Guess Club Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Overview
• Game Play
  • Category Selection Phase
  • Answer Writing Phase
  • Action Phase
    • 1) Reveal a Pad
    • 2) Make a $10 Bet
  • End of a Round
• Scoring Phase
• Q&A
• Credits

Components

• 1 game board
• 48 writing pads (6 for each colour)
• 8 drawing holders
• 1 jackpot bowl
• 1 bonus area strip
• 128 money chips: $10 x 80, $50 x 40, $200 x 8
• 32 player markers (4 for each colour)
• 38 question cards & 1 reference card
• 1 glass token
• 8 pens

Players: 2-8 Ages: 10+ Playing time: 20-30 minutes

Setup

1. Each player chooses a colour and takes four player markers and six writing pads of that colour, a pen, a pad holder, two $50 chips and five $10 chips.
2. Place the board and bonus area strip in the middle of the table and the jackpot bowl on the middle of the board. Then place the glass token on the number 0 on the board's betting area.
3. Shuffle the Category Cards and place them in a facedown deck near the board.
4. Place all the money chips into a pile near the board. This is "the bank".
5. Put $30 from the bank into the jackpot bowl. Whenever chips in the jackpot bowl is taken, fill in $30 from the bank.
6. Fill appropriate amount of money into bonus areas I, II, III according to instruction reference card.

Overview

The game consists of three rounds. Each round consists of four phases: the Category Selection Phase, the Answer Writing Phase, the Action Phase, and the Scoring Phase. After three rounds, the player with the most money wins.

Game Play

Category Selection Phase

In each round, choose a different starting player by any means. The starting player makes up a category and give some answers. But the other players can still reject the category.

If any player rejects a category, the starting player needs to give 10 answers as reference for the other players.

Variant: The starting player can reveal the top category card and choose one of the four categories listed on the card. Read the category and its 6 possible answers out loud.

Please notice category in Chinese & English might not be the same. An '*' symbol is used to indicated such category.

Note: Each category has more than ten possible answers. Any other player, for whatever reason, can reject a category. In this case, the start player should select another category from the card. All players can look at the card to see the written answers.

The starting player announces whether drawing, an alias, an informal name, a brief description, a code name, or a symbol is allowed.

Example of category selection: David wins rock-paper-scissors, and therefore is the starting player of the first round. He decides to go with this: "English alphabets". Every player writes secretly answers on their writing pads, with one writing pad having one answer, and each writing pad having a different answer, and keeps their answers secret from others.

Answer Writing Phase

All players (including the starting player) now write one answer on each of their six pads. They can write an answer that was on the category card or one that they came up with themselves. Keep these pads hidden from the other players. It is okay if all, some or none of the written answers are from the Category Card. Be sure to fill out all six pads. If a player gets stuck, they can ask to see the answers on the card and use one of those answers. Make sure none of the writing pads is left blank.

If answers are vague or broad, the starting player can specify that only answers in exact wording are legal.

What is a legal answer? A legal answer is one that the majority of players agree is acceptable. If necessary, refer to a dictionary or use the internet to verify.

Example of player order: In a 4-player game, David, Amy, Peter, and Lucy sits one by one. David is the starting player of the first round. Therefore, after every player finishes writing, Amy will be the first to perform an action.

Action Phase

Starting with the player to the left of the starting player, and proceeding clockwise, the next player does one of two actions. Then the next player clockwise does one of two actions, and so forth. This Phase will end when one player has revealed his or her last pad (see below). Then proceed to the Scoring Phase. The two actions are to Reveal a Pad and to Make a $10 Bet:

1) Reveal a Pad

The active player should choose one of their hidden pads, read the answer out loud, and place it faceup on the table. Then all other players who have the same (or VERY similar) answer reveal their pad/answer faceup on the table. If at least one other player made a match, the active player gets the jackpot from the bowl and reloads the bowl with $30 from the bank.

The glass token: Whenever a match is made, move the glass token up one number on the betting board. Then it is the next player's turn to take an action. The glass token keeps track of the number of times any player matches with another player. It doesn't matter how many players match a revealed pad, only that at least ONE match was made. The token number is what people bet on (see below).

Penalties: If no one matched the active player's answer, then the active player puts $10 into the bowl. If any player's answer is ruled illegal, then that player pays $20 into the bowl. Player can always make change with the bank.

Example of revealing a pad: Amy plays one of her writing pads on hand. David and Peter have the same answer.

1. Amy wins the jackpot.
2. Those players place their writing pads in front of them.
3. The glass token is moved one step forward.
4. Refill the jackpot with $30 from the bank.

If Amy plays one writing pad from hand, and no one has the same answer, she pays $10 to the jackpot.

2) Make a $10 Bet

Instead of revealing an answer, a player can make a $10 bet on what number the glass token will be on when the round ends. The round ends when any one player has revealed his or her sixth and last pad. That can happen by revealing pads and through matching another player's revealed pad. To make a $10 bet, put $10 into the jackpot bowl and place your player marker onto the betting board in the first (or next if it is the second bet there) position next to any number. That's it. All bets are resolved later. It is now the next player's turn to choose an action.

Betting restrictions: There can only be TWO player markers on each number. A player can only bet on one number per turn. A player CAN bet twice on the same number in two different turns, but only if there is still a spot left on that number. Remember, only two can be on a number. By betting twice on the same number, a player would strategically prevent any other player from choosing that number!

Example of Action II (make a bet): Lucy makes a bet on 3.

1. Paying 10 dollars to the jackpot.
2. Placing one of her player markers under the number 3 in the betting area.

End of a Round

When any one player has revealed his or her sixth and last pad, the round ends after the current action. Proceed to the Scoring Phase.

Scoring Phase

Fill $30 PLUS the current round bonus if the bowl is empty. If the bowl is not empty, only fill current round bonus. Then the starting player looks at everyone's unrevealed answers. If an answer is valid, nothing happens. If an answer is judged invalid, then that player adds $20 to the bowl for each of his or her invalid answers. Finally, look where the glass token is on the betting board. Any player tokens on that number will share the jackpot bowl. If there is no bet there, then empty the bowl into the bank. If one player token (or two from the same player) is there, that player gets the whole jackpot. If two different player tokens are on the correct number, then split the jackpot. Finally, if there is $10 left when dividing, the extra $10 goes to the player who bet on that number first.

Later, Peter plays her last pad by matching one of Lucy's answers. The action is completed, Peter gets the jackpot and refills the bowl $30 PLUS current round bonus because the round is over. The starting player, David, checks all remaining (unrevealed) answers. The writers of invalid answers put $20 per invalid answer into the bowl. The glass token is on 3 and only Amy has bet on 3. So she gets all of the money in the bowl.

Example of shared bet: As shown in the picture, both Lucy and David bet correctly, hence the reward of the current round and all remaining chips in the jackpot bowl are evenly split between them. If the total amount is 80 dollars, each gets 40 dollars; if it is 90 dollars, Lucy, whose player marker is at bottom, gets 50 dollars, and David, whose is on top, gets 40 dollars.

Ending the round: Players take their pads back. Erase all the answers on all pads. Reset the glass token on 0 (zero). Fill the jackpot bowl with $30. Start the next round. After the third round is scored, whoever has the most money wins! In case of a tie for most money, they share the victory!

Two player game rule: If playing with just two players, the only difference is that whenever a player pays for an invalid answer, the money goes to the opponent, not into the jackpot bowl. If both players agree, they can play a 4th round so each player has set a category for two rounds. Bonus of the 4th round is $50.

Q&A

Q: What if a player runs out of money during the game? A: Borrow $100 from the bank and pay it back after round 3.

Q: How to resolve a dispute over the validity an answer? A: Majority rules. If tied, starting player breaks ties. In extreme cases, the internet may be consulted.

Q: If the rare case when the active player reveals an invalid answer, and another player matches the invalid answer, what happens? A: Each of them pays $20 to the bowl, the invalid answers stay revealed. Proceed to next player until someone runs out of pads.

Credits

Author & Copyright: Sky Huang Illustrator: Missquai Consultant: Kevin Kim, Michael Gray Graphics: Machai, Laangel English Translation: Eris Lin Editing: Eddie Ho Proofreading: Marcus Chan

Published by Broadway Toys Limited. Copyright © 2018 Broadway Toys Limited. All Rights Reserved.