Shell game

We’ve been positing potential game variations all year, envisioning themes ranging from stained glass to cinnamon rolls to subway systems. Well, the weather went balmy recently, so we got out the flip-flops and combed the seashore for today’s mockup. Check out what form a Sea Spells shell game might end up taking in the demo games below. The words we formed are pretty self-evident, so we took the liberty of making our own faux-cabulary. Defined for your imagining pleasure, they’re things you’re not likely to see anywhere else in print, perhaps thankfully so. No special rules applied, though you might start out choosing one shell type (five shells) as a word point doubler.

Bungha: A traditional Asian overcoat or cape.
Canesia: A strong sense of understanding between a dog and human.
Haing: (Slang) Emphatic modifier of disgust, dissatisfaction or disapproval: Ain’t had a haing bite all day.
Canom: To rock gently back and forth, as an idling manual transmission vehicle at a traffic light.

Iganic: Original; not a copy: Faux-cabulary as a hobby might be good practice for iganic thinking.
Berudo: A soft Italian cheese.
Cinasta: A parlor game involving improvised acting based on random combinations of prompts.
Besanic: Related to or promoting cleanliness.

Basseille: (From obsolete French dialect) The bottom layer of a baked dish or dessert, sometimes holding a hidden surprise.
Lussied: Flustered, harried, or discombobulated, especially due to heckling, interference, or unsolicited advice.
Hellisude: The innocent-looking slippery-slope accumulation of small events that distracts and makes you forget something you were sure you’d remember to do.
Rassed: Playfully harassed or teased: He knew immediately he’d be forever rassed about his unmitigated gloof. Such were the risks of cinasta.

Delk: Grayish brown: The lazy tedhog’s delk, waxy fur blended just so with the copper vine. (typewriter/typeface sample text)
Redic: The gatekeeper phenomenon of reinventing the wheel and feeling entitled to a patent. For example, ASMR, which your grandparents basically simply called stopping to smell the roses, appreciating the little things, or not taking things for granted.
Faress: Aversion to using coupons, rebates, points, cards, order-placing apps, haggling, etc., to avoid the bother or having to register and get spam or having data shared: Chucking the dozen or so point cards was a matter of newfound faress, and slimmed down Adam’s wallet considerably.
Nelse: Nothing else: They’d won at cinasta, and nelse mattered that day.

Grapedom: The world of grapes and vineyards: They allowed themselves a well-deserved breather of satisfaction as they surveyed the harvest: There was nelse like the new variety in all luscious grapedom.
Graysay: Claptrap of an ornery old codger.
Syldom: Simultaneous joy and anger at finding out some useful information or hack, but not having known about it until now. Related to realizing someone from long ago was still alive, but only finding out because they just passed away.
Grapedly: Like or in the manner of a grape: The cherry tomato grapedly popped out of Albert’s mouth, finding a spot under the edge of Anna’s bread dish. He hoped no one had noticed.

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