Introduction
Snood. The name may mean nothing to you. Or you may have
heard of it, and simply wondered about its origin. But to those individuals
who know it intimately, Snood means fun. A simple puzzle game distributed
as shareware by geologist, environmentalist and game programmer Dave
Dobson, it has taken the computer gaming world by storm. Enjoyed
by office workers and college students across the nation, it combines strategy
with endless replay value to make a game that's easy to start and hard
to put down.
The Addiction
Once upon a time, there was a suite of college students at Northwestern
University. One of them, a girl name Michelle, downloaded Snood.
She thought it would be just a simple diversion, an amusing way to pass
the time, but then she found she couldn't tear herself away from it.
Determined to share the pleasure that the game had given her, she encouraged
her roommate, Catherine, to download the game. As word spread, others
did the same. Though many were interested, a core group developed:
Catherine and Michelle, and their friends Beverly, Johnny, Liz and Brendan.
Three months later, the friends realized they had played hundreds of
games. They played it in their free time, when taking a break from
homework, and on weekend nights when they could find nothing better to
do. At times they thought, "Wow. We're losers for playing this
game so much." But their passion for the game overcame any sort of
logical response, and on they played.
The Celebration
On January 25, 2000, Catherine played her one thousandth game of Snood.
Upon realizing this, she stared at her monitor and alerted Michelle.
Then they both laughed. It was obvious to them that something that
had given them so much entertainment had to be celebrated. They quickly
planned a party and prepared to invite the biggest Snood fans they knew.
Scheduling it for Friday the 28th, they cleared their afternoon for a festival
of Snood.
There were Snood decorations, inserting its name into popular slogans.
There were Snood snacks, to please the hungry players. There were
three computers set up to play Snood, including Liz's portable computer.
Funky tunes and a merry atmosphere filled the air. And everyone had
to wear costumes.
The following pages offer images of this wonderful event, surely unparalleled
in its celebration of Dave Dobson's masterwork. Enjoy them, and if
you haven't tried Snood, download it immediately.