Editing The Game (section)

== Gameplay ==
There are three commonly reported rules to The Game:<ref name="nebraskan">{{Cite news|url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/mind-game-enlivens-students-across-u-s/article_8770c834-d289-52d5-a6c8-b6fac8c98263.html|title=Mind game enlivens students across U.S.|first=Andy|last=Boyle|date=19 March 2007|newspaper=The Daily Nebraskan|access-date=18 May 2008|language=en}}</ref><ref name="depers" /><ref name="The Rules">{{Cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2008/12/03/three-rules-of-the-game-210986/|title=Three rules of The Game|date=2008-12-03|newspaper=[[Metro (British newspaper)|Metro]]|access-date=2017-05-20}}</ref><ref name="rutland">{{cite news|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=MCNP&p_multi=RHDB&p_theme=mcnp&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=11C0ED30E5F12A50&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Don't think about the game|work=[[Rutland Herald]]|date=3 October 2007|subscription=yes}}</ref>

# Everyone in the world is playing The Game. (This is alternatively expressed as, "Everybody in the world who knows about The Game is playing The Game" or "You are always playing The Game.") A person cannot refuse to play The Game; it does not require consent to play and one can never stop playing.
# Whenever one thinks about The Game, one loses.
# Losses must be announced. This can be verbally, with a phrase such as "I just lost The Game", or in any other way: for example, via [[Facebook]]. Some people may have ways to remind others of The Game.

The definition of "thinking about The Game" is not always clear. If one discusses The Game without realizing that they have lost, this may or may not constitute a loss. If someone says "What is The Game?" before understanding the rules, whether they have lost is up for interpretation. According to some interpretations, one does not lose when someone else announces their loss, although the second rule implies that one loses regardless of what made them think about The Game. After a player has announced a loss, or after one thinks of The Game, some variants allow for a [[grace period]] between three seconds to thirty minutes to forget about the game, during which the player cannot lose the game again.<ref name="canpress">{{cite news|url=http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080117/thegame_youlose_080117|title=Teens around the world are playing 'the game'|work=[[The Canadian Press]]|date=17 January 2008|first=Shannon|last=Montgomery}}</ref><ref name="lal"/>

The common rules do not define a point at which The Game ends. However, some players state that The Game ends when the [[Prime Minister of the United Kingdom]] announces on television that "The Game is up."<ref name="The Rules"/>

=== Strategies ===
Strategies focus on making others lose The Game. Common methods include saying "The Game" out loud or writing about The Game on a hidden note, in graffiti in public places, or on banknotes.<ref name="depers">{{cite news|url=http://www.depers.nl/entertainment/269673/Nederland-gaat-nu-ook-verliezen.html|title=Nederland gaat nu ook verliezen|work=[[De Pers]]|date=15 December 2008|first=Sanne|last=Rooseboom|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081215183945/http://www.depers.nl/entertainment/269673/Nederland-gaat-nu-ook-verliezen.html|archivedate=15 December 2008|deadurl=yes}}</ref><ref name="metro">{{Cite web|url=http://metro.co.uk/2008/12/03/if-you-read-this-youve-lost-the-game-210990/|title=If you read this you've lost The Game|date=3 December 2008|newspaper=[[Metro (British Newspaper)|Metro]]|access-date=6 July 2014}}</ref>

Associations may be made with The Game, especially over time, so that one thing inadvertently causes one to lose. Some players enjoy thinking of elaborate pranks that will cause others to lose the game.<ref name="kansas"/>

Other strategies involve merchandise: T-shirts, buttons, mugs, posters and bumper stickers have been created to advertise The Game. The Game is also spread via social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter.<ref name="kansas">{{cite web|url=http://www.kansascity.com/851/story/1336405.html|title='The Game' is a fad that will get you every time|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724150953/http://www.kansascity.com/851/story/1336405.html|deadurl=yes|date=21 July 2009|archivedate=24 July 2009|work=[[The Kansas City Star]]|last=Fussell|first=James}}</ref>