El Maestro
El Maestro Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Principle and Goal
The Maestro must have the other players draw a work of art that only he can see.
His only means of doing so: air-draw what is on his card, using the Maestro's codes to tell the others how to place the shapes he draws! At the end of his performance, each player must name two elements they believe they have reproduced.
A game lasts 4 rounds.
Setup
- Assemble the lectern and place it with the Work cards in the box, as shown in the photo in the rulebook. Place the whole at one end of the table so that the Maestro is clearly visible to all players.
- The players designate a first Maestro. He stands behind the lectern, about one metre away from it, so that the other players can see his movements. He chooses a Work card or draws one at random. We recommend starting with the 1-star cards. He places his card on the lectern so that no other player can see it.
- Each of the other players takes a screen (paravent), a sheet from the notepad and a pencil. They place the sheet and pencil behind their screen.
Work cards: The Work cards come in three difficulty levels: 1 star (accessible), 2 stars (medium), 3 stars (complex).
Round Structure
A round is played in three steps: 1. The Maestro performs his interpretation. 2. The Maestro has finished his work. 3. Points are scored.
1. The Maestro Performs His Interpretation
- The Maestro takes time to study his work. This gives him a better chance of communicating it to the other players.
- The Maestro begins to air-draw the shapes that make up his work with his fingers. This is called "air-drawing". He may use one or two hands.
- The Maestro must begin with the red-fuchsia shapes on his card. In the example in the rulebook, the first two shapes are a circle and a rectangle, in whatever order he wishes.
- The other players try to reproduce on their sheets what the Maestro air-draws. Example: the Maestro air-draws a circle, so the players must draw a circle within the frame of their sheet.
- The question is then where to place that circle on the sheet. This is where the Maestro's codes come in: while air-drawing the shapes, the Maestro gives information to the other players so that they assemble the shapes in the correct places.
- Place the "Maestro's Codes" booklet on the table, star side (★) facing all players. This gives everyone a reminder of the codes and the gestures associated with them.
There are two ways to play with the codes:
- Simplified version: the Maestro is allowed to speak. He may announce the codes whose gestures he is making, and may also speak throughout the performance of his work. This makes the information clearer and more precise.
- Advanced "Grand Maestro" version: the Maestro is not allowed to speak; he may only mime. He may then claim the title of Grand Maestro to win 3 points instead of 2 (see Scoring).
We recommend playing with the simplified version during your first games.
Golden rule: if the Maestro speaks, he is forbidden to announce shapes or sizes. The Maestro must therefore always air-draw shapes at their correct sizes.
Example in the simplified version: the Maestro may not say "triangle", "square", "small" or "big". However, he may say "I am going to stick the next shape I draw ON the shape I drew just before. And I stick it right here" (while making the gesture).
2. The Maestro Has Finished His Work
- Each player now tries to guess what the Maestro drew. Players each write 2 words at the bottom of their sheets and sign their drawings.
- There are always at least two elements in a work. There is nothing to lose by writing a word even if you are not certain of what you drew.
- The Maestro reveals the Work card to the other players.
- Each player reveals their drawing.
3. Scoring
The Maestro's points (shown at the top of the Work cards):
- The Maestro gains 2 points if he spoke during his performance.
- If the Maestro did not speak and at least one player found the name of 2 elements on his card, the Maestro scores 3 points and takes the title of Grand Maestro. Otherwise, he scores 2 points, as if he had spoken.
- The Maestro keeps his card to remember his points.
The artistic note:
- The Maestro awards 2 points to the drawing he finds best made, and 1 point to another drawing he finds deserving.
- Note: drawings are often mirror images of the original. This does not matter.
The words:
Each word written by a player is worth 1 point if:
- 2a. The Maestro validates the word because it describes an element of the work. Note: if a player wrote "wasp" (guêpe) when the element was a bee, the Maestro must validate the word, as it belongs to the same family.
- 2b. At least one other player also wrote that same word. This can happen if the Maestro drew poorly. For example, if the Maestro badly drew a sheep and several players wrote "robot" because their drawings look like a robot, then "robot" is worth 1 point for those players.
A drawing is therefore worth its artistic note plus the value of its two words.
Example (from the rulebook): three players have just drawn. In the first drawing, the Maestro awards 2 points for the best-made drawing and 1 point to a second drawing he finds deserving. He validates the words "shark" (requin) and "birds" (oiseaux), worth 1 point each (2a). He does not validate "island" (île), but two players wrote this word thinking there was an island on their drawing; so "island" is worth 1 point anyway (2b).
End of Round
The Maestro chooses a player who has not yet been Maestro during the game. That player becomes the Maestro for the next round. If the other players agree, the same player may be Maestro in several rounds (this is mandatory in a 3-player game).
End of Game
The game ends after 4 rounds (once 4 players have been Maestro). Nothing prevents you from playing more rounds if you wish.
Count your points. Your score is equal to:
- the sum of the points from your drawings (artistic notes and words)
- plus the points from the Work cards of the players who have been Maestro.