Golden Valley Man Wins ‘Survivor Plymouth’ Contest
In the television show “Survivor,” its contestants are isolated outdoors and complete challenges to come out on top. In Plymouth, there’s an opportunity to do something like that — but lower stakes and out of the elements.
Twelve contestants filed into a Plymouth Community Center classroom Friday evening for a little friendly competition. It’s all a part of Brent Barkey’s idea for “Survivor Plymouth.”
The three-hour game event is hosted through the Plymouth Parks and Recreation Department, but Barkey designs the game and runs the show. There’s always a wait list, he said.
“They just entrust me with this room and these people, and we play a fun game,” Barkey said. “It’s been great so far.”
Barkey said the competition is an opportunity for people of all ages to really connect.
“The cool thing about this game is I think, after COVID, people were just dying for some community and just to actually talk with people,” Barkey said. “You have to talk to people, and you have to get to know people in order to play this.”
Teammates cheer each other on during a puzzle game at Survivor Plymouth,
Barkey would know. This is his fifth time hosting the game, which is made up of a variety of tasks that suit all kinds of skillsets. Team members are sorted into tribes and work both together and separately to try and win the game.
“We use a lot of replicas from the show, we use puzzles and games and strategy, that sort of thing. We use original twists the show has never done,” Barkey said.
Some challenges are a mental game. Others are more about balance. Barkey said as the designer, it’s as much of a game for him as it is for everyone else.
“I’m always fascinating because you know, I plan these games, I plan these twists. It’s so fun. I can never predict what people are going to do,” Barkey said.
Tribe Mentality
The tribes vote to eliminate at least one player each round. Once eliminated, those players also work to get back in the game. Regardless, at the end of the game, it all comes down to one player. This time, it was Golden Valley’s Chad Forslin. He’s a regular player of games like this, and said he enjoyed this experience.
“He had such a variety of games and activities and challenges, you didn’t know what to expect,” Forslin said.
Forslin won $100 in the competition and said he attributes his big win to strategy.
“I decided to not go with the other group that was really good at challenges, and instead vote them out so I could win more challenges toward the end,” Forslin said.
Forslin and his teammates celebrate a win during one of the games at Survivor Plymouth.
Winnings aside, everyone comes out as friends– whether they knew one another beforehand or not. The group ends the night at a local brewery.
“It was tons of fun. And the people who showed up were all really nice and friendly, and everyone had a good time,” Forslin said.
Barkey said there are several games planned for the winter. Sign up isn’t open yet, but when it opens residents can sign up on the parks department’s website.
Forslin is also a part of a group that puts on multi-day Survivor-style challenges for charity. You can get more details on the Minnesota-based “Legacy Trials” on its website.
