To begin a game of Sardines, Sam remembers, one person hides, while a group of people close their eyes, and then the individuals of the group go in search of the person in hiding. It’s like hide-and-go-seek, but in reverse. One by one the seekers find, and then join, the hider. In the end of Sardines there is always one final person, alone, wandering around, looking for the group that began the game. The final person to find the group is technically the loser, but when the final person finds the group, all the players make a loud celebratory sound.
