Wow, I thought of a hypothetical almost exactly like this the other day, where Martian Ambassadors landed and wanted to talk to Earth's best logical minds and I would volunteer to set up the meeting room. My plan was that, in addition to snacks and the like (we might have to make a judgement call on to what extend the Martians are carbon-based and whether they would be able to digest junk food) and then I would set up tables of various esoteric games, because it's always more dramatic when the negotiators use their game as a metaphor for their topic. I'd start with common stuff like Chess and Go and then throw in weirder games like Twixt, Khet, and Icehouse, and finish with a couple of unexpected/random games like Spit, Fluxx, and Cosmic Wimpout.
but to answer your question about packing a box of pyramid games, you should get a subnotebook computer or a Kindle or something so you can download the rules to 50 other games before you leave, just in case you forget something or run out of ideas. The Martians would probably appreciate getting to read The Empty City to see how accurate it is and why we associate the pyramids with them.
~nupanick (or other appropriate name)
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Guvf VF zl jvggl fvtangher.
2009/3/7 John
<datainadequate@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
2009/3/6 David L. Willson
<DLWillson@xxxxxxxxxx>
You must bring all the parts and teach all the game(s). You can only bring one box/bag. You won't have Internet access. And, umm, you have to carry the box up a huge spiral staircase. What would you put in the box?
<snip>
3 or 4 additional sets of Martian Coasters. With that many pyramids you could get several games going simultaneously. This will keep large numbers of aliens occupied for a long time, thus allowing you to monopolise the snacks/make an escape.
John
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