Marital Games

Social Rituals

Sweetheart

One player in this game married the other because they knew the other would expose their deficiencies and thus save them from the embarrassment of having to expose themselves. The act of exposing comes in the form of a subtle derogatory remark disguised as an anecdote ending with "sweetheart."

Look how Hard I've Tried

In it's simplest form, this game could be described as forcing someone to do something they don't want to do so they halfway attempt it, but don't. They put a fake energy into it, then they give up and say "Look how hard I've tried" to everyone around them for pity.

If It Weren't For You

The brief description of this is game would be that a player marries a domineering partner so that they will restrict their activities and thus keep them from getting into situations which frighten them. But instead of being happy about the security, they use it to be upset and struggle.

Harried

This game requires the player to run themselves ragged. The payoff is in how worn out they are and able to present their terrible stories for pity and their justifiable abandonment of responsibility at will, because... *gestures at everything*

Frigid Woman

This game involves pushing one players advances away until they abandon hope for that affection, then they suddenly desire affection. When the other player just isn't interested anymore they get to cry fowl because they suddenly aren't loved.

Courtroom

In its everyday form, ‘Courtroom’ is easily observed in children as a three-handed game between two siblings and a parent. ‘Mummy, she took my candy away.’ ‘Yes, but he took my doll, and before that he was hitting me, and anyway we both promised to share our candy.’

Corner

Corner illustrates more clearly than most games their manipulative aspect and their function as barriers to intimacy. Paradoxically, it consists of a disingenuous refusal to play the game of another.