El Memorioso
El Memorioso Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
General Concept
"El Memorioso" is a board game for two or more participants; it can be played individually or in teams. Combining memory and mental agility, players try to write down all the elements of the lists that they can remember or deduce in order to win the game.
Contents
448 list cards / 4 pads / 4 pencils / 1 sharpener / 10 "x2" (double) and "/2" (divide) tokens / 1 hourglass
Game Dynamics
1. "Todo de un poco" (recommended for team play)
Before starting the game all teams must have their "x2" and "/2" tokens, paper and pencil. On the table are placed a pile of lists and the hourglass.
The team with the youngest player at the table draws a list from the pile and reads it aloud (e.g. "21 Countries of Central America"). The player to their left turns over the hourglass and the first round begins.
Each team must try to write as many elements of the list as possible before the hourglass time runs out. The maximum number of elements each team may write is the number that appears on the list.
Once time runs out, each team reads the elements of its list, starting with the team that drew the list from the pile. Every correct answer is worth 1 point, plus 1 extra point for each team at the table that did not write it. E.g.: if there are five teams at the table, and three did not write the word Costa Rica, that word is worth 4 points (1 for being correct + 3 for the number of teams that did not write it). Every incorrect answer is worth -1.
If a team finishes writing all the elements of the list before time runs out, it can call out Memorioso and end the round. If this team has all the elements of the list correct, its score for that round is worth double. If it has at least one incorrect answer, its score for that round is worth half.
Important: Each list states in its heading the number of elements that make it up. If a team ends the turn with more elements written on its sheet than the heading says, it must cross out the extra elements from the beginning of the list. E.g.: if the list says "21 countries of Central America" and a team writes 23 countries on its list, it must cross out the first two elements of its list before counting points.
End of the game
The score to play to depends on the number of teams in each game. A good guide is to set 25 points for each team. So you play to 50 if there are two teams, 75 if three, 100 if four, etc.
2. "Un poco de Todo" (recommended for individual play)
Before starting the game all players must have paper and pencil. On the table are placed: a pile of lists, the hourglass and the numbers one to four (these are used to mark the lists).
Each turn, four list cards are drawn at random and, without being read, are placed next to each of the number cards.
The hourglass is turned over and the round begins. Players must write four elements from each list (only four; if they write more, that list will not be counted for them). If they manage to write four elements from all four lists, they can call out Memorioso, which ends the round. If the player who called Memorioso has all their answers correct, their score in that round is worth double. If they have at least one incorrect answer, their score in that round is worth half (rounding up). If a player calls "Tutti Frutti" instead of Memorioso, their hand is annulled.
Every correct answer is worth 1 point plus 1 point for each player at the table who did not write it. E.g.: if there are 5 at the table, and 3 did not write the word Costa Rica from list 21 Countries of Central America, that word is worth 4 points (1 for being correct + 3 for the number of players who did not write it).
The game includes numbers from 1 to 9 so that this version of the game can be adapted to the number of lists the players decide on.
End of the game
The score to play to depends on the number of players in each game. A good guide is to set 40 points for each player. So you play to 80 if there are 2 players, 120 if 3, 160 if 4, etc. Another way to play is to set a limit of rounds to play; the winner is then the player with the highest accumulated score over the six rounds.
Calls: x2 and /2
Each team begins the game with two calls: double and divide; there is only one token of each call per team per game. They may be used once the heading of the list has been read, before starting to write the elements. Two identical calls cannot be used on the same team.
- Double (x2): Once the team finishes counting its points, they are worth double.
- Divide (/2): The team making the call must point out which team it is used on. Once the chosen team finishes counting its points, it must divide them by two (rounding up).
Winner
The winner has the right to boast the title of "Memorioso/a" for three consecutive days from the end of the game in which they won. If any game is played within those three days in which they do not win, they lose this right.
Clarifications
We know that many of the elements that appear in the lists could vary, whether due to notation or the sources consulted. We used official sources or those of recognized bodies when possible. And as a last resort we used our own personal judgment.
Whether an answer is accepted as correct is up to the players. E.g.: if Special Effects is written and the answer given is Visual Effects, we appeal to common sense and the judgment of the players at the table to decide whether it is correct.
Regarding notations, we chose the name we believed most pertinent to the prompt of the list, sometimes being the official name and other times the name by which it is popularly known.
This game was printed in September 2015, so the answers are as of that date.