FizzBuzz
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FizzBuzz is variously a car game, a drinking game or a computer programming exercise. Played as a car game to pass the time on long journeys, it also helps young children learn their times tables. As a drinking game it produces mirth as competent arithmeticians become incapable of simple maths due to alcohol!
The aim is to count one number in turn. However, any number divisible by three is replaced by the word Fizz and any divisible by five by the word Buzz. Numbers divisible by both become FizzBuzz. A player who hesitates or makes a mistake is eliminated. Keep counting until there is only one player left, the winner.
Play proceeds like this:
- 1, 2, Fizz, 4, Buzz, Fizz, 7, 8, Fizz, Buzz, 11, Fizz, 13, 14, FizzBuzz, 16, 17, Fizz, 19, Buzz, Fizz, 22, 23, Fizz, Buzz, 26, Fizz, 28, 29, FizzBuzz, 31, 32, Fizz, 34, Buzz, Fizz, and so on
Note: In this variant of the game every Buzz is either followed or preceded by a Fizz.
A variant is to replace "divisible by" with "has that number in it" which results in:
- 1, 2, Fizz, 4, Buzz, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, Fizz, 14, Buzz, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, Fizz, 24, Buzz, 26, 27, 28, 29, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, FizzBuzz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, 40, 41, 42, Fizz, 44, Buzz, and so on.
As a drinking game both variants can be applied together, like this:
- 1, 2, Fizz, 4, Buzz, Fizz, 7, 8, Fizz, 10, 11, Fizz, Fizz, 14, FizzBuzz, 16, 17, Fizz, 19, Buzz, Fizz, 22, Fizz, Fizz, Buzz, 26, Fizz, 28, 29, FizzBuzz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, FizzBuzz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, Fizz, Buzz, 41, Fizz, Fizz, 44, FizzBuzz, and so on.
Many other variants of the game exist around the world. These include:
- Use five (Fizz) and seven (Buzz) instead of three and five.
- Start again at 1 whenever anyone makes a mistake; in this way raising the maximum score becomes a team exercise.
- Nod silently instead of saying a normal number, so the game goes like this: (nod), (nod), "Fizz", (nod), "Buzz", "Fizz", (nod), ...
- Play completely silently, using a nod for a normal number and some other actions (such as shaking the head, or touching the nose) for Fizz and Buzz.