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Playable heritage game

Bayt-bazi: verse chain

Also known as بیت‌بازی · poetry-link word game

A family evening game of memory and poetry: one player gives a line, and the next must answer with a line that begins with the last letter of the one before. It is played at home, at school and in gatherings, and it keeps old verses alive in young memories.

Play the previewAbout this tradition
Bayt-bazi: verse chain: photograph by Ivan Mlinaric from Slovenia
Photo: Ivan Mlinaric from Slovenia, CC BY 2.0, source on Wikimedia Commons
Bayt-bazi: verse chain: the game in attract modeLive previewPlay

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How to play

  1. Read grandmother's line and find its last letter.
  2. Pick the line that begins with that letter.
  3. Your lines are written on the page as the game goes.
  4. Mind your manners: grace counts for as much as memory.
Rules at a glance
  • One line is right each time; the others begin with other letters.
  • The last round uses a harder letter.
  • Taking help costs you a little grace.
  • Three stars need nearly every line right and good manners.

About the tradition

Bayt-bazi, the game of couplets, is played in homes and classrooms by Persian speakers in Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan and by Urdu speakers in South Asia, often on long winter evenings. Players draw on verses learned by heart, so a good player carries a whole library in memory, and a family gathering can turn into a friendly contest.

Origins

A living tradition passed from person to person; it is not tied to a single dated origin. It belongs to the cultural world of Persia, Caucasus and Central Asia.

Credits

Sources

Get the app

Bayt-bazi: verse chain is one of 10 stories and theatre games in the Story & Theatre of the World app for iPhone, iPad and Android. Submitted to the App Store and Google Play; in review. Store links appear here the day it goes live. One app, many traditions, no account needed.

See all 10 stories and theatre games in the app

In review on theApp StoreIn review on theGoogle Play

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