I'm Not a Human Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Game Overview
• Game Setup
  • Decks preparation (before the first game)
• How to Play
  • 1. Role Assignment
  • 2. Creating Associations
  • 3. Human's Guess
  • 4. Discussion
  • 5. Voting
  • 6. Scoring
  • 7. Preparing for the Next Round
• Game End
• Game Variants
  • Human Factor
  • Defragmentation
• Round Example

Components

• 72 double-sided Image cards
• 90 Role cards:
  • 81 Robot cards numbered 1 to 9 (9 sets of 8 cards with white backs, and 1 card with a colored back for each number)
  • 9 Human cards ("0_0")
• 9 tokens numbered 1 to 9
• 9 smaller bags for the Role cards
• Bigger bags for the remaining components
• 8 pencils
• 1 record sheet pad (50 double-sided sheets)

Game Overview

The game is played over 6 rounds. Each round all players undergo a test to find out who's the Human. To do so, they get 9 Images. All players with the Robot Role cards know which Image is the correct one, while the person playing as Human tries to guess it by the other players' associations. However, to imitate a Human, they must name their association, too.

If the Human gets the Image right, they immediately win the round. If they decide to play safe and remain undisclosed, the Answer card is shown, and all the players explain their associations. Then the players vote on who's the Human.

The Robot team wins if they manage to detect the Human (or decide that there's been a glitch in the system and there's no Human at all). The Human wins if the majority votes against somebody else.

Players score victory points for winning a round. At the end of the 6th round the player with the most in total wins.

Game Setup

Decks preparation (before the first game)

Take all Role cards and separate the cards with white backs from the cards with colored backs. Then take 9 cards with colored backs, and place each of them one next to the other face-up. Then take all the cards with white backs and sort them the following way: divide Robot cards (numbered 1 to 9) by each corresponding number and place them on the cards with colored backs. Put the Human cards (labeled "0_0") aside for now.

When you have 9 different stacks (9 same-numbered cards each), place 1 Human card face-up onto each one of them. Now you're all set!

Put each deck into a smaller bag for Role cards. Be careful! The numbers on Robot cards are not supposed to be visible.

(Figure: Colored back and White back Role cards.)

1. Each player takes a blank record sheet and a pencil, writes down their name in the name field in the upper part of the sheet. Leave the total score field blank — this field is for the final scoring at the end of the game.

2. Place 9 Image cards in the middle of the table any side up, so that they form a 3x3 square (leave some space between the rows).

3. Below each card, place a numbered token white side up, arranging the numbers in ascending order, as shown in the picture.

(Figure: Game setup for 4 players, showing the numbered tokens arranged under the 3x3 square of Image cards.)

4. Take time to examine the Images. Players may take any Image to have a closer look, then put it back in the exactly same place.

5. Shuffle the bags with the Role decks and randomly pick one of them.

6. Take the deck out of the bag, then put the top card with a colored back aside face down without looking at it. This is the Answer card.

7. Draw a number of cards equal to the number of players plus 1 more card from the bottom of the deck and put aside without looking at them. Put the rest of the deck back into the bag.

8. Shuffle the cards with white backs and deal them to the players face down, one to each player. Place the remaining card face down next to the Answer card — this is the Server card. It can turn out to be the Human card and in that case there is no Human among the players (must have been a glitch in the system!)

How to Play

The game is played over 6 rounds. Each round consists of 7 phases:

1. Role assignment
2. Creating associations
3. Human's guess
4. Discussion
5. Voting
6. Scoring
7. Preparing for the next round

1. Role Assignment

Each player looks at their card without revealing it to the others. If their card has a number on it (1 to 9), they play as a Robot and must detect the Human. The number on their card shows the correct answer's number (i.e. the number of the Image under which there's a token with the corresponding number).

If a player got the card with the "0_0" symbol on it, they play as the Human, and must get the correct Image right or do whatever it takes to remain undisclosed.

2. Creating Associations

Each player (including the Human) must think of one word associated with the correct Image. The players may name the associations in any order — whoever is ready may feel free to be the first. When a player names an association, each player (including themselves) must write it down in the topmost blank line of the current round's area of their record sheet. The associations must be written in the order they were made by the players. This way you will make up the current round's association list.

If several players name their associations at the same time and it's not clear who is first, resolve the situation by playing a short game (for example, rock-paper-scissors).

Try to make other players believe that you're Robot while creating the association. However, if you are indeed Robot and your association is too obvious, the Human will almost certainly be able to get the answer right and win. Nevertheless, if your association is too vague the other players may think that you are the Human!

What should the Human do? Since the Human doesn't know the correct answer, they should carefully consider other players' associations and think of something similar. They can also find a word that could be attributed to most of the Images. However, even if their association doesn't have anything to do with the correct Image, a smart Human can think of a clever explanation of their choice during the phase 4 ("Discussion") or hope that some Robots will pass the test worse than they did. Usually, the sooner the Human names their association, the less suspicion they arouse; but at the same time they will get less clues about the correct answer!

Association Rules

1. An association must always consist of one word.
2. An association must be a noun, a verb, an adjective or an adverb.
3. An association must relate to the contents of an Image, not to its number or placement on the table.
4. You can't repeat associations named during the current or previous rounds.

3. Human's Guess

When players are done with the Association phase, the player who was the first to name their association asks if the Human wants to reveal itself. They do so even if they themselves are the Human. Now the Human has two options:

1. Reveal themselves and try to guess the answer. The Human reveals their Role card, confirming they're the Human. Then they choose the Image that they assume is correct (they have 30 seconds to think their answer over) and make a guess. After that the Answer card is revealed and if the Human was right, they win; if not, the Robot team wins. In either case, go to phase 6.

   It makes sense to unmask yourself if you're sure of your answer or your association is so specific, that if you got the Image wrong, you might not be able to explain yourself.

2. Remain undisclosed. Wait for 5 seconds: if the Human stays silent, go to phase 4.

4. Discussion

Reveal the Answer card. Turn the token with the corresponding number colored side up so that the Human knows which Image is the correct one.

Now the players explain why they came up with their associations in the same order they named those (see the current round's association list). After that the players have a few minutes to ask clarifying questions, voice their assumptions and try to find out others' theories about the Human's identity.

5. Voting

Each player circles the number of an association they assume is created by the Human.

If all associations seem logical and related to the Image, there could have been a glitch in the system and there's no Human among the players (i.e. the Human card was received by the Server). Players who think this is the case circle #9 (the symbol at the bottom of their association list).

When all players are ready, they take turns revealing who they vote against. The player who gets the most votes reveals their Role card. In case of a tie, the tied player who made their associations later (their association is lower in the list) reveals their Role card. If the majority votes against the Server card, reveal it. In case of a tie between a player and the Server, reveal the Server card.

If the revealed card is a Robot card, it means the Human has fooled everybody — and they win the round. Otherwise, the Robot team wins the round.

6. Scoring

Reveal all Role cards. Tally the victory points you've scored and write the number down into the corresponding field at the bottom of the current round's area.

If you're the Robot:

• Score 1 victory point if the Robot team wins (either if the Human card gets revealed during the Voting phase, or the Human chooses the wrong Image during the Human's Guess phase);
• AND score 1 victory point for voting against the person with the Human card (even if the Human wins).

If you're a Human:

• Score 3 victory points for getting the Image right;
• OR score 2 victory points for remaining undisclosed after voting.

7. Preparing for the Next Round

Put the Role cards into a bag the same way as during the preparation for the game: the Answer card with a colored back must be at the bottom of the deck, the Robot cards with white backs must be in the middle, and the Human card must be on top. Place the deck back into the bag and put it back to the other bags.

(Figure: Colored back and White back Role cards arranged for the bag.)

If there are more rounds to play, put the 9 Image cards back into the box and complete the game setup (steps 2 to 8). Leave the numbered tokens on the table (turn the colored token white side up).

Game End

The game ends after the 6th round is played. Tally all victory points scored throughout the game and write the number down into the total score field in the upper right corner of your sheet. The player that has scored the most victory points wins. In case of a tie, the winner is the tied player who has scored exactly 2 victory points for a round more often. If there's still a tie, all tied players share the victory.

Game Variants

Human Factor

During the game setup put aside the number of Role cards equal to the number of players, and don't put aside the Server card. This way there will always be the Human among the players.

Defragmentation

You can play a shorter or longer game session (with less or more rounds respectively).

Round Example

Marvin, Eve, Rachael, and David start to play. Rachael is the Human, and the rest of them are Robots (they know that Image #4 is the correct one).

Eve comes up with an association first and says: "Dark". This word can relate to most Images, so she managed to avoid giving the Human any useful information. Marvin wants to be next, and his association is "Row". And yet again, it matches several Images!

Rachael decides to chime in before David, so that everybody thinks she knows the correct answer. Having examined the Images, she thinks that Eve's and Marvin's associations relate to Images #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7 best.

Having decided to cover as many of them as she can, Rachael comes up with an association: "Movie". If any of the Images #1, 6 or 7 is the correct one, she will easily explain her association. However, if any other card turns out to be the right one, she will have to think of some really smooth explanation!

Finally, David comes up with an association, too, and says "Building". Everybody writes it down and it's time for Eve to ask if the Human is ready to name the correct Image. David's association has narrowed Rachael's choice down to four cards: #2, 4, 5, and 6. She isn't sure which one fits better, so she decides not to take risks. The Discussion phase begins.

Eve reveals the Answer card — it's the Image #4! Then she explains her association: "The sky in the picture is dark and so is the city. Besides, this association fits many other cards, so the Human may've been thrown off the track".

Marvin goes next: "There is a row of buildings on the card. I wanted to trick the Human into thinking of seats in the cinema hall, sunflowers, books, or maybe rows of shelves in a shop."

Rachael mostly thought of other Images while creating her assosiation, but sly as she is, she comes up with the following explanation: "This Image looks like a movie poster. Besides, there are screens on the cards #6 and #7, so I wanted the Human to think it was one of those."

David explains his association: "There are many Images with buildings, so the Human wouldn't guess the correct one outright."

Now it's time for voting. Rachael decides to vote against David because he was the last to give his association, and that's why someone else could think he's the Human. Eve thinks that every association fits, so she circles #9 (there's no Human). Marvin thinks that Rachael came up with her explanation under the wire and votes against her. David reckons Eve spoke first and chose the word that fits most Images just because she didn't want anybody to think she's the Human — so he votes against her.

Thus, there's a tie — David, Rachael, Eve, and the Server got one vote each. In every situation where there's a tie between players and the Server, the Server card is the one to be revealed. In this case, it is a Robot card showing #4!

Since the Human wasn't found out by the majority, Rachael wins the round and scores 2 victory points. Nevertheless, Marvin also scores 1 victory point, because he voted against Rachael. Eve and David don't score this round.