Nobody Is Perfect: Kompakt Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
• Playing the Game
• Example
• Ending the Game
• Tips

Components

• 270 playing cards:
  • 228 term cards (each with two terms)
  • 42 letter cards (in seven colours, each with the letters A to F)
• 1 symbol die
• Paper and pencil for noting down points

Setup

Shuffle all 228 term cards and place them as a face-down pile in the middle of the table.

Each player receives:

• three cards from this pile, which they take into their hand so that the other players cannot see them;
• one set of letter cards in the colour of their choice.

Place the die next to the pile.

Decide before you start whether you will play the whole game with the yellow half or the red half of the cards. The chosen half of the cards applies to all cards for the entire game.

Additionally, lay out any one set of letter cards face up in the middle of the table, likewise adjusted to the number of players.

Note: If you play with fewer than six players, you need fewer letter cards as well. If you are playing with four, for example, each player uses only the four letter cards A to D in their colour.

Playing the Game

The youngest player begins, and play then continues clockwise. The player whose turn it is becomes "Mr. Perfect", and the other players are the "Bluffers". Mr. Perfect's turn always follows the same sequence:

1. First, Mr. Perfect places their hand cards face down in front of them and takes the top card from the pile into their hand instead.

2a. Then they roll the die once. On ABC, they read out only the term (in bold), but under no circumstances its explanation! On abc abc it is the other way round: they read out the entire explanation (in italics), but under no circumstances the term.

2b. If they have rolled ABC+ or abc abc+, they take one additional card from the pile and place it face down with their other cards. From now on, for the rest of the game, they play with one card more (which greatly improves their chances of finding a matching solution later in the game).

3. Now the other players, the Bluffers, must act. Each Bluffer searches their term cards for a solution that sounds as plausible as possible. They pass this card face down to Mr. Perfect. (And do not forget: only the colour half fixed at the start applies to all cards!)

4. Once every Bluffer has given Mr. Perfect a card, Mr. Perfect shuffles these cards together with their correct card, and reads out from all the cards in the order they come, the term that was asked for, loudly and clearly (see the example on the back). Mr. Perfect places the first card, after reading it out, face down next to the A letter card in the middle of the table, the second card face down next to the B card, and so on.

5. Next, the Bluffers are challenged once more: each must decide on what they believe is the correct solution, by first laying out face down in front of them the letter card of the solution they believe lies next to the correct card in the middle of the table.

6. Once every Bluffer has laid out a letter card, all cards are revealed and evaluated: Mr. Perfect announces the correct solution first. Each Bluffer who guessed correctly with their letter card receives one victory point, which is noted down. In addition, each Bluffer receives one victory point for every fellow Bluffer who fell for their false solution. Mr. Perfect never receives points, only ever as a Bluffer.

7. Afterwards, each Bluffer takes back their letter card. The term cards that were played are set aside face up, and each Bluffer draws a new term card from the pile. The next player clockwise becomes Mr. Perfect, and so on.

Example

Anita is Mrs. Perfect. She draws the top card from the pile. Then she rolls the die: abc abc+.

She takes one more card from the pile and places it on her other cards in front of her. Then she reads out the explanation on the card she drew first: "Storage room in a barn". Under no circumstances does she read out the term itself ("Banse")!

Now her three fellow players must choose a term matching the explanation from their hand cards and pass it to Anita.

After this has happened, Anita shuffles the four cards and reads out the first card: "'Storage room in a barn'. Is that also called 'Konsol'? (Anita places this card face down next to the A card in the middle of the table), or 'Pud' (card next to B), or 'Banse' (card next to C), or 'Düffel' (card next to D)?"

Now the three Bluffers tap on A, B, C or D with their letter cards, by each placing the corresponding card face down in front of them.

Then the three letter cards and the four term cards are revealed: Barbara has tapped D, Cathi tapped C, and Dagmar likewise tapped C. Since C is the correct solution, Cathi and Dagmar each receive one victory point. Cathi receives an additional victory point, because Barbara took her answer ("Düffel") for the correct term.

The four term cards are set aside, the three Bluffers take back their letter cards and each draws a new term card. The game continues with the next Mrs. Perfect ...

Ending the Game

Play so many rounds that, with 3 players, each player has been Mr. Perfect 6 times; with 4 players, 5 times each; with 5 players, 4 times each; and with 6 players, 3 times each.

The player with the most victory points wins. In case of a tie, there are several winners.

Tips

Upon request, Mr. Perfect should repeat the term or explanation once or twice (possibly even spell it out).

Likewise, once the solutions have been read out, Mr. Perfect should, like a good quizmaster, give a kind of "quick run-through" once or twice, for example something like:

"'Is a storage room in a barn = A: 'Konsol' – B: 'Pud' – C: 'Banse' – or – D: 'Düffel'?'"

Note from the publisher: The 456 terms included here can also be used as a perfect addition to the original "Nobody Is Perfect" game, since they are all new.