3 Things
3 Things Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 55 double-sided Thing chips
- 80 Survival Scenario cards (including two blank cards)
- 150 Scoring Rations
- Zippered canvas tote
- Whistle
Example
Survival Scenario: "You angered a hypnotist and now pee uncontrollably when you see the color blue. Grab 3 things to help you survive."
The sample shows three Thing chips: Dog, Tighty Whities and Fez.
- Player: "I train the dog to sit next to me at all times and blame the dog for any accident. Sorry, Frank. (The dog's name is Frank.)" "In case seeing blue is unavoidable, I always keep an extra pair of tighty whities with me. I might start doing this in real life, too." "No one will be able to look away from my tiny fez hat. It's just such an odd hat choice. Like really, it barely covers my head."
- Judge: "You get 2 points for the dog and the underwear. You should start keeping an extra pair of undies with you. I double up myself. See? No points for the fez. They aren't actually tiny in real life. Look it up."
Object
Each round use three Things to craft a survival plan to gain the most Rations possible.
Setup
Place the Thing chips in the centre of the table. Shuffle the Survival Scenarios and place them to the side. Designate one player to be the "official" whistle blower for the group (optional).
Starting the Game
The person that most recently used a porta-potty is the first judge. Play proceeds clockwise around the table.
Play
The judge picks a Survival Scenario card from the top of the deck and reads it out loud. Players then race to gather three Thing chips that will help them survive the Survival Scenario. If any player or players are slow to collect their objects, all other players are encouraged to heckle them into making a quick decision.
Optional: If heckling the player or players doesn't seem to be working, the designated whistle blower can blow the whistle thereby ending the round, even if all players have not collected three Thing chips.
Note: It's always more fun if everyone has 3 Things, but dang it Karen, we don't have all night!
After all players have gathered their Thing chips or the whistle has been blown, each player explains to the judge their survival plan crafted around each Thing chip they've collected. Plans should be outlandish, creative, or convincing; whatever they think will sway the judge to give them as many savory, life-sustaining Rations as possible.
Tip: Consider how objects can be interpreted in different ways. For instance, a blanket can be used for warmth, a parachute, or to dress up as a spooky ghost.
Scoring
The judge is responsible for awarding Rations to each player. Players can earn up to three Rations total on each turn, one for each Thing chip that the judge rules acceptable. Players can then flip their Rations over to hide their total score.
Clean-up
After scoring, players should flip over their Thing chips and return them to the middle.
Discard the Survival Scenario.
Ending the Game
Once each player has been the judge twice, play ends. The player with the most Rations survives and wins the game!
Tie Breaker
It is very possible that more than one player will end up with the same number of Rations. In case of a tie, return all the Thing chips to the bag. Have a non-survivor pick a scenario from the top of the deck and read it to the remaining players. Survivors take three Thing chips out of the bag, one at a time, pitching their survival plans to the remaining players.
Note: Survivors only pull Thing chips on their turn, so they don't get additional time to "think." The non-survivors then decide which player has the best plan to determine the winner!
Really? All players have tied?
Congratulations! You have unlocked the cooperative version of 3 Things! Everybody survives, and everybody wins!