Rules of the game
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Each player chooses a card at random from the pack. The one who chooses the card with the highest number starts the game. The game proceeds in a clockwise direction. The pack is shuffled and cut or split into two. The first half is placed on the table, with the backs of the cards upwards. This is the draw pile or stock. The other half is dealt equally among all the players. The surplus cards are put back into the stock. Each player places his own hand of cards in front of him, with the backs of the cards upwards, and without looking at them.
The first player then takes the first card from his hand of cards and plays it. In just a few words, he has to start a story, drawing inspiration from the illustration shown. Note that the aim of the game is to invent a story, not to describe the picture !
It’s then the turn of the second player. He takes a card from his hand of cards. If its main colour matches the main colour or the two associated colours (the two little circles, see page 2) of the previous card, he can play it. Otherwise, he has to draw the top card from the stock
There are then two scenarios:
- Either the main colour of the card matches. He then places his new card on the previous card and can continue the story, drawing inspiration from the
illustration on his own card. He then holds onto his first card.
- Or the main colour of the drawn card doesn’t match the main colour of the card on the table, nor its associated colours. He then holds onto both his cards and misses a turn. It’s then the turn of the following player and so on.
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(a) Card number
(b) Illustration
(c) Main colour of the card
(d) Associated colours
So, each round goes as follows:
- The player takes the first card from his hand of cards (with each round, regardless of the number of cards he holds).
- If the main colour matches, he plays his card.
- If the main colour doesn’t match, he draws a card from the stock. Has he drawn a matching colour ? In that case, he plays his card. Otherwise, he misses a turn.
The winner is the one who is the first to finish his hand of cards, even if there are still a lot of cards in the stock. However, for his win to be recognised, he has to think of an end to the story and begin his sentence with “And that’s how …”. If there are still players who want to continue the game, they have to think of a new twist to the story to get it moving again. This will not in any way change the dazzling win of your opponent, but if you have a really cool picture, it would be a shame to deprive yourself of using it.
Sometimes, a player may have to draw from the stock. Here are the different possibilities:
- He hasn’t been able to put a card of the right colour on the table ;
- He hasn’t been able to continue the story with his card ;
- A player has taken part in the story of another player when it wasn’t his turn to play and/or the card on the table wasn’t his ;
- A player hasn’t been able to stop himself summing up the story to help another player.
Recognising the characters
The back is blue ? Its a ladybird larva.
The back and the “hair” are red ? It’s a ladybird.
A green ball with eyes ?
It’s an aphid, the ladybirds’ favourite food.
Blue or very dark brown ?
It’s bound to be an ant.
Yellow with brown stripes?
A bee.
Yellow with black stripes?
A wasp.
A few tips for playing well:
- Don’t forget that it’s not enough to describe the cards but that each card has to enable the player to continue a story. So, you can draw inspiration freely from your illustration.
- Don’t hesitate to go back to something that’s been said several cards before. Provided you don’t lose the thread of the story, that could help you to get it moving again.
- Your cards are a basis for letting your imagination run wild. Don’t force yourself to use them too literally. As long as your story is funny and doesn’t stifle the imagination of your opponents, they won’t begrudge you your poetic licence.
- If there are several players, don’t hesitate to form groups. Two (or more) heads are better than one.
The colors of cards,
how does it work?
You can continue the story of your opponent if your card has a color associated with the card on the table. How and why these colors are defined?
A small picture is worth a thousand words, here's the simple explanation ...
Red (or magenta here)
+
blue
=
purple
Yellow
+
blue
=
green
Red (or magenta here)
+
yellow
=
orange
Obviously, this depends on the mix of colors… The more magenta and more orange in your red…
So why, when you have a blue card, you can either play a card purple or green card.
Because in purple and green… there's blue! And the same goes for the other colors…
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