Anyone's Game, tournament 9 recap
April 17, 2023
At HexaCon ↗ in mid-February, 2023, we ran five tournaments of Anyone's Game! Conventiongoers were allowed to approach and participate at will for the first three tournaments. These do not have video, hence the recaps.
Each of the ℹ️ buttons below links to the Wikipedia article on the contest in question. Players who have previously won championships are denoted with ⭐ emoji.
Here's a summary of tournament 9, the second of five tournaments at HexaCon (and the second of three without video). But first:
Ground rules
Contestants may use any reasonable means available to accomplish the goal, but any of the following will result in disqualification, except when required by the contest:
- Use of outside help.
- Coercion or threatening bystanders or faceless participants.
- Escalating in violence beyond the level required by the contest rules.
- Cheating or otherwise circumventing the goal of the contest by using objects or gadgets.
Note: The rules above will be changing in tournament 13.
Round 1
Match 1-1
e133 murder mystery solving
#198 Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat)
vs.
#936 Sean Connery (actor)
Winner
Sonya Blade
Match 1-2
e26 freerunning
#531 Cao Cao (Romance of the Three Kingdoms)
vs.
#647 Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)
Winner
Calvin
Match 1-3
e8 juggling
#946 Hägar the Horrible (Hägar the Horrible)
vs.
#347 Emperor Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)
Winner
Emperor Kuzco
Match 1-4
e174 pillow fight
#340 Capt. Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
vs.
#158 Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)
Winner
Kronk
Match 1-5
e242 cartwheeling for distance
#133 Ein (Cowboy Bebop)
vs.
#126 Westley, a.k.a. the Dread Pirate Roberts (The Princess Bride)
Winner
Westley
Match 1-6
e173 towel snap fight
⭐#504 R2-D2 (Star Wars)
vs.
#685 Baba Yaga (folklore monster)
Winner
R2-D2
Note: There was no Wikipedia entry related to this contest, so this button leads instead to an entry for "towel-snap" on Your Dictionary.
Match 1-7
e138 monologue delivery
#712 the King (Burger King)
vs.
#157 the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)
Winner
the Wicked Witch of the West
Match 1-8
e115 Mickey Mouse impersonation
#922 Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)
vs.
#1025 Benjamin Grimm, a.k.a. the Thing (The Fantastic Four)
Winner
Rose Tyler
Match 1-9
e108 corn husking
#682 Megan Parker (Drake & Josh)
vs.
#57 Rick O'Connell (The Mummy)
Winner
Rick O'Connell
Match 1-10
e150 fetch
#812 Inuyasha (Inuyasha)
vs.
#206 Llewellyn "Louie" Duck (DuckTales)
Winner
Inuyasha
Match 1-11
e47 skateboarding stunts
#263 Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)
vs.
#247 Agent Kay (Men in Black)
Winner
Agent Kay
Match 1-12
e184 orienteering
#1041 Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanov (Black Widow)
vs.
#112 Drizzt Do'urden (Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms)
Winner
Black Widow
Match 1-13
e195 skydiving
#910 Robin Scherbatsky (How I Met Your Mother)
vs.
#784 Alan "the Brain" Powers (Arthur)
Winner
Robin Scherbatsky
Match 1-14
e181 tour guiding
#511 Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood)
vs.
#1000 Brian Griffin (Family Guy)
Winner
Fred Rogers
Match 1-15
e119 kickboxing
#650 Rudolph, the red- nosed reindeer (Christmas assistant)
vs.
#232 King Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)
Winner
King Aragorn
Match 1-16
e84 stand-up comedy
#279* Marie (Splatoon)
vs.
#102 Marty McFly (Back to the Future)
Winner
Marty McFly
* Since this tournament, Marie has joined with her cousin Callie, to form the team #279 the Squid Sisters.
Round 2
Match 2-1
e202 Twister
#198 Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat)
vs.
#647 Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)
Winner
Sonya Blade
Match 2-2
e243 pattycake +1
Team Kuzco
#347 Emp. Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)
#946 Hägar the Horrible (Hägar the Horrible)
vs.
Team Kronk
#158 Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)
#340 Capt. Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)
Winners
Team Kronk
Match 2-3
e172 miniature golf
#126 Westley (The Princess Bride)
vs.
⭐#504 R2-D2 (Star Wars)
Winner
Westley
Match 2-4
e223 silly walking
#157 the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)
vs.
#922 Rose Tyler (Doctor Who)
Winner
the Wicked Witch of the West
Match 2-5
e154 Monopoly +1!
#57 Rick O'Connell (The Mummy)
vs.
#812 Inuyasha (Inuyasha)
vs.
#682 Megan Parker (Drake & Josh)
vs.
#205 Louie Duck (DuckTales)
Winner
Louie Duck*
* In a free-for-all event, previously eliminated players get another chance to win in place of current contestants (this is credited as a steal), and Louie Duck has done so.
Match 2-6
e103 "try not to laugh" challenge
#247 Agent Kay (Men in Black)
vs.
#1041 Black Widow (Black Widow)
Winner
Black Widow
Note: There was no Wikipedia entry relating to this contest, so this button leads instead to a playlist of Markiplier videos demonstrating the concept.
Match 2-7
e137 craps
#910 Robin Scherbatsky (How I Met Your Mother)
vs.
#511 Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood)
Winner
Robin Scherbatsky
Match 2-8
e57 swashbuckling
#232 King Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)
vs.
#102 Marty McFly (Back to the Future)
Winner
King Aragorn
Round 3
Match 3-1
e168 mock trial +1
Team Sonya
#198 Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat)
#647 Calvin (Calvin and Hobbes)
vs.
Team Kronk
#158 Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)
#347 Emp. Kuzco (The Emperor's New Groove)
Winners
Team Sonya
Match 3-2
e31 joust
#126 Westley (The Princess Bride)
vs.
#157 the Wicked Witch of the West (The Wizard of Oz)
Winner
Westley
Match 3-3
e180 slug-Bug
#205 Louie Duck (DuckTales)
vs.
#1041 Black Widow (Black Widow)
Winner
Black Widow
Match 3-4
e121 caber tossing
#910 Robin Scherbatsky (How I Met Your Mother)
vs.
#511 Fred Rogers (Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood)
Winner
Fred Rogers
Semifinals
Match 4-1
e194 computer troubleshooting
#198 Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat)
vs.
#126 Westley (The Princess Bride)
Winner
Sonya Blade
Match 4-2
e196 skeet shooting
#1041 Black Widow (Black Widow)
vs.
#232 King Aragorn (The Lord of the Rings)
Winner
Sonya Blade
Final round
In the final match, the first player to win two contests becomes the champion!
Finalists
#198 Sonya Blade (Mortal Kombat)
vs.
#1041 Black Widow (Black Widow)
Match 5-1
e83 ladder match
Winner
Black Widow
Match 5-2
e160 bull riding
Winner
Black Widow
Match 5-3
e141 house cleaning
Winner
Black Widow
Champion
#1041 Black Widow, a.k.a. Natasha Romanov
As champion, Black Widow receives a shiny star on her portrait and automatic admission into the next tournament!
Any player who wins three stars retires from Anyone's Game and into the Hall of Fame!
The state of the bracket at the end of the tournament. Black Widow now has one star and is one step closer to the Hall of Fame!
Do you think any of these matches should have turned out differently? Send us your thoughts on Twitter (#AnyonesGame) or by email. We might even read them on the show!
