It is similar to Blind Man's Buff, where one person is blindfolded while others choose hiding places around the room.
[citation needed] The game shares its name with the 13th-century Italian trader and explorer Marco Polo.
[8] By the mid-1970s, the game had spread and become very popular in swimming pools frequented by expatriates living in Hong Kong.
It did not reach swimming pools in the United Kingdom until later, likely from British children returning from Hong Kong for their studies.
[1] According to the Nevada Regional Medical Center, "Marco Polo is not only fun, it can be a good workout.
[citation needed] Marco Polo is the season 5, episode 8 of The Sopranos - the family play the game at the end of a house party which leads to the estranged Tony and Carmela spending the night together.