S-tier
S-tier Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Game Contents
- 56 topic cards
- 70 double-sided picture cards
- 2 double-sided boards (tier lists). The black side has text (effects); the other side has no text.
- 2 markers with erasable ends
- 2 note cards (for writing down the ranking)
- 2 pearlescent tokens
Quick Rules
These are the brief basic rules.
- Put the board on the table, shuffle the cards and keep everything else nearby.
- The leader takes a topic, 5 pictures, a marker and a note card. The leader lays the pictures out in front of themselves (does not hold them in hand).
- The leader secretly distributes the pictures across the tier list, writing the result on the note card.
- The leader tells the players the topic, and they must guess how the leader thought.
- That is all the rules. You can play, but it is better to read on, choose a mode (there are three) and learn the boring details.
Game Modes
There are 3 modes for different numbers of players:
- Cooperative mode (2-6 players): if there are few of you. Everyone together, without conflict, guesses how the leader laid out the pictures.
- Competitive mode (4-11 players): if there are more of you. Every player plays for themselves and answers without discussion.
- Team mode (4-16 players): if a large group has gathered. You split into 2 teams and try to beat each other.
Cooperative Mode
Here you all play together as one team. You win and lose together.
Setup
Place the board, tokens and cards as shown in the illustration and choose the first leader.
- Put the red token on the top space of the board track (the "loss" space).
- Put the green (your team's) token on the bottom space of the track.
- Use the side of the board without text. In your first game, play with this side.
- The leader takes a marker and a note card.
Round Sequence
At the start of the round the leader takes the top 5 picture cards without turning them over and puts them in front of themselves.
The leader looks at the topic without showing it to anyone. The leader secretly distributes the pictures according to the topic: each picture goes in one cell (one picture per tier) and is written on the note card.
Example: topic hidden; the five pictures are a bra, books, currency, a tick and a cat, and the leader writes them in tier order.
Written everything down? The leader reveals the topic and then stays silent and gives no hints. The players try to work out what the leader was thinking: which picture did the leader put where? They discuss without the leader and try to place the pictures along the board in the same way as on the leader's note card.
When everything is laid out, the leader checks and says how many pictures lie correctly, but does not show the note card and does not say which ones are correct.
If all 5 are correct, go count points.
If fewer than 5 pictures are correct, you have a second attempt to improve (or worsen) the result. You may move any pictures to other places. Afterwards the leader reveals the note card.
Example: before the second attempt the players think the arrangement is right, but only one picture lies correctly. They rearrange, and after the second attempt three pictures lie correctly.
Moving the Tokens
After both attempts:
- 4 or 5 pictures are correct: move the green token up two steps.
- 3 pictures are correct: move the green token up one step.
- 1 or 2 pictures are correct: move the red token down one step.
- All 5 pictures are wrong: move the red token down two steps.
End of the Game
As soon as one of the tokens reaches the central star space, the game ends. If the green token reaches the star first, it is a victory. If the red token does, it is a defeat.
If the tokens have not reached the center, the next player becomes the leader. Discard the picture cards and the topic. Start a new round.
Harder Game
Turn the board text side up. When any token crosses an effect's text, that effect starts working from the next round.
The effects on the track, in order, are:
- Choose the side of the pictures: after taking the pictures, the leader chooses which side of each to lay face up. That is, the leader has a choice of 10 pictures on 5 cards, or 8 on 4 if the "Take four pictures" effect is already active.
- Place one picture on the correct spot: as soon as the leader has distributed all the pictures, the leader places any one picture in its correct place.
- No second attempt: when the players have laid out the pictures, the leader immediately announces the result, with no second attempt.
- Take four pictures: the leader takes 4 pictures instead of 5 and writes them down, leaving one spot empty. The players also guess which spot the leader did not put a picture in. If they left the same spot empty, that counts as a correct picture, and vice versa.
All effects stack, so you can have from zero to four effects active at the same time.
Competitive Mode
Here the leader gives each player one picture, and each player guesses their own.
Setup
Place the board and topics as shown in the illustration and choose the first leader.
Round Sequence
At the start of the round the leader takes a note card, a marker and picture cards equal to the number of players (not counting the leader), but not fewer than 5, and puts them face up in front of themselves. The leader then secretly reads one topic.
The leader secretly distributes all the pictures according to the topic, with no empty rows and no more than 2 pictures per row. Then, without looking and without turning them over, the leader shuffles the pictures and deals one to each player. Extra pictures are put next to the leader.
The leader reveals the topic. In any order, the players place their pictures next to the tier list, guessing where the leader wrote them down. Everyone decides for themselves. All pictures may be placed in one category if you wish.
When everyone is ready, the leader says how the pictures should lie:
- Players who placed their pictures correctly take them and keep them as points until the end of the game.
- Incorrect pictures and extra pictures go to the discard.
The leader takes the top picture of the deck as 1 victory point if at least half of the players guessed correctly (with 3, 5, 7 or 9 players, 2, 3, 4 or 5 correct answers are needed). If everyone succeeded, the leader takes 2 pictures from the deck.
Start a new round and choose a new leader.
End of the Game
If everyone has already been the leader, the game ends. Count your victory pictures. The player with more pictures wins. In case of a tie, it is a draw.
Team Mode
Here you have two teams, two leaders, but one goal: to guess more cards than the other team.
Setup
Split into 2 teams and choose the first leaders. Place the boards, tokens and cards as shown in the illustration.
- The board without text is used.
- Each team's token goes on its start space: the green team's token on its side and the red team's token on its side.
- The green team's leader takes a marker and a note card. The red team's leader takes a marker and a note card.
Round Sequence
At the start of the round each leader takes the top 5 pictures without turning them over and puts them in front of themselves. Both leaders secretly look at one topic together.
Each leader secretly distributes their own 5 pictures according to the topic.
The team whose leader finished writing first goes first. The leaders reveal the topic and then stay silent and give no hints. The teams take turns:
- Take any picture, even one from the other team's leader.
- In which cell did the leader put it? Think together and place it the same way on your side of the board. Any number of pictures may be in one cell.
Special ability: if a team took a picture of its own leader and placed it incorrectly, the leader may once per round help and say "Wrong". After that the team moves the picture to a different place, and the leader is silent again.
Scoring the Round
When everything is laid out, the leaders reveal their notes. Take the pictures lying correctly on your side of the board. These are your team's victory points. Discard the rest.
The team with more pictures this round moves its token one step closer to the star. A tie? Move both tokens!
End of the Game
When one of the tokens reaches the star, the game ends and that team wins. If both arrive together, count which team has more pictures over all rounds.