I have been exposed to these kinds of games, and there is (in my experience) always a second-order-effect in playing them: Somebody is asserting dominance, usually the person making up or applying the to-be-found rules.

It's still capable of being fun, but it's also capable of being hazing, bullying, or exclusion. I tend to think it usually is one or more of these, more than the game but that may reflect being the youngest of 4, and exposed to the older sibs and their friends.

I'm in my 6th decade. if I approached a game like this now I'd be interested if I could formalise the inductive reasoning but I would also be on the lookout for the 2nd order effects.