The game Marco Polo /ˈmɑrkoʊ ˈpoʊloʊ/ is a form of tag played in a swimming pool.
The origin of the game is unknown. Rules
One player is chosen as "It". This player closes his/her eyes and tries to
find and tag the other players without the use of vision. The player who is
"It" shouts "Marco" and the other players must respond by shouting "Polo",
which "It" uses to try to acoustically locate them. If a player is tagged, then
that player becomes "It". The game can also be played on land,
with slightly modified rules, or played with the addition of rules from Fish out
of Water and others. It is similar to Blind man's buff where one person is
blindfolded while others choose hiding places around the room.
History The game shares its name in common with
the 13th century Venetian trader and explorer Marco Polo, and "legend has it
that the famed explorer didn't really have a clue as to where he was going,
much like [the "It" person]". WiseGeek explains "No one seems to know what the
origins of the name are, although there are a number of apocryphal stories",
adding "There does not appear to be any real link between the game of Marco Polo
and the explorer of the same name, despite the creative efforts by some
people, and it is hard to determine when the first game of Marco Polo was
played." The game has similar traits with blind man's bluff and can be
considered an offshoot. Wisegeek notes "Blind man's bluff dates back to at
least the 16th century, and it was once a very popular parlor game, especially
with ladies". Marco Polo was known as a water game by the 1960s. Between 1965
and 1970, some respondents to a Dictionary of American Regional English
survey, when asked to name a game played in the water, responded with "Marco
Polo". In modern times, Marco Polo is played
worldwide. Various regions have their own versions of the game, with names
such as Mermaid on the Rocks and Alligator. The term "marco polo game" is
sometimes used to describe an online game where a similar call-and-response
system of gameplay is adopted. Analysis
Marco Polo is an "easily modifiable game", and is based on the notion of
call-and-response. Marco Polo is a location-based game because players are
confined to a set space and because players must locate each other using
auditory clues. Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society argues "there is
bipolarity in the reversal of roles...there are repeated actions, a
routine to be repeated, rules to be observed, and verbal signs to be used".
Playing this game can allow children to experiment with different social roles,
for example learning what it means to be an outcast in the role of "It".
According to The Nevada Daily Mail, "Marco Polo is not only fun, it can be a
good workout. It also puts less stress on your bones and joints because the
water makes your body float." When the game is featured in popular media, many
characters are shown "cheating, misunderstanding, changing, or ignoring
the rules", which happens in The Simpsons, Family Guy, and South Park.
The latter changes the terminology from "Marco" and "Polo" to reference a
catchphrase from the show. References
^ Bittarello, Maria Beatrice. "Marco Polo". In Rodney P. Carlisle.
Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society. SAGE. ISBN 1-4129-6670-1.
^ editor, Rodney P. Carlisle, general. Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society.
Los Angeles: SAGE. p. 376. ISBN 978-1-4129-6670-2. Retrieved August 28,
2014. ^ Jeffrey, Phillip; Mike Blackstock;
Matthias Finke; Anthony Tang; Rodger Lea; Meghan Deutscher; Kento Miyaoku.
"Chasing the Fugitive on Campus: Designing a Location-based Game for
Collaborative Play". Proceedings of CGSA 2006 Symposium.
^ "Marco Polo". Retrieved 10 September 2014.
^ "Marco Polo - Retroland". Retroland. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
^ a b c "What Is the Game Marco Polo?". wiseGEEK. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
^ Games Played In The Water Dictionary of American Regional English Survey.
^ a b c d e f g "Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society - Google Books". Google
Books. Retrieved 10 September 2014. ^ "The Nevada Daily Mail - Google News
Archive Search". Retrieved 10 September 2014.