News!
Fall 2024 RING GAME! We're happy to announce that the next Ring Game will be held on October 12, 2024. Game details are below!
Photo Galleries! If you have photos from either of the two 2022 Ring Games, please email them to Jack. As soon as I have sorted all of Andy's photos out by Good, Evil, and Other, I'll get those uploaded. My goodness, he's prolific.
He's Alive! As many of you may have heard, Jack Barker's "routine procedure" on May 17, 2021 resulted in complications that kept him in care facilities for almost 11 months. He's still relearning how to do complicated activities like walk, and type, but he's otherwise raring to go for the next Game!
New Videos! In place of the Games in 2020–2021, enjoy some Ring Game Marble Race videos, which you can see on our Videos page. We're now up to three Ring Game marble races and one special Second Age Game edition! There may also be some new videos coming soon (depending on Jack's health).
Picks Meeting Time 1 PM! The picks meeting (on September 29, 2024) will start at 1:00 PM (as we did for the last several meetings), rather than 6:00 PM as it was in the past. Please make a note of it.
What is Ring Game? has been moved to its own page so you can find it easier.
Character Lists! By popular demand, we have added a page with lists of the characters on both teams, where they start, and what their base points are. Note that the judges may change any of these at our whim.
I need more photos! There are a lot of people who have uploaded their photos to Facebook and the like, but I want to put them here, also! You will, of course, be properly credited and maintain all copyright to your photos. I'm looking for any photos from any Ring Games that are not yet on this site. If you have any pictures sitting on a computer somewhere, either:
Compress them in a .zip/.rar file and e-mail them to me. Or,
Drop them onto a thumb drive and snail mail them to me. Also works for SD cards. I'll get them back to you, of course.
T-shirts for sale! I've designed a few Ring Game t-shirts, the proceeds from which help to support this site. Click here for a link to zazzle.com, where you can order one of the following in your size:
"What Would Bondo Do?" "Don't Do That" T-shirt.
Clan Dunlender: Fer Foch's Sake! T-shirt (rated R for naughty language)
Ring Game Map T-shirt. The classic Ring Game map, in color! On a t-shirt!
Ring Game character sheet. Never lose your character sheet again! Wear it as a t-shirt! (You are responsible for figuring out how to wear a costume and a t-shirt at the same time.
Dark Elves T-shirt. "We <heart> Chaos! (and Daddy)."
Dark Guard T-shirt. "Kill 'em all. Let Gandalf sort it out."
"I Ran Up the Mountain and All I Got Was This Lousy T-shirt."
More t-shirts will be added as I think them up. If you have a t-shirt idea you'd like to see, let me know, and I'll make one up. I get roughly 15% of the total cost of the shirts, which is earmarked for assisting with web site costs.
Free Web Site! I've said it before, I'll say it again, this web site will never be a pay site. You will always be able to view everything on it completely free of charge. That being said, my finances are getting a bit tough these days, so I'm now accepting donations to help keep the web site going. Just click the "Make a donation" button above, and you'll be taken to a page where you can send some dough my way (you will need a PayPal account). Donations in any amount will be greatly appreciated!
The original Live Ring Game rules! In early 2013, I was furiously bidding on eBay to get a copy of the original "Rules for the Live Ring Game" from 1973, which was supposedly the original inspiration for our Ring Game. Well, I didn't win, but the person who did win was nice enough to send me a photocopy! Which I've now scanned and put online for your viewing amazement! Check out page 5, where the author writes "Although the rules in the booklet are designed so that they may be applied to such a large size game [50 to 300 players], such a game would only be feasible as a convention, and not as a privately-planned expedition. (It is, however, the hope of this author that someone might someday take the initiative to plan such a game.)" And here we are, approaching our 40th year of playing a "large size game" twice annually! Anyway, click here to gaze upon this amazing bit of Ring Game history!
Directions to the Park! If you need to know how to get from Madison to either Ring Game or the Second Age, click here! And I've now also created directions to Gov. Dodge State Park from Minneapolis/St. Paul, as well.
Join the "Friends of Gov. Dodge State Park!" In case you didn't know, there is an organization dedicated to education, recreation, restoration, and preservation within Governor Dodge State Park. Their goal is to assist park users (like us!) in their enjoyment of the park, and to help the local DNR where funding is limited. Click here for more information, including how to join! I encourage everyone to sign up to show your appreciation to the folks that make Governor Dodge such a great place to hold our game!
Here's the 4-1-1 for the next game!
The pre-game meeting (aka "Picks") will be held on Sunday, September 29, at the Humanities Building on the UW-Madison Campus (providing that it has not been torn down; watch this space for updates as they become available). We meet in Room 1111 (or nearby if that's occupied). You can RSVP to the meeting via Facebook. Please note that we have changed the start time to 1:00 PM to accommodate families with kids who have school the next day, and people who want to attend who are coming in from further away from Madison (e.g., Milwaukee and Chicago).
Schedule:
1:00 PM: Introductory information for new players/refresher
for returning players. Highly recommended for first timers!
2:00 PM: Park & Rules Update for all players! The latest on new construction
at the Park, and updates to the rules.
2:15 PM: Character selection via lottery. One pick per warm body. After the lottery is complete, characters can be selected for
non-present people on a first-come/first-served basis.
3:15 PM: After characters are selected, we invite players to split up into their
teams for preliminary strategy discussions.
If you want to reserve a character after the Picks meeting or have any questions, call or text Jack at +1 (608) 234-0291 or email jackbarker@ringgame.net.
The game is played in the "Hickory Ridge" area of Governor Dodge State Park. Note that we have moved the game to October 12 to avoid being held the same weekend as Game Hole Con. You can RSVP to the Game via Facebook. We strongly encourage people to arrive early, to help us judge the 100+ players in the game. For incentive, players who check in before 10:00 get four extra points for their character; players who check in between 10:00 and 10:30 get two extra points. There are no extra points if you check in after 10:30.
Schedule:
9:00 AM: Judging opens! As above, we strongly encourage all players to
arrive early in order to ensure everyone gets judged in a timely fashion.
9:00 AM–11:00 AM: Teams can use the time after they have been judged to
discuss strategy and otherwise make plans.
10:00 AM: All wizards and hobbits must be checked in and judged by this time.
11:00 AM: Safety briefing and character introductions. Judging continues with a
limited staff of judges, so anyone not checked in by this time may end up
entering the game late.
11:55 AM: Gandalf starts game five minutes early.
12:00: Game begins for everyone else.
3:30 PM: Time at which Good team is allowed to cross the Mt. Doom perimeter.
5:00 PM (or when Sauron gets the Ring, or when a hobbit destroys the Ring, or
when Saruman becomes the new dark lord, whichever comes first): Game ends.
Due to a lack of attendance, the ringgame.net-sponsored pre-Game camping activities have been canceled. Get a good night's sleep before Game Day!
Until such time as the Repo Men come to take away my house, the post-game party will be held at Jack's Lair! You can RSVP to the party on Facebook.
WHO: Any and all Ring Game players are invited to join us (even if you
weren't able to make it to the game).
WHAT: Relaxing and swapping stories from the game.
WHERE: 409 Bowman Ave., Madison, WI 53716, see map below.
WHEN: Saturday, October 12, 2024, 7:30 PM*–2:00 AM.
WHY: It's fun.
HOW: Sodas and snacks provided. Bring your own beer or wine if you must (no hard
liquor). This is an all ages party!
*Actually, "whenever Jack gets home." Could be as early as 7 PM or as
late as 8:30 PM. Depends on the circumstances on the day.
I am going to presume that you can get from wherever you are to Hwy. 51 (Stoughton Road). If you're coming from the East Washington direction, go south (see red line); if you are coming from the Beltline direction, go north (see purple line). In either case, exit at Cottage Grove Road (Hwy. BB) and go WEST (toward Lake Monona). When you get to Dempsey Rd. (there's a KFC there), turn LEFT at the light. Roughly two blocks up, you'll come to a kind of wonky five-way intersection; turn LEFT again on Maher Ave. One block up, on the southeast corner of Maher and Bowman Ave. is your destination: 409 Bowman Ave. Look for the Ring Game sign hanging from the garage (once Jack arrives). Make sure you don't park on the grass! Please enter through the breezeway.
Last updated: August 14, 2024.