In The Big Bang Theory, the gang played many fun and exciting games throughout the show's run. They enjoyed the sessions so much that they even created their own, increasing the dose of geekiness even more.
TBBT's most particular character, Sheldon Cooper, not only proved himself as an impeccable theoretical physicist but also a creative genius as he invented many games that entertained the characters (and viewers) for years. From science-related board games like Research Lab to different car games only he enjoys, Sheldon's inventions not only elevated multiple episodes but also demonstrated another side to his intelligence.
Three-Person Chess
Although three-person chess is already a thing in the real world, Sheldon Cooper designed his own version of this niche chess variant, which solves the "balanced center combat-area problem" via "transitional quadrilateral-to-triangular tessellation."
Sheldon's version of the highly sophisticated chess variant appeared in the episode "The Wildebeest Implementation" (Season 4, Episode 22) and played a role as another blatant amplifier of Sheldon's brilliance. As Leonard couldn't hide his appreciation towards the "elegant" work as he put it, Sheldon also announced two authentic additional pieces, the serpent and the old woman, and their roles in the game. The viewers, to this day, indeed enjoy seeing Sheldon merging his analytical skills with his particular imagination.
Physics Fiesta
Another iconic fictional game Sheldon created appeared in the episode "Re-Entry Minimization" (Season 6, Episode 4), where the gang organized a game night (which is full of memorable and meme-worthy moments) while waiting for Howard's homecoming from space.
As fans already know, accepting defeat is definitely not Sheldon's strong suit. After being defeated brutally by best friends, Penny and Amy in one of their greatest moments, he instantly invented a game called "Physics Fiesta," where participants are expected to answer physics-related questions in remedial Spanish. The game was an almost-childish and hilarious attempt to desperately compensate for his defeat, hopefully, to set his supremacy in the room once again.
Sheldon's Research Lab
"The Guitarist Amplification" (Season 3, Episode 7) opens with the fictional board game, which was invented by the beloved genius: Research Lab. In it, players roll dice to move around the board and draw a card, either benefiting it with a Department of Defense grant, for example, or causing catastrophic events (like a nuclear meltdown).
In this sequence, the game's motto, "the physics is theoretical, but the fun is real." gets all the credit it deserves: Sheldon's enthusiasm instantly puts a smile on viewers' faces. The fictional game has also a special place among many Sheldon Cooper inventions thanks to Penny: She actually participated and succeeded in a game that Sheldon created for a change, and couldn't hide the fact that she was very impressed by Sheldon's creativity.
Counter Factuals
Co-invented with Amy, another brilliant scientist in the show, Counter Factuals featured in "The Zazzy Substitution" (Season 4, Episode 3). In it, players describe a situation in a fictional world and ask a question, waiting for the other player to defend their answer. Rhinoceros can be domesticated pets, and pianos can be used as weapons in this fictional game.
Since Amy and Sheldon were pretty far from being an ordinary couple, the game played a bonding role between Sheldon and Amy, underlying how well their intellect complemented each other in the most unusual way possible. Leonard's failed attempt to them also proved their supremacy as a quirky yet highly compatible duo, creating a memorable moment in the show.
Element Names
In "The Euclid Alternative" (Season 2, Episode 5), one of Sheldon's many car games served as an ice-breaker. When Sheldon wanted to return his Star Wars sheets, he knocked on Penny's door for a car ride early in the morning.
As Sheldon went on and on about Penny's sloppy attitude as a driver, decided to play his favorite car game where player one says an element name and player two says another one whose name starts with the last letter of the element the first player said. The game sequence, to this day, is too hilarious to handle without a giggle since Penny's rarely enthusiastic about Sheldon's made-up car games, especially science-related ones. Penny's almost-felt pain is still priceless to witness.
Traitors
Another made-up car game served as a form of self-expression for Sheldon in the episode "The Large Hadron Collision" (Season 3, Episode 15). When Leonard got invited to Switzerland to a conference to see the CERN's supercollider, Sheldon instantly assumed that Leonard would choose him as his plus one, but he was wrong.
When they got in a car, Leonard tried to win him over with the one thing Sheldon got a soft spot for; car games. Since dealing with intense emotions is not Sheldon's forté, he instantly invented a game called "Traitors" and ranked three infamous historical figures according to their level of betrayal: Benedict Arnold, Judas, and Dr. Leonard Hofstadter. This made-up game, once again, proved that inventing games is a way of communicating for Sheldon when he can't directly express his frustration, which cracks the fans every time.
Identifying Noises
In season 11 of the Big Bang Theory, the viewers get to meet another Sheldon-Cooper-original car game. While Sheldon made high-pitched, siren-like noises, Leonard did his best to guess what the noise represented and tell the difference between the French police and the Belgium ambulance.
The fans very well know that Leonard considered Sheldon's car games annoying almost every time, but he got used to the games as Sheldon's one of many rituals in life. And it is always fun to witness Sheldon Cooper's theatrical talents, some careful fans on the internet also stated that the noises he made in the game sequence were actually pretty spot-on.