must announce what floor or level (attic, basement) The Nerd has been hidden on. It would be wise for the Keepers to watch the time and be in a strategic position before this announcement.