Password Express
Password Express Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 16 position cards (with "0" on the reverse)
- 56 Subject/Letter cards* — there is one double card for Q/K; some letters (W, X, Y, Z) are not present as they are not used in all languages. However one blank card is included where you can write an additional letter and a new subject.
- 24 tokens
- 18 score cards
- 1 sand timer lasting 15 seconds
Preparation
Players divide into two groups. If there is an odd number of players, those with the least experience should form part of the larger group.
Place the 16 position cards on the table in four rows in order: 1, 2, 3 and +. If you want to play the advanced version, turn over a maximum of one card per row to show the "0" side.
Shuffle the deck of subject/letter cards, making sure that no card is turned over, and deal one pile of 5 cards to the right of each one of the 4 rows of position cards, with the "subject" side face up.
Each team chooses a colour and receives 12 tokens and 9 score cards. The latter should be placed initially showing "00" (tens and units).
Leave the sand timer within reach of both teams and prepare for play. The team with the least number of players goes first or, if both teams have the same number of players, the team whose total ages is the lowest starts.
Begin the Round
Any player, not from the team that starts, takes the first subject card from each pile and moves it, whilst turning it over, to the left of each row so that the side with the letter can be seen. The sand timer is turned over immediately.
The players from the starting team have 15 seconds to say all the words they can think of about the 4 subjects including the designated letter in specific places:
- The word has to start with the letter on the row.
- The word must include in second place, and not before, the letter on the row.
- The word must include in third place, and not before, the letter on the row.
- The word must include in fourth place, and not before, the letter on the row.
- The word must not include the letter on the row.
Each time a player says a word, they place a token on the corresponding position card, as long as no other token is already there.
When the time ends, the rival team will announce it and the teams change roles. The team that had to find words will have to turn the sand timer over and the other team has to find words for the positions that don't have a token.
Disputed Words
When the opposing team doubts a word is correct, they should move the token placed by the playing team to the "?" sign on the appropriate position card to show it needs to be checked at the end of the round. Play should not be interrupted during the turn to explain any mistake, but rather at the end of the round. Only words played in each turn can be disputed, not later, so players need to be quick.
Answers with More Than One Word
Some answers, such as proper nouns, may be formed by more than one word, for example: Eiffel Tower, Puerto Rico, Los Angeles, Harry Potter. If the letter is contained in more than one word, a token may be placed on several position cards at the same time.
Answers Valid for More Than One Subject
If one word has the correct letters and is valid for more than one subject, tokens can be placed on more than one position card at the same time.
End of the Round
The round ends when all positions are covered or when neither team has been able to give an answer in 2 consecutive rounds. At that moment all the tokens placed on the "?" are checked. If the team that played the token was right and the answer is valid, the team that disputed the answer loses 1 point. If the answer is not valid, the token is removed and the team that played the token loses 1 point.
Awarding Points and New Round
Each position card will now be awarded points and the tokens removed. Each team adds the number of stars shown on the cards and reflects the result in tens and units on the score cards.
The team with the lowest points will start a new round (in the case of a draw, the team that went second in the previous round will now go first).
The rival team will move and turn over the top card of the 4 subjects used to show a new letter and, at the same time, a new subject. A new round begins.
End of the Game
The game ends after 4 rounds. The team with the highest score has found the passwords for the old computer and is declared the winner. In the case of a draw, play again!
Tips
Before playing, decide how precise the answers have to be. There are categories that can be ambiguous. For the subject "Kitchen" answers could include "fork", "egg", "heat", "Gordon Ramsey" or "MasterChef".
Take advantage of the rival's 15 seconds to think of words but continue to listen to any errors they may make.
Organise the team quickly to think about different subjects.
Remember that if a word contains the same letter more than once, only the first position where it appears is valid.
Try and resolve any disputes in a friendly manner. At the end of the day, it's only a game!