Объяснярий (Explain It!)
Объяснярий (Explain It!) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 85 double-sided task cards
- 13 letter cards
Setup
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Shuffle all the task cards with the same colour side facing up: these form the task deck. One side of each card has a blue corner and the other side has a pink corner. The blue-corner side marks a simple task; the pink-corner side marks a hard task.
Depending on the players' decision, one side or the other of each card counts as the card's back for this game:
- If the players decide to play with simple tasks, the cards in the deck must lie with the blue-corner side facing down (in this case this is the front side of the card).
- If the players decide to play with hard tasks, the cards in the deck must lie with the pink-corner side facing down (in this case this is the front side of the card).
Shuffle the task deck and place it face down in the centre of the table. Leave space for discarded cards.
Translator's note: the source's wording of this step ("лицевой стороной вниз", "рубашка") is transcribed as printed.
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Shuffle the letter cards and place them face down in the centre of the table.
Before the game starts, the players must decide whether to play with simple or hard tasks. If the group includes players who have not played Explain It! before, the rulebook recommends simple tasks.
Game Length
Agree when the game will end before you start. You may play until:
- the task deck runs out,
OR
- a set amount of time passes (for example, one hour),
OR
- someone scores a set number of points (for example, five).
Example
Anya was the last of the players to write a shopping list, so she becomes the first leader. The players agree to play with simple tasks. Anya takes 2 cards from the top of the task deck. The next card in the deck shows the number "5" on its back, so Anya may choose the fifth task from either of the two cards. She decides that this time the task is the word "owl" (сова).
Translator's note: the example's numbers and words are taken from the printed illustration, where the fifth item on the chosen card is "сова" (owl).
Game Turn
1. Choosing the Leader
Before the game starts, choose the leader who will begin the game: the leader is the player who last wrote something by hand. In Explain It! the leader changes every turn. At the start of each turn the next participant clockwise becomes the leader.
2. Choosing the Task
The leader secretly takes the 2 top cards of the task deck into hand. Then the leader looks at the back of the top card of the task deck and calls aloud the number printed in its bottom-right corner (from 1 to 10).
Now the leader must privately choose one of the two tasks listed on the two cards taken, in the row with the named number. The leader must explain this task to the other players. The leader places the card with the chosen word face down beside themselves, and the second card face down beside the deck.
3. Determining the Letter
The leader turns over the top card of the letter deck and says aloud the letter on its face side. This is the letter with which every word in the explanation must begin this turn.
Note that each letter card also has several words printed on it that help the leader steer the players' thoughts in one direction or another.
Translator's note: the words printed on the letter card (as shown in the rulebook illustration) are "almost", "wonderful", "approximately", "try", "forget" and "stop".
4. Explanation
The leader must verbally explain the chosen word (or phrase) to the other players, following these rules.
Allowed:
- arrange the words of the explanation in any order, even if they do not form a connected sentence;
- use any parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adverbs, pronouns, etc.) and proper names (surnames of people, geographical names, brands, etc.);
- use the fact that the Russian language is rich in prefixes: if the words you need for the explanation do not begin with the required letter, try words with the same root and prefix. For example, if the word to explain is "sprinter" (спринтер) and the letter "П" is open, the leader cannot say "runs" (бегает), but can say "ran off" (побежал);
- add to the explanation during the guessing. It is not always possible to explain the word in one sentence, and that is no problem: simply continue the explanation when there is a pause in the guessing.
Not allowed:
- use words that do not begin with the letter of this turn;
- use a foreign language or invent non-existent words;
- point at objects or people as an element of the explanation;
- explain the word by mime or any other non-verbal means (for example, drawing);
- use words with the same root as the word to be guessed, or words derived from it. For example, to explain the word "brotherhood" (братство), the leader may not say "sworn brother" (побратим), but may say "comrade" (товарищ) or "related" (родственный), provided these words begin with the letter of this turn.
Important: the letter of this turn restricts only the leader's explanation. The players have no restrictions: they may think aloud using any words they like.
There is no time limit on the explanation in Explain It!. If the players feel the explanation has dragged on, they may decide to interrupt it, if everyone agrees. The rulebook recommends not wasting extra time if the explanation and the guessing reach a dead end, since this is a game in which everyone should have fun.
5. Guessing
All players except the leader call out their guesses aloud, naming the word they think the leader is explaining. Using words that begin with the letter of this turn, the leader may hint to the players that they are moving in the right (or wrong) direction.
For example, if the letter of the turn is "П", the leader may say "похоже!" ("looks like it!") or "позабудьте!" ("forget it!"), used as "yes" and "no" respectively. If the letter is "К", the leader may say "конечно!" ("of course!") or "контрпродуктивно!" ("counterproductive!"), used as "yes" and "no" respectively.
If a player's guess matches the word, both that player and the leader are considered winners of this turn, and each of them receives 1 card from those that were revealed at the start of the turn. Each card brings 1 victory point at the end of the game.
Translator's note: the source says the cards were "revealed" at the start of the turn; in step 2 they are placed face down. Transcribed as printed.
If nobody could guess the word, or if the leader broke any of the explanation rules, then nobody receives victory points, and both cards the leader took into hand at the start of the turn go to the discard pile.
6. End of the Turn
The player to the left of the leader becomes the new leader. The leader shuffles the open letter card back into the letter deck, and a new turn begins.
End of the Game
The game ends when the condition agreed before the start of the game is met. The player with the most victory points becomes the winner. If several players are tied, they all win!
Special Case: the "Many Letters!" Card
If the leader draws the "Много букв!" ("Many letters!") card from the letter deck, the explanation rules change for this turn:
- the leader takes the remaining 12 letter cards into hand;
- the leader may explain the task using words that begin with each of these 12 letters, but no more than one word per letter;
- when the leader says a word, the leader lays down the letter it begins with from hand in front of themselves.
The leader's explanation therefore cannot be longer than 12 words.
At the end of the turn, gather the letter cards back into the letter deck and shuffle it.
Frequently Asked Questions
If two (or more) players say the correct answer to a task at the same time, who receives the task card as a victory point?
Only one player receives the card. The leader decides which player it is.
If the guesser names the word in a different case or number, is it counted as the correct answer?
Yes. For example, if the word is "конкистадор" (conquistador) and one player says "конкистадоры" (conquistadors), this counts as a correct answer.
What is the difference between the simple and hard modes?
Unlike the simple mode, the "hard" side of the task cards contains proper names, abstract concepts and set expressions.