Palm Reader
Palm Reader Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 108 double-sided cards.
- 1 die.
- 1 Rollbox (a box to fold, to keep die results secret).
- 1 scorepad.
- 1 rulebook.
Setup
There are 4 difficulty levels, indicated by the background color of the cards:
- Blue = beginner
- Green = standard
- Red = complicated
- Mauve = expert
Choose the colors you wish to use, and then shuffle them together to form a face-down deck (the side facing up will not be used during this game).
You will use only the first 10 cards during the game, so you can discard the rest.
Fold the Rollbox according to the diagram in the printed rulebook, then put the die in it. You only need to do this the first time you play; after that, you can store the Rollbox in the box without unfolding it.
Playing the Game
A game is divided into 10 rounds.
Randomly select a first player, who receives the Rollbox (with the die in it).
Playing a Round
Unless this is the first round, pass the Rollbox to the next player clockwise, who becomes the new first player.
The first player now does the following: Shake the Rollbox (cover the opening so the die doesn't come out), then drop it on the table. Then draw the first card from the deck and secretly look at the side that was hidden (that was facing the table). The die result (which only you can see through the window in the Rollbox) tells you which symbol you must get the others to divine this round (the symbols are numbered 1 – 5). If the die result is a question mark, you choose which symbol you wish to draw by turning the die with your fingertip, in the Rollbox, to show your choice.
The player to your left holds out the palm of their right hand. Now use your index finger to draw the symbol in their palm.
Now this player does the same for the third player's palm, and so on, until the last player, who must also draw the symbol in your palm.
At this stage, you will know whether transmission of the initial symbol was a success or failure. It's OK, you get a second chance: You can choose to try the same symbol one more time, but 1★ will be deducted from the final score.
If you decide to try again, it goes exactly like the first attempt: Draw the symbol in the second player's palm, who draws it in the third player's, etc. This time, however, the final player does not need to draw in your palm.
Important
As the first player, you must draw the symbol in its entirety, which is to say that you must draw all of its features; you cannot deliberately omit anything. You must always draw to the best of your ability!
You Cannot
- Discuss anything about the current round.
- Use codes (for example, drawing the number 1 to indicate that the answer is symbol number 1); you can only draw the symbol… or at least what, in all honesty, you think the symbol is.
- Watch another player draw in anyone's palm. Only the player who is drawing can look at what they are drawing.
- Stop and restart your drawing once you have begun to draw (for example, if you realize you've made a mistake, or are drawing badly).
Resolving the Round
Without saying anything, reveal the face of the card that shows the symbols, so everyone can see all 5 symbols on the card, and thus try to identify which symbol was drawn in their hand.
At this stage, communicating about the round in progress is still forbidden.
Now everyone extends a closed fist toward the middle of the table and counts down, "3, 2, 1…" then simultaneously reveals a number of fingers that indicates the symbol number they think was drawn in their hand.
Now you finally say the number of the symbol you rolled (which can be verified by looking into the Rollbox).
Starting with you, and going clockwise, count the number of consecutive players (including you) that correctly communicated the symbol to the next player. Each consecutive player that successfully drew earns the group 1★.
If you decided to do a second attempt at drawing, subtract 1 from the result.
Note: The last player never counts for successfully drawing, because the next player is you, and you already knew what the symbol was!
Example of Scoring a Round
Score the round clockwise (gray arrows), in a six-player round where the first player chose to retry:
- The first three players (first player and players 2 and 3) have correctly drawn the symbol for their next player. This earns the group 3★.
- Player 4 guessed the right symbol, and thus enabled player 3 to earn 1★…
- …but player 4 does not earn a ★, because player 5 (4's next player) got it wrong.
- Surprisingly, player 5 somehow communicated the correct symbol to player 6, but this earns no ★, because the chain of correct answers was already broken.
- Finally, player 6 does not earn a ★, either, because the last player never earns a point: The first player already knows the answer!
Because the first player chose to retry this round, the group loses 1★. Final score: 2★. The maximum possible would have been 5★ (on the first try).
End of the Game
The game ends after 10 rounds.
Victory
The magnitude of your collective victory is defined by the total number of ★ scored over the 10 rounds. It varies according to the number of players. Use the scorepad to keep track of your achievements!
| Number of players, and ★ scored | Victory magnitude |
|---|---|
| 4 players: 0 – 3 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 5 players: 0 – 4 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 6 players: 0 – 5 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 7 players: 0 – 6 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 8 players: 0 – 7 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 9 players: 0 – 8 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 10 players: 0 – 9 ★ | Pathetic failure |
| 4 players: 4 – 9 ★ | Good, you understand the game |
| 5 players: 5 – 12 ★ | Good, you understand the game |
| 6 players: 6 – 15 ★ | Good, you understand the game |
| 7 players: 7 – 18 ★ | Good, you understand the game |