Broad Lines
Broad Lines Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 91 cards (each with 6 words, numbered 1 to 6)
- 25 transparent sheets
- 1 erasable marker
- 1 card stand
- 1 easel
Easel
Before the first game, carefully assemble the easel: insert the tabs marked A into the slots marked A, and the tabs marked B into the slots marked B.
Setup
- Shuffle the cards and stack them in a deck in the middle of the table, face down.
- Place the easel, the stand, the erasable marker and the transparent sheets on the table so that any player can reach them.
- Randomly choose the player who will be the first Art Critic.
Round Sequence
The Art Critic takes the top card from the deck and inserts it into the stand so that only the Artists can see the words on the back (the Artists' side).
Important: The Art Critic MUST NOT see what is written on the card in the stand.
Then the Art Critic names a number from 1 to 6 - the number of the word on the card that the Artists will depict.
Note: one of the Artists may not know what the chosen word means. In that case, the Art Critic can be asked to name another number and so choose a different word from the card.
The player to the left of the Art Critic is the first Artist of this round. The Artist takes a transparent sheet and draws on it with the erasable marker. An Artist may draw either:
- 2 straight lines, or
- 1 curve.
Then the Artist places the transparent sheet on the easel. The Art Critic has 2 guesses to name the word.
Example: the Art Critic takes the top card of the deck and names the number 3. On this card, the word number 3 is "Ostrich". The Artists will draw an ostrich, and the Art Critic will try to guess what they are drawing.
What and How to Draw
Each Artist is free to add to the common picture whatever details they think necessary, but must follow these rules:
- You may draw 2 lines, whether crossing or not crossing.
- You may draw 2 straight lines forming an angle.
- You may draw 1 straight line, but not more than 2.
- You may draw a closed curve, that is, a circle or an oval.
- You may not draw crossing curves.
- You may not draw a curve that changes the direction of its bend (either all the curves go clockwise only, or all go counterclockwise only).
- You may not discuss with the other Artists what and how to draw.
- You may not remove a transparent sheet once it has been placed on the easel.
- You may not hold your sheet up to the sheets on the easel to check whether the lines match.
- You may not write the chosen word itself.
- You may not comment on the finished drawing (for example, "that line should have been further to the right").
If the word is not guessed, the turn passes to the next Artist clockwise.
The new Artist takes a transparent sheet, draws 2 straight lines or 1 curve on it, and then places the sheet on the easel over the previous ones.
The Art Critic has 2 more guesses. Continue until the Art Critic guesses the word or you decide to give up (see "Can't Guess?" below). When the word is guessed or you give up, the round ends.
Word Guessed!
A word counts as guessed even if the Art Critic did not name it exactly, for example by using a different grammatical number (singular/plural), gender (masculine/feminine/neuter) or form (diminutive, pejorative or augmentative).
The Artists may not directly comment on wrong guesses, but may give general hints such as "Well, almost", "Not bad" or "Not at all".
Can't Guess?
If the drawing has become too confusing, the Art Critic cannot guess, or the Artists cannot explain the word, the players may by mutual agreement give up and choose another word. The current round ends immediately.
End of the Round
The round ends if the Art Critic guesses the word or you decided to give up. In that case:
- Remove all the used transparent sheets from the easel and put them in the box. They are not used again in this game. If you gave up, put one more unused transparent sheet in the box.
- If the Art Critic guessed the word, set the card with the guessed word aside for final scoring. If you gave up, put the card with the unguessed word in the box. It will not count in scoring.
- Start a new round (see "New Round, New Word!").
New Round, New Word!
When the word is guessed or the players give up, the round ends and a new one begins. The player to the left of the last Artist becomes the new Art Critic. All other players become Artists. The Art Critic takes a new card from the deck, and the new round is played by the rules described above.
Example
The word "House" is chosen. The first Artist draws two connected straight lines (1) and places the transparent sheet on the easel (2). The Art Critic guesses "Mountain" or "Triangle", but is wrong. The next Artist draws two connected straight lines (3) and places the sheet on the easel (4). Unfortunately, the second Artist did not manage to draw the lines so that they matched the previous drawing, and the Artists can only hope the Art Critic has a good imagination. However, the Art Critic again does not guess. The third Artist draws a curve (5) and places the transparent sheet on the easel (6). The lines again do not match completely, but the Art Critic still guesses the word: "House!" The round is over. The three transparent sheets that were on the easel are put in the box, and the card with the guessed word is set aside for final scoring.
A new round can begin!
End of the Game
When an Artist places the last (25th) transparent sheet on the easel, the Art Critic has one last chance to guess the word (as usual, with 2 guesses). After that the game ends immediately. Count the set-aside cards with guessed words and rate your skills on this scale:
| Guessed words | Rating |
|---|---|
| 10 or more | Brilliant! Your works could be exhibited in an art gallery. |
| 8-9 | Your paintings are almost perfect, but your technique could still use some work. |
| 6-7 | Excellent! You are a talented artist. |
| 4-5 | Neither fame nor shame! You can do better! |
| 2-3 | Well, at least you know how to hold a marker. Now you need to learn how to use it. |
| 1 | Perhaps you should not build your life around the visual arts. |
| 0 | The main thing is that you had fun. Maybe someday you will learn to draw! |
Important: do not forget to carefully wipe the drawings off the transparent sheets immediately after the game ends.