Classic
Guess in X Words
The describer must get a word guessed using exactly the number of words shown on the card, no more and no fewer. That number runs from one to five depending on how hard the word is, and a card found scores as many points as the number shown.
Constraint makes the game. Here the constraint is arithmetic: the card sets your clue budget, and the higher it is, the more the word is worth.
How to play, step by step
- The phone shows a target word and a number: that is the clue budget for this card.
- The describer may say only that many words. Every word counts, articles included.
- Everyone else can shout as many guesses as they like. Only the describer is constrained.
- The number belongs to the card, one to five depending on how hard the word is. It does not shrink as the game goes on: the draw decides.
- A card found scores as many points as the number shown: five words are worth five points, a single word is worth one. A skipped card scores nothing.
- The total appears in the end-of-round recap, next to the cards found and skipped.
Variants
- Bidding. Before seeing the card, each player declares how many clues they think they need. Lowest bid plays, and doubles the score if they pull it off.
- One word only. House rule: whatever the card says, the describer allows themselves a single clue. The card keeps its point value. Short, tense and perfect late in the night.
Playing tips
- A well-chosen proper noun beats three adjectives. Look for association, not definition.
- In teams, let the describer give the clue, then count three seconds of silence before taking answers. It kills the shouting.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, every spoken word counts, articles included. That is what makes one-word cards so hard and so funny.
No, the constraint is verbal. If you want to mix both, play charades instead.
No. The card carries it, one to five, following how hard the word is. The draw sets the difficulty, not you, and it sets the point value at the same time.
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