<P> One player is chosen as "It". This player closes his or her eyes and tries to find and tag the other players without the use of vision . The player who is "It" shouts "Marco" and the other players must respond by shouting "Polo", which "It" uses to try to find them . If a player is tagged, then that player becomes "It ." </P> <P> The game can also be played on land, with slightly modified rules, or played with the addition of rules from Fish out of Water and others . It is similar to blind man's bluff, where one person is blindfolded while others choose hiding places around the room . </P> <P> The game shares its name with the 13th - century Venetian trader and explorer Marco Polo . Some etymological sources say it was named after him, but there are no documented reasons why he would be seen as connected with it . According to one whimsical explanation, "legend has it that the famed explorer didn't really have a clue as to where he was going, much like (the "It" person) ". WiseGeek says, "No one seems to know what the origins of the name are, although there are a number of apocryphal stories," adding "There does not appear to be any real link between the game of Marco Polo and the explorer of the same name, despite the creative efforts by some people, and it is hard to determine when the first game of Marco Polo was played ." </P> <P> The game has similar traits with blind man's bluff (essentially the same game played on dry land) and can be considered an offshoot . Wisegeek notes, "Blind man's bluff dates back to at least the 1500s, and it was once a very popular parlor game, especially with ladies ." Marco Polo was known as a water game in America by the 1960s . Between 1965 and 1970, some respondents to a Dictionary of American Regional English survey, when asked to name a game played in the water, responded with "Marco Polo ." </P>

What is the game marco polo named after
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