Geek Out! Disney
Geek Out! Disney Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Object of the Game
"Out-geek" your opponents by out-bidding and completing challenges in a variety of categories! Steal and score points by being able to complete bigger lists than your opponents, but don't bid too high or you could end up losing points in the end. Reach the Finish before your opponents do to win the game!
Contents
- 120 Geek Out! DISNEY List Cards with 600 Prompts
- 20 Chips
- 1 Gameboard
- 1 6-Sided Category Die, including a blank "wild" side
In this edition of Geek Out! each topic conforms to one of these categories:
- Disney Animation (red, with the Mickey Mouse head icon)
- Pixar Animation (blue, with the crescent moon and star icon)
- Live Action (yellow, with the film clapperboard icon)
- Music (green, with the musical note icon)
- Miscellaneous (black, with a question mark icon)
Each card shows five topics, or challenges, organized by category. The colors of the categories correspond to the colors on the die. Each topic states the minimum number of items a player must list to complete the challenge. For example, if the challenge states, "Three Named Princesses", then a player must list at least three to fulfill the requirement. Of course other players may bid higher and attempt to list more (see Game Play).
Set Up
Players may play one-on-one or divide into teams. Teams are suggested for games with groups of more than ten players and you can play with up to ten teams.
Take the cards, die, chips, and board out of the box. Place the entire deck of cards (face down), the die, and the board in a central location within reach of all players. Give each player two matching chips. Each chip has a character on one side, and the character grayed out on the reverse side. Each player places one matching chip in front of them, and the other chip on the "Start" position on the board, both with the "gray" side down.
Game Play
Select one player (or team) to go first, who then rolls the die to determine their challenge category. In the case of a blank roll, that player gets to choose any category that they desire, before hearing the topics listed on the card. The opponent to the player's right then draws the top Geek Out! DISNEY List Card and reads aloud the corresponding challenge. The player states clearly if they accept the minimum bid as listed on the card, or if they would like to increase it by bidding a higher total. "Bluffing" is encouraged!
Once the original player has made their bid, the option to bid passes to the next player, clockwise. That player may pass or bid higher, but may not bid the same number stated by the previous player. Players who wish to pass should indicate this by turning their chip to the "no" position, indicated by the grayed out side of their chip, when it's their turn to bid or pass, to help the bidding process move more smoothly. This continues in clockwise order until all players have passed. The bidding may take several rounds to get to this point. The highest bidder must then attempt to successfully complete the challenge.
Example: It is Olaf's turn, and he rolls the die getting the green MUSIC category. Mickey, the player to Olaf's right, draws a List Card, and reads Olaf his challenge: "Two Songs From Cinderella." Olaf can state "I can list three", but being a fan of Disney songs, he decides instead to raise the stakes, claiming "I can list four." The option to bid higher passes to the next player in either case. Baymax, the player to Olaf's left, states that he can name five. Moana doesn't want to risk losing a point and decides to pass, and turns her chip to the "no" position. This bidding process continues clockwise until all players have passed except one.
Once bidding is complete and the challenge has been accepted, the last player to bid may now attempt to complete their list.
If the challenge is completed successfully, the player who accomplished it earns 1 point. The player then moves their chip up one space on the board. If the challenge is failed, the player who attempted it loses one point and moves their chip down one space. If the player's chip is on the "start" space and they lose a point, then the chip moves to the -1 space and will continue to go negative if they continue to lose points (see Scoring). Players on the -5 space who lose an additional point are out of the game (see Scoring Variants).
Note: More than one chip may occupy a space on the board. If necessary, the chips may be stacked.
On the rare occasion that no one bids above the minimum number listed on the card, no penalty will be given if the challenge is not completed successfully. The original player can still attempt to list the minimum number, but won't be penalized if they fail. If they succeed, they still move their chip one space forward.
Play then passes to the left (clockwise) of the last player to roll the die, all chips are reset to gray side down and the process is repeated.
Scoring
Players will earn 1 point each time they complete a challenge and lose 1 point each time they are unable to complete a challenge. The first player to reach a total of 5 points, and has moved their chip from the Start all the way to the Finish on the board, has successfully "out-geeked" their opponents to win the game! A player can also win if all their opponents are eliminated from the game, no matter what their final score may be.
House Rules
Geek Out DISNEY is a party game that encourages debate and discussion. Players may campaign as to why they believe an answer is valid. Some challenges on the List Cards are more vague than others, specifically to elicit a wider range of possible answers. Players are encouraged to get creative when answering! Below we have included a glossary with some terms that pop up frequently in the game. We recommend that you use this only as a general guide, however, and let your group decide amongst itself which answers it deems appropriate. We also suggest that you set up parameters regarding the bidding process before your game begins, such as allowing players only 10 seconds to either bid or pass, or to only write lists on paper when working as a team.
Players may decide before the game begins that the validity of answers will be checked by opponents with an online search. Use your best judgment, though, so that this does not slow down the tempo of the game and hinder the fun!
Glossary
Character: A character is a person or individual in a film, TV show, novel, or other work of fiction.
Series/Serials: A "Serial" is any series of films, books, etcetera that belong to each other in parts, sequels, trilogies or more. Unless otherwise specified, no serials are allowed in a valid list. For example, if The Mighty Ducks is listed, then D2: The Mighty Ducks cannot be listed. Spin-offs are allowed in a valid list (See Spin-offs below). Reboots are considered part of a serial. For example, the 1975 movie Escape to Witch Mountain and the 2009 movie Race to Witch Mountain are considered serials and may not be used together in a valid list.
Spin-offs: A "Spin-off" is a book, television show, or film that is derived from another with an alternate storyline and/or cast. Spin-offs ARE allowed in a valid list. For example, if The Jungle Book is listed, then TaleSpin may be listed too.
Named: A "Named" item is one that actually has a name. For example, if the challenge is to list named animal characters in Disney animated films, "Pumbaa" would be valid, but "the warthog in the Lion King" would not. Unnamed items like "the wildebeests" are also not allowed.
Scoring Variants
Before the beginning of the game, players may vote to decide whether to allow players who have gone below -5 to remain in the game, even if they continue to lose points. Players who have reached the -5 space and then lose another point simply remain on the -5 space until they earn a point by successfully completing a challenge.