If you have been visiting this blog recently, I am sure you will have noticed the many games I have been writing about. Over the last four months I have featured over thirty games. All of these are available to play with just the use of minimal equipment. So, grab a pack of cards, some dice, some chips and have fun!
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features an adaptation of the classic party game Absolute Balderdash. In this game, players attempt to guess the real definition of a word, whilst attempting to convince the other players that their made up definition is the correct one.
Number of players: 3 – 8
Playing time: 30 minutes
You will need:
Players take in turns to be the dictioner. In each round, the dictioner selects and reads out a word from the dictionary. The word chosen should be obscure so that none of the other players are likely to know its true meaning. All of the players (apart from the dictioner) writes up a made up definition for the word onto a piece of paper. The dictioner also writes, in their own words, the real defination onto a peice of paper.
The dictioner collects together and reads out all the definitions, including the correct definition. They should be careful not to give away who wrote down which definition. Note, if one of the other player’s definitions matches or closely resembles the true definition, the dictioner should, instead of reading it out, remove it from the game. Going clockwise from the dictioner, each player (apart from the dictioner) chooses which of the definitions they think is correct. This is indicated by writing each player’s name onto the definition they have chosen. Once all players have chosen a definition, the dictioner reveals which one is correct. Scoring is as follows:
The game continues for a pre-defined number of rounds. All players should become the dasher an equal number of times. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a nice lively party game. I remember playing this game a number of times in the past; however, when I recently searched for a copy online, I couldn’t find it anywhere. This post features my adaptation that can be played with just some pencils and paper.
Number of players: 4 – 20
Playing time: 45 minutes
You will need:
Players split into pairs. If there are an odd number of players, have one team of three people.
The game consists of a set number of rounds. Six rounds would be a good number.
In each round, one player from each pair (player A) will gather together. Making sure that the other people cannot hear, these players come up with a list of six words. These six words can be anything… people, places, things… Let your imagination run wild! Do however, try to choose words that all players will understand/have heard of. Once the words have been decided, Player As make a note of them on their sheet of paper. Individually and on a separate piece of paper, all Player As then come up with a six more words, each of which corresponds to one of the original six words. There should be some sort of connection between each set of words. For example, if one of the original six words was ‘Paris’, a good corresponding word may be ‘France’.
Pairs get back together. At this point, Player Bs should be shown the list of the original six words. Player As should hide their list of six connecting words from Player Bs. Upon starting a timer, all Player Bs should try to guess the six corresponding words based upon the list of six words that is visible to them. Player As should not provide any visual or verbal clues. They may however say when one of the six corresponding words has been guessed.
The round is over when either one pair succeeds in guessing all six corresponding words, or when three minutes have elapsed. Each pair scores one point for each of the corresponding words that they guessed.
For the next round, the roles of Player As and Player Bs are reversed.
After six rounds, the pair with the highest score is the winner.
- Instead of deciding upon the original list of six words at the start of each round. Lists of words can be prepared beforehand.
- To add a bit more variety into games, make players play with a different partner each round.
Continuing with my project to create a list of great games you can play for free, this post features a classic word deduction game called My Word. The game is a cross between Mastermind and Hangman, where players try to deduce their opponent’s word by guessing the correct positions of individual letters.
Number of players: 2
Playing time: 45 minutes
You will need:
A game of My Word consists of two rounds. The first is a six letter word round, the second is a seven letter word round. In each of these rounds, players try to deduce their opponents words by stating shorter words that contain the same letters as their opponents longer six or seven letter word. Points are awarded for each correct letter guessed. Even more points are awarded if those letters are in the correct position.
Both players start by writing down, in secret, the word they want their opponent to try to guess. This should be a word that their opponent has heard of. Each round consists of eleven guesses, with both players taking in turns to make a guess. For the first guess, players state a two letter word that corresponds to the first two letters of their opponents word. For each correct letter, the guesser is awarded 250 points. For each correct letter that is also in the correct position, that player is instead awarded 1000 points. For example, if the word was ‘nephew’ and the guess was ‘me’, the guesser would be awarded 250 points (the ‘e’ only scores once). If instead the guess was ‘no’, the player would be awarded 1000 points. Thus, from the score awarded, the guesser receives a clue as to how many letters they have guessed correctly and how many of those are in the correct position. All guesses must themselves be real words.
Play progresses in this manner, with each guess consisting of a word between two and seven letters in length and corresponding to particular letters in the word the player is attempting to guess. The number of letters of the guesses and the letters it corresponds to are specified on the printable play sheet. The final (eleventh) guess consists of the same number of letters as the opponent’s word. Therefore, players can at this point, try to guess the word. In addition receiving points as normal for each of these letters, guessing the correct word awards that player 3000 points.
At the end of the game, both players add up the points they have received over the course of the game. The player with the most points is the winner. Therefore, it is possible to win without having guessed either of their opponent’s words. Also, players often face the dilemma of whether to try to gain quick points with guesses containing letters that are known, or to increase the chance of obtaining the 3000 bonus points with guesses containing letters that are not yet known.
