Brouhaha
Brouhaha Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 42 "Animals" cards (21 pairs)
- 4 "Hunters" cards
- 2 "Rules" cards
Objective
To obtain the largest number of "Animals" cards by finding your partner.
Game Set Up
Consult the "Card distribution" table below and remove the relevant cards according to the number of players. These cards will not be used during the game.
Shuffle the remaining cards, and deal them evenly between the players.
The Game Itself
Each player looks at his/her cards and the game starts.
Beware: act very quickly because everyone plays at the same time.
Each player chooses a card from his hand, puts it on the table (face down), and imitates the animal which appears on it (shouting and/or gesturing).
As soon as 2 players think they have the same animal, they hit the centre of the table with their hand. The game stops and the two players who hit the table first turn their card over:
- If both cards represent the same animal, each of the 2 players wins his card and puts it face up next to him (The Reserve). This card will not be used again and will be required when counting the points at the end of the game;
- If both cards represent different animals, each player takes his card back and the game continues until 2 players have the same animal.
A player who does not find a partner can take his card back at any time and choose another one which will also be presented face down; he will then imitate the cry of his new animal.
When 2 players have found their partner, all the players give a card of their choice to their neighbour on the left, and the game continues as indicated above.
Hunter Cards
One player can choose to play a "hunter" card (if he has one). He puts it face down on the table like the other players and imitates the cry of the animal of one of the other players.
The player whose animal has been imitated by the hunter loses the relevant "Animal" card, which is won by the hunter who puts it face up next to him. This card will not be used again and is needed to calculate the scores at the end of the game.
The "hunter" card is taken out of the game and will not be played until the end of the game.
If 2 players have played a "hunter" card, nothing happens and the 2 cards are taken out of the game.
End of the Game
When one of the players has no cards left, the game stops and the player with the highest number of "Animal" cards wins the game.
Variations
We suggest the 2 following variations for a game with more punch:
Bang Variation
When two players make a mistake (once both cards have been turned over, they represent different animals), each one loses a card from his Reserve (if they have one).
Total Black Variation (for 42 players)
Deal 42 "Animal" cards to the 42 players (one card per player).
Each player looks at the card, someone switches off the light and everybody finds his partner before the light comes back on.
Card Distribution
| Number of players | Cards to be removed |
|---|---|
| 3 | 2 pairs of Animals (4 cards) |
| 4 | 1 pair of Animals (2 cards) |
| 5 | 1 Hunter (1 card) |
| 6 | 2 pairs of Animals (4 cards) |
| 7 | 2 pairs of Animals (4 cards) |
| 8 | 3 pairs of Animals (6 cards) |
| 9 | 1 hunter (1 card) |
| 10 | 3 pairs of Animals (6 cards) |
Author's Advice
If you are playing with young children, take the "Animal" cards one by one and practice the corresponding cry before starting the game.