NPL Wiki gamerules

One-Two-Three (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:10:40 -0700

(Introduced by Rastelli) Two players each think of a word. They say them out loud simultaneously, using the verbal setup of “one, two, three” to synchronize the utterances of the chosen words. Each player reviews the two words and then tries to think of a word that connects the two. The players simultaneously say “one, two, three,” and then their new chosen words. The process is repeated until both players say the same word.

One, Two, Many (con, chat)

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 21:48:56 -0700

(Variant introduced in 2003, named by Codex) This is a group variant of 1, 2, 3 with a twist. The game begins with two players who, using the verbal setup of “one, two, three” to synchronize the utterances, come up with the initial words. Two new players come up with connection words for the initial word pair. Two new players come up with the next set of connection words, and so on until the words match. The players who participate in each count-off are usually the ones who are the firs…

11 Seek (chat)

Sun, 13 May 2007 01:37:01 -0700

A moderator chooses an entry in 11C and lists words that can be found in the entry's definitions. Players try to guess the entry. This game has been known as 9 Seek and 10 Seek in the past. In the convention variant of this game, the a moderator chooses a word and players guess an 11C entry that contains the word somewhere in the definition. The entry chosen must be in the main body (i.e. not one in the biographical or geographical sections) and may not be a form of the target word. This 11…

a2a (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:51:47 -0700

In this chat version of Apples to Apples(tm), a moderator gives an initial category to the other players and instructs each player to find an 8-to-12-letter answer fitting the category. This answer becomes a “letter set,” which each player will use to form a word in the second part of the game. If the categories was “Chemical elements,” the answer “astatine” would lead to the letter set A, A, E, I, N, S, T, T.

Anagrams (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 18:57:18 -0700

A category is chosen, say “Colleges and Universities,” and players present anagrams of items in the category to be unscrambled, e.g. BIG HUMAN ORGY would lead to BRIGHAM YOUNG, etc.

Anti-Match Game (chat, con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:52:56 -0700

A moderator compiles a short quiz, usually five questions. Each question should have a multiple correct answers, say four to eight for smaller groups and ten to sixteen for larger groups. The group takes the quiz and scores 1 point for each correct answer, plus 1 additional point for every other person in the group who came up with the same answer. Incorrect and omitted answers are worth 10 points each. The player with the lowest score is the winner.

Charades (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:02:29 -0700

Players take turns drawing slips of paper and conveying the contents through pantomime. The slips contain titles, phrases and quotations submitted by the players. The NPL version of this standard parlor game is usually non-competitive, though players tend to submit difficult and obscure content, and may impose restrictions (e.g. “must be done as a “whole thing” charade”).

Pass the Chicken (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:39:32 -0700

A large group divides into two teams. Each player writes the names of famous people or fictional characters on slips of paper. The number of slips per person is arbitrary, though 60-80 slips for the group total is common. All slips are folded and placed in a container common to both teams. During the first round each player in turn, alternating between teams, has thirty seconds to draw and successfully clue to their teammates as many slips as possible. The player giving clues may use any descrip…

Choke (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:03:24 -0700

Each player starts with four blank cards. The player writes eight different letters of the alphabet on one of the cards and a category on each of the other three. The cards are gathered, and the letter cards shuffled and placed in one stack, and the category cards shuffled and placed in another. The group then divides into teams of four or five.

Cluesome (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:54:17 -0700

Cluesome is ideal for a group of 7 to 20 players. Each player writes down items to be clued on four separate slips of paper. The slips are folded and each player writes his name on the outside of each slip. The slips are distributed to the next four players clockwise around the circle, sight unseen.

Cool Game (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:56:26 -0700

A bigram is randomly chosen and announced to the group of players. Each player has ninety seconds to compile a list of common two-word phrases starting with the chosen bigram letters. Possible answers for BT include “Bengal tiger”; “binomial theorem”; “Beaumont, Texas”; “Bill Todman”; and “be there.” Intact compound words (“bedtime”) and phrases with short extraneous words (“block and tackle”) are acceptable. Players in turn read their lists aloud and check for mat…

Dada Trivia (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:57:50 -0700

(introduced by Bartok) Bartok has written many procedural and scoring variations for this parlor game he invented. This description concentrates on the basic game, with the variation that allows players to produce all the necessary content. Dada Trivia is a game for at least twelve people divided into two teams. Before the game begins the players write content on blank cards for two stockpiles used in the game. The “subject” pile contains cards with categorical labels in singular fo…

Dictionary Race (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:58:19 -0700

The goal of this game is to come up with an alphabetical list of valid word entries that spans the shortest distance in the dictionary (usually 11C). A moderator compiles a group of “rules” and determines a starting letter. The moderator gives the starting letter, say “E,” and then gives the first rule. Players must privately come up with a word that satisfies the rule and follows “E” alphabetically. The moderator gives the second rule and players must add another word to their lists…

Process of Elimination (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:38:14 -0700

(Introduced by Gabby) A target word, usually five to eight letters in length, is chosen. A player finds an answer word/phrase containing at least one instance of every letter in the target word. For each letter in the target word the player removes one instance of the same letter in the answer. The player removes any spaces but keeps the altered answer's remaining letters in their original order. The player presents the altered answer. So for the target word LEAGUE, a player might present t…

Fill in the Blanks (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:58:54 -0700

A target word, usually five letters, is chosen. A player finds an answer word/phrase containing the letters of the target word in order. The player presents a crossword-style clue for the answer and a number of blanks representing the enumeration (spaces between words are usually omitted). The target word's letters are shown in their correct positions. So for the target word KREWE, a player might clue

French Toast (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:01:19 -0700

The moderator thinks of an object. A player makes a guess at the object. If the guess is wrong then the guessed object becomes a standard. Another player guesses, and if the guess is wrong, the moderator reveals if the correct answer is more like the standard or more like the newly guessed object (in the latter case, the newly guessed object becomes the new standard). Guessing continues until the moderator’s object is discovered.

Say Goodnight, Gracie (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:31:25 -0700

(Thanks to Qaqaq for writing this description) Say Goodnight, Gracie is almost always an impromptu game, played in odd moments or to wind down an evening. It often happens in the middle of a normal conversation. There is no scoring or real end objective.

IMDb Game (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:59:54 -0700

A moderator chooses a film and lists “Plot Keywords” that can be found in that film's entry on the Internet Movie Database (www.imdb.com). The “Plot Keywords” are contained in a link on the left side of the screen under “Plots & Quotes.” Players try to identify the film.

Initials (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:00:14 -0700

In each round a master list of bigrams is created for all players to use. Players try to think famous people, real or fictional, with initials matching each bigram on the list. Players score one point for a valid answer that matches another player, two points for an answer with no matches, and three points for answer in which no other player can think of any answer for a particular set of initials.

Krewe's Line Is It Anyway (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:00:34 -0700

(Introduced to chat by Maelstrom) A host prepares a short program of improvisational games in the style of the “Whose Line Is It Anyway” television show. Volunteers perform in the games and simply try to create some entertaining scenes. Common KLIIA games include:

Letterhead (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:00:57 -0700

(These rules are provided by roy; first played at IndyCon in the wee hours with a number of people) Teams of 7 players each get a letter that they cannot see (e.g., they are holding it above their heads). Without help from outsiders, who are free to laugh, they rearrange themselves to spell words in order to figure out what letters they have. Players may only talk amongst themselves about words, not letters -- i.e., it's ok to say “we can't make a word with you and those three,” but not �…

Mafia (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:01:40 -0700

A basic game of Mafia requires a moderator and a large group of players. Some of the players are secretly assigned to be mafia members -- the rest of the players are innocent townspeople. The townspeople try to determine and eliminate the mafia members. Players converse until someone nominates a player to be eliminated and the nomination is supported by a majority vote.

Opposites Attract (chat)

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 20:45:17 -0700

One player comes up with a word that doesn't have an obvious opposite. The word is presented and each of the other players individually decides on a word they believe to be the original word's opposite. Players answer by synchronized reveal (see ”Giving Answers” in the introduction) and the opposites are compared. The players who submit the most popular answer win points for the round. Moderatorship then moves to another player.

Pyramid (chat, con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:02:58 -0700

Players come up with categories to be used in a game based on the “Winner's Circle” segment of the Pyramid game show. The game involves a clue giver trying to convey a category to a player or players by presenting a list of items that belong to the category. The Guessing player(s) try to guess the category. Traditional formats for categories include: Things that (verb), Things that are (adjective), Parts of an (object), What a (person or object) would say, and Why you (do something). For e…

RH2 (chat)

Sun, 13 May 2007 01:37:27 -0700

A moderator and gives a dictionary entry as a clue. The other players try to determine the entry that appears next alphabetically. RH2 (Random House, 2nd Edition) works well for this game because proper names are intermixed with uncapitalized entries in the main body of the dictionary.

Rock, Paper, Anything (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:33:44 -0700

(Introduced by Lunch Boy) A large group of players forms a circle. Two players begin as competitors with a third as the judge. The competitors count out three (as if playing Rock, Scissors, Paper) and on three they pose themselves as various objects. The competitors announce what objects they represent, and the judge decides which is more powerful (the winner) and explains his decision. The judge and the winner become competitors in the next round with the next player in the circle beco…

Rulebreakers

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:04:01 -0700

(Introduced by T. Mcay with additions by Treesong) Two people form a club with a rule that dictates how they answer questions. People ask them questions, prefixed by ”???”, and they give answers prefixed by “* * *”. If a lot of questioning is going on at once the querent's name may also be prefixed in brackets. Like “* * *”, it is not part of the answer. If the game goes on for a while without the solvers making progress, club members may make comments on their own, prefaced by �…

Saboteur Chain Reaction (Con)

Sat, 19 May 2007 14:06:42 -0700

This game is described by Tyger (for 1998 Con) and credited to Al Desuda The players were divided into 2 teams. When it was team A's turn, there would be 2 givers and 1 receiver from team A, but the word would be chosen by a member of team B who would provide every third word. After the number of players dwindled, play just shifted around the table, with one receiver, and 2 good givers plus one saboteur who chose the word. The receiver knew who the saboteur was, but the constraint of form…

Scattergories (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:30:24 -0700

In the chat room version of the board game, a moderator chooses with three categories and a “keyword” (a 7-9 letter word in which no letter is repeated). For each category, players write a list of items that fit the category and start with each of the letters in the keyword. For example, the category “U.S. States” and the keyword APRICOT might yield the answers Alabama, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Iowa, Colorado, Oregon and Texas. When the players finish, they share their lists with t…

Sheep (chat, con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:29:36 -0700

One player suggests a topic (person, place, thing, quality, etc.). All players have 90 seconds to create a list of five things (words or phrases) associated with that topic. Players then share their answers and score one point for every other player whose list contains a matching answer. If six players all have the same answer on their list then each of those six players scores five points. Answers must match exactly (see ). A typical game consists of enough rounds for every player to sugg…

Rules for Various Games

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:59:37 -0700

The list of rules that follow applies to games commonly played by NPL members in chat rooms (chat) and during conventions (con). The list includes classics as well as newer inventions, but is primarily intended for non-published games that require minimal preparation and equipment.

(Make Your Own) Taboo (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:05:49 -0700

Players form teams and compose cards in the style of the box game Taboo, i.e. a target word and five taboo words. Completed cards are given to the opposing team(s). Players draw cards and, without using the taboo words, give clues trying to get their team mates to say the target word.

Team Poetry (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:06:22 -0700

A chat room group creates a poem whose subject matter is often inspired by current events. Each chat room member composes one line in turn. The limerick is the most popular form for team poetry because of its short length and familiar rhythm and rhyme scheme.

Telephone Pictionary (con)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 19:27:22 -0700

(Introduced by Vebrile) This non-competitive game works well with large groups. Each player writes his name at the bottom of a piece of paper. At the top of the paper each player writes a familiar phrase, title or quotation and passes the paper clockwise. When a player receives a paper showing a phrase, he illustrates the phrase, folds the top of the paper down to hide the phrase, and passes the paper clockwise. When a player receives a paper showing an illustration, he writes a phrase of w…

Tetragrams (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:06:58 -0700

A player gives a sequence of four letters as a clue to a word containing that sequence internally. For example, the clue: " " " RISD leads to JURISDICTION. " " " FIXME

Tri, Tri Again (chat)

Thu, 29 Mar 2007 20:07:42 -0700

(Introduced by Pfire) One player begins by presenting a tribond of three items representing a category. The other players may show hands (see ) when they figure out the category, but a player should not post the actual category until s/he has created a tribond for a new category. The first element of a new tribond must also fit the category of the previous tribond. The category for the previous tribond and the new tribond are posted on the same line, and the cycle starts over again. An excerpt …

Wikipedia-Seek (chat)

Sun, 13 May 2007 01:36:19 -0700

A.K.A. Wiki-Seeky, Seekipedia A moderator chooses an entry in Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) and lists hyperlinks (highlighted words linking to other articles) that can be found in the entry's article. Players try to guess the entry. See also 11 Seek (chat) and RH2 (chat).