Top Secret
Top Secret Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Contents
- 100 two-sided Question Cards
- 10 Team Cards (5x Yellow Team, 5x Blue Team)
- 40 Tokens (4 of each color)
Game Idea
"Top Secret" splits the players into two secret teams: Team Yellow and Team Blue. On each half of the question card there are specific questions for each team (Yellow questions for Team Yellow and Blue questions for Team Blue). The sides of the cards are marked "Yes" and "No". Everybody will have to answer with their tokens but to which question? It is your task to find one of your teammates.
Preparation
Even number of players: Take as many Team Cards as there are players participating. Take as many Team Yellow and as many Team Blue cards.
Odd number of players: Take 1 more Team Card than there are players participating. Take as many Team Yellow cards as Team Blue cards. (E.g.: 5 players: Use 3 Team Yellow cards and 3 Team Blue cards.)
Put any leftover Team Cards back into the box.
Shuffle all question cards and form one draw pile in the center of the table.
Each player takes 4 tokens of the same color and places them in front of him.
Game Play
The game consists of 3 rounds, each round consists of 4 phases:
1. Dealing Team Cards
At the start of each round shuffle the Team Cards and deal out one Team Card to each player. You may only look at your own Team Card. Keep your affiliation secret till the end of the round. With an odd number of players, one Team Card will be left over. Put it aside without looking at it.
2. Drawing a Question Card 3x
Through the course of a round you will draw 3 Question Cards and answer 3 questions.
Take the upper card of the pile, turn it over and place next to the draw pile.
Read out loud both questions.
Each player answers only the question that is directed to their team without reading it out loud. To give an answer either place your token next to the YES-side, or next to the NO-side of the card.
There is no particular order in which to place your tokens. Everybody may put down their token as soon as they know how to answer. In any case, wait until both questions have been read out completely.
After everybody has answered the question (placed their tokens), reveal another Question Card (take the upper card from the draw pile and turn it over). After reading out both questions, everybody answers by placing their token.
Repeat the same with the third Question Card.
3. Finding Your Teammate
After everybody gave an answer to 3 questions on 3 Question Cards, it is time to analyze the information at hand and to look at all the answers once more and try to find out which player might be on the same team as you.
Note: It doesn't matter how many players you are, you must always find only 1 teammate!
Put your finger into the air to indicate that you are ready to take a guess. When everybody is ready, count to 3. On 3 all of you simultaneously point at 1 player that you think is on your team. No take backs!
4. Scoring Points
Reveal your Team Cards.
Have you picked a member of the other team? It's a pity.
Have you picked a member of your own team? Draw 3 Question Cards from the draw pile. They count as 1 point each!
Has somebody correctly identified you as a teammate? Draw 1 Question Card from the draw pile. That's also worth 1 point! Even if you were identified by 2 or more teammates, you will always only get 1 point for being identified.
If you are playing with 3 players: The player who doesn't have a teammate must point at himself. If he correctly identified that he is the only member of his team, he receives 4 points (and draws 4 Question Cards from the draw pile).
End of the Game
After 3 Rounds (of 3 Question Cards each) the game ends. Everybody counts the cards they have won. The player with the most cards is the winner!
In case of a tie, all tied players win the game.