Strike A Pose
Strike A Pose Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 47 double-sided theme cards
- 7 numbered cards
- 1 sand timer
- 1 rulebook
Object of the Game
Score as many victory points as possible by guessing what the "statues" are portraying.
Setup
Shuffle the theme cards and stack them in a deck face down in the centre of the table. You can choose the level of the game: Novice (use the blue side as the face side) or Expert (the orange side as the face side). To begin with, and when playing with children, we recommend the blue side.
Place the sand timer and the numbered cards face down on the table.
Take a sheet of paper and a pen to record victory points.
Game for 4-8 Players
In each round one of the players becomes the leader - a museum visitor. He turns away from the other players or leaves the room.
Meanwhile, the other players (who will be the statues in this museum) each randomly take one numbered card. The remaining numbered cards do not need to be turned over; they continue to lie on the table.
One of the statue players opens a theme card, and the players choose one of the two themes shown on it. Each statue player finds, reads to himself and memorizes the word of this theme that is under the number on the card he took. After that, the theme card must be put next to the deck, face down.
The statue players line up in a row, and each takes the pose that, in his opinion, will allow the leader to guess the word corresponding to his number. Players may use objects they have at hand, if these objects do not coincide with the hidden word. It is not necessary to depict the word literally; you may use any associations that will help the leader guess. Remember that he will know only the theme!
When the statue players are ready, they call the leader. He turns over the sand timer, and the theme of the card is announced to him (without showing the card itself). Now he immediately begins to guess what the statues portray. The leader may make several attempts and name different words and phrases for each statue.
When the time in the sand timer runs out, the round ends and scoring takes place.
For each statue guessed correctly in the allotted time, both the leader and the player who portrayed that statue receive one victory point each.
In the next round another player becomes the leader.
Notes
- Words written on the card separated by "/" are considered synonyms (any of the listed variants is accepted).
- Words in brackets do not have to be named; they are more of a clarification.
- Small deviations in the answer are acceptable (number, case, prepositions) if the leader has grasped the meaning correctly.
End of the Game
The game ends when all participants have played the role of museum visitor an equal number of times (you can choose how many yourselves). The player with the most victory points wins.
Variants
6 to 14 Players: Let's Split into Teams
Players split into two teams. Randomly choose one of the numbered cards - it will be in effect for the whole game.
Each round proceeds as follows:
One of the players becomes the sculptor. He chooses one of the players of the opposing team, who will be his statue. Both of these players stand facing the other participants so that everyone can see them. The sculptor draws one of the theme cards, chooses one of the two themes, and reads to himself the word (phrase) under the number that was chosen at the start of the game. He must not show the card to anyone.
After that the sculptor turns over the sand timer and begins to "create" the statue, giving the player of the opposing team the needed pose. The statue player must listen to the sculptor. The sculptor does everything with his hands, but may say something to the statue in words, if this is not a hint for the other players.
- You may say: "Bend your knees." (correct)
- You may not say: "Make pliers with your fingers." (incorrect)
The sculptor may also become part of the sculpture himself.
For example:
- You may depict wings with your hands behind the statue's back. (correct)
- You may not flap these wings. (incorrect)
As soon as the statue is ready, the sculptor announces the theme.
All players of both teams try to guess as quickly as possible what the statue portrays. All players call out their guesses aloud. The first player to correctly guess the hidden word brings his team a victory point. If the time in the sand timer has not yet run out, the sculptor may take the next theme card and continue the game.
End of the Round
The round ends when the time in the sand timer runs out. The player who was the statue becomes the sculptor in the new round, and he chooses a statue for himself from the opposing team (this must be a player who has not yet been a statue). The round then proceeds under the same rules.
End of the Game
The game ends when every player has been both a statue and a sculptor once. The team that has scored more points wins.
Note: If desired, this variant can be played without a sculptor. During the round, the player portraying the statue himself takes the needed pose and names the theme of the card to the other players. If the word is guessed, he may take the next card and portray the next word, until the time in the sand timer runs out. In the next round the statue will be a player of the opposing team who has not yet been a statue in this game. The game ends when all players have been statues an equal number of times.
8 to 16 Participants: Playing in Pairs
You can split into pairs and play by the basic rules with one change: in each round two players become museum visitors, and each statue is portrayed by two players.