Have you checked out our House Rules: Other Ways to Play story, where we show you how to get more out of your old games by crafting your own home-brew rules?

Well, here’s a special web-only bonus — some additional ways to play! The next time you’re in-between games, give ’em a try. They’re guaranteed to give you extra hours of game-prolonging pleasure.

ASSASSIN’S CREED

Let’s Play…The Numbers Game
Who’s the best killer? Hook up with a friend and find out! Take turns playing the game and see who can kill the most people without dying. The game offers several Achievements along these lines, but alternating with a buddy adds a competitive element — and you can go beyond the Achievement amounts if you’re good enough. (Suggested by OddWoN ER)

EARTH DEFENSE FORCE 2017

Let’s Play…Demolition
Ants, spiders, and robots are attacking the city; so what? Kill enough of these invaders to clear up the battlefield, then focus on a different objective: destroying every building and object in sight, assisted by your trusty rocket launcher. In co-op games, you can team up for faster demolition, or try whatever goofy tricks you like (e.g., one player climbs a building and then his teammate shoots the structure out from under him). Take that, Earth!

FIFA 2008 (or earlier versions)

Let’s Play…Goalie Goals
Forget the standard rules of soccer. In a multiplayer game, decree that each player can score only with his goalie. The ensuing shenanigans promise all kinds of craziness, with the respective goalkeepers racing across the field, trying desperately to wage a one-man war on the enemy goal.

HALO 3

Let’s Play…The Pursuit of Art
Halo 3 lets 360 players do what PC gamers have done for ages — grab screenshots — so why not make that your goal: to nab the ultimate screenshot? Get some friends and stage a perfectly orchestrated battle, with one player serving as the designated “photographer.” With a little planning, you can snag some great shots — and really, art is its own reward.

LUMINES LIVE!

Let’s Play…Synchronicity
In multiplayer games, don’t compete with each other — team up! We call it the Symmetry Challenge: put down blocks so that each of your side-by-side screens looks exactly the same. Think of it as a relaxing exercise — creating calm out of chaos. Match both screens, and you’re both winners.

TABLE TENNIS

Let’s Play…Distant Warriors
At this point, no one’s competing at this game on Live, so you might as well have fun. Hook up with a friend and try playing with your athletes standing really far from the table. It’s perfectly possible to play from this viewpoint, and it’s challenging, too — who can stand farthest away and still win? You will have to judge victory by a gentlemanly code of agreement: both parties have to describe how far away they are from the table before a winner is decided upon.

TEST DRIVE UNLIMITED

Let’s Play…No Limits
Why cruise the roads, when the mountains are the real challenge? Pick a mountain, then try to drive up it. It’s a great test of judgment and car control, as one misplaced wheel or misjudged slope will send you sliding down the hill in short order. And there are other factors, too: Do you choose a fast car for a high-speed run-up, or something that’s slower and heavier for better grip? What about reverse? Manual gears? Staying in second gear? So many decisions…