Venn Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Competitive Play: 4 or More Players
  • Objective
  • Setup
  • Getting Started
  • Clue Giving
    • Placing Art Cards
    • The Spirit of the Game
  • Guessing Words
  • Ending/Winning the Game
  • Competitive Game Variants
    • Longer Play Variant
    • Expert Variant
• Cooperative Play: 2 or More Players
  • Objective
  • Setup
  • Playing the Game
  • Placing Art Cards
  • Guessing Words
  • Ending/Winning the Game

Components

• 6 VENN Circles (2 Pink, 2 Blue, 2 Yellow)
• 100 Double-sided Art Cards
• 100 Number Cards
• 50 Double-sided Word Cards
• 1 Scoreboard (numbered 1 to 12)
• 2 Team Scoring Markers
• 2 Number Card Holders

Competitive Play: 4 or More Players

Objective

In VENN, players use overlapping circles to organize Art cards to help their team deduce words. Be the first team to score 12 points to win!

A Venn diagram is a way to organize objects into sets. Each circle is defined by an attribute that determines which objects should go in that circle. For example, the left circle contains objects that are red. The right circle contains objects with wheels. The zone where they overlap contains a wagon, because it is both red and has wheels.

Setup

1. Divide into two teams. Place the Scoreboard and the two Team Scoring Markers in the center of the table.
2. Give each team three VENN Circles and arrange them as shown (three overlapping circles, forming seven zones).
3. Shuffle the Art cards and give roughly one third to each team. Place the third stack of cards within easy reach of the two teams.
4. Shuffle the Word cards and the Number cards. Place both near the Scoreboard.

Getting Started

To start a round, place four Word cards (using either side) to the right of the Scoreboard with each word next to a number.

Each team chooses a Clue Giver for the round who draws a Number card. That player must keep the numbers on the card hidden from their teammates (the Guessers) using a Number card holder. Look at the words next to the Scoreboard; the numbers on the card indicate the words the Clue Giver will be trying to communicate.

Each Clue Giver takes their team's stack of Art cards.

When both Clue Givers are ready, count "1, 2, 3, GO" to begin.

Clue Giving

Placing Art Cards

Each word relates to one of the VENN Circles. It doesn't matter which color VENN Circle a Clue Giver uses to represent each of the three words as long as the Clue Giver remembers which circle is which. Their goal is simply to get their team to guess the words indicated by their team's Number card.

Clue Givers will quickly search through their stack of Art cards. When they find a helpful image, they should place it on one of the seven zones of their VENN Circles. Clue Givers are not allowed to talk; the placement of Art cards is their only form of communication with the Guessers.

The zones are defined by how the VENN Circles overlap. Each zone can hold a maximum of one card.

• Outer Zones (yellow, blue, and pink): Art cards placed here relate to exactly one of the team's words.
• Inner Zones (green, red, and purple): Art cards in this zone relate to a pair of words. For example, images placed in green relate to both the blue and yellow words.
• Center Zone (brown): Art cards placed here relate to all three words.

The Spirit of the Game

VENN is a party game. While you may find various ways as a Clue Giver to non-verbally signal to your teammates whether or not they're on the right track, the fun of the game comes from solving the riddle of the cryptic images. It's part of the Clue Giver's role to help create that experience. Instead of a long list of signals that would be against the rules, we simply ask this: If you're a Clue Giver, keep shuffling through the cards looking for images that can narrow down your Guessers' choices until they call "VENN". If you're a Guesser, focus on the images and their location within the circles rather than looking at your Clue Giver for signals.

Once an Art card is placed in a zone, no one may move it. If a Clue Giver finds a better image for a zone, they should stack the new image on top of the previously placed Art card, covering it completely. Players are never allowed to look through stacked Art cards within a zone.

Example: The VENN Circles communicate the words "bland" (top circle), "turn" (left circle), and "cute" (right circle), as determined by the Number card (12, 1, 3) and the words set up next to the Scoreboard (1 Bland, 2 Country, 3 Turn; 4 Elegant, 5 Gold, 6 Cat; 7 Grow, 8 Animal, 9 Tie; 10 Common, 11 Wing, 12 Cute).

Need more art? The Clue Giver can swap Art cards with the third stack at any time.

Guessing Words

After the first Art card for a team is placed, the Guessers may discuss which word(s) they think they're being led to. The Clue Giver may listen to this discussion, but should try not to acknowledge the comments. A team may call out "VENN!" to make an official guess at any point after their Clue Giver has placed a third Art card. Immediately both Clue Givers must stop placing Art cards.

The team that called "VENN!" then guesses their three words. The first three list words spoken by the Guessers are the team's official guesses. Guessers do not need to indicate which guess goes with a specific circle. After all three guesses are made, the Clue Giver reveals their Number card. The team receives one point per correct word, and if they get them all correct, they receive one bonus point.

Now, the other team gets to guess their words. They receive one point for each correct word, but there is no bonus point available for this team. Move the Scoring Markers along the left side of the Scoreboard to track the points.

To start the next round, replace the Word cards and choose a new Clue Giver for each team who will draw a Number card.

Ending/Winning the Game

The game ends when either team has reached 12 or more points. Continue to count the points for the round, and the team with the most points wins! If there is a tie, the team that scored more points in the final round wins.

Competitive Game Variants

Longer Play Variant

If players want a longer VENN experience, try playing with a "best of three" format; the first team to win two games of VENN is the overall winner.

Expert Variant

For a more challenging game, the first card played into the VENN Circles by each team must be played in either an Inner or Center Zone.

Cooperative Play: 2 or More Players

In VENN - Cooperative Play, players will be racing the clock using a limited supply of Number cards! How well can you arrange the clues that will ensure your victory?

Objective

Score 12 points before your stack of Number cards runs out!

Setup

Setup is the same as Competitive VENN, but you only need one set of circles and exactly five Number cards. Return the other Number cards to the box.

NOTE: Cooperative Play requires the use of any standard stopwatch or timer on a mobile device. Set the timer for two minutes.

Playing the Game

A game consists of up to five rounds. The Clue Giver takes the top Number card, checking to see which words line up with their numbers.

When the Clue Giver is ready, they start the 2-minute timer and begin placing Art cards in the VENN Circles.

Placing Art Cards

Art Cards should be placed by the Clue Giver using the same rules of Competitive Play, as described on page 3.

Guessing Words

The team may not make their official guess until their Clue Giver has placed at least three Art cards on their team's VENN Circles.

The round ends when the timer beeps or when the Guessers call out "VENN!" After all three guesses are made, the Clue Giver reveals the Number card, scoring one point per correct word. Unlike in the competitive game, there is no bonus point for correctly guessing all three words.

Move the Scoring Marker along the left side of the Scoreboard to track the points. To start the next round, replace the Word cards and choose a new Clue Giver who will draw the next Number card in the stack.

Ending/Winning the Game

The game ends in one of two ways.

• If the team scores 12 points, you win!
• If there are no Number cards left to draw, you lose... better luck next time!