Articles > One-Button Party

Go Back To Articles

The One-Button Party is a collection of simple games needing only one button per player. Why is it good to use only one button? Because then it's easier to find room on the keyboard for multiple players to have controls (great for 4 players). When you start this game, you'll be asked what button each player will use. Perhaps player 1 will use A, 2 will use G, 3 will use L, and 4 will use Enter. Easier than needing 7 buttons each or something. Then the game list will come up. The selector will move automatically, so each player need only press their button to choose a game. Whichever game got most votes will be played first. If no game got more votes, player 1's game goes first (then 2, then 3, then 4).

Dungeons without Dragons

In this game, the players will head into a cave in search of treasure. This cave is split into caverns each containing various things. A cavern may hold treasure. If so, the treasure will be shared between all players still going. A cavern may also hold a monster or a trap. Traps will cost you treasure. If you find a monster you can fight it, in which case you may win or lose treasure, or ignore it, in which case nothing happens. Caverns can also be empty.

At each cavern, you can escape or continue on. If you escape you are out of the game, but you can't lose treasure. If you continue on you'll go to the next cavern, which may cost treasure or earn you more treasure.

Controls for this game use a slowly moving automatic selector between the 2 choices available, and your button to select.

Snakes and Ladders

This game is a typical game of Snakes and Ladders. Four players take turns moving around the board towards the finish.

Controls for this game are simply using your button to roll the dice.

Conveyer Cave

This game is a platforming style game. Each player runs on a conveyer belt, which has crates and spikes on it. Players can jump over these, and can break crates by jumping on them. There are also items on the conveyers and hidden in crates. If you collect one, you can't jump, instead using your item. There are five items: Speed Boots make you run very fast for a short time, destroying anything in your path. The Hammer lets you smash crates, and flatten spikes. The Pole lets you pole vault, jumping higher and farther. The Shield protects you from crates, but spikes can destroy it. The Sword is the most versatile item, jumping like a Pole and smashing like a Hammer, but it is the only item with a health meter. If its meter runs out, it is lost, but the meter refills if you don't use the Sword. Whoever survives longest wins.

Controls for this game involve jumping with the button, pressing the button to use an item, and holding the button to drop an item.

Ring Carts

In this game, the players have go carts to race in. There are various rings around the course which can be used. Yellow rings give you a speed boost. Red rings slow you down. Blue rings slow down everyone else, and green rings finish the race when used.

Controls for this game involve pressing the button when passing a ring to use it.

Buttoned Bang

In this game, each player has a water pistol (no real guns for me, thanks), with crosshairs on screen. Targets are going past on conveyers, and must be shot. Red targets get you a point and blue targets lose you a point. Yellow targets are worth five points, green cost 5 points. You have 5 shots before reloading.

Controls for this game are simply: press to shoot, hold to reload.

Buttoned Blocks

In this game, the players are running around at the bottom of a tetris style field. The blocks are falling continously. Players must catch the blocks and run off the screen to get points. Each individual square is worth 1 point. If 2 or more people catch a block, they must compete tug of war style to gain the block. If 2 blocks land on the ground touching, they will join together. Joins can be broken in a tug of war. If your path is blocked by someone or their block, you will tug of war if you can, or else just climb over them.

Controls for this game: In this game you are continously running back and forth. Hold your button to stop. When you get a block you automatically start carrying it back and forth. If someone else grabs your block, your button becomes a pull button. Hold it to pull on the block. Let go to stop pulling. If you stop pulling while others are still pulling, they usually fall backwards like real life.

Quick Pressents

This game is used if there is a tie after 4 other games. There's a cardboard box on screen. It opens to reveal either a cake or a bomb. Press your button to take it. If you got the bomb, you can't do the next few turns. Press your button lots to recover from the bomb. The first person to eat 6 cakes wins.

Controls for this game: press to take, press repeatedly to recover. 

Go Back To Articles