Keep Cool (2004)
Keep Cool (2004) Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
- 120 cards (2,400 words in total)
- 1 electronic buzzer
- 1 rulebook
Goal of the Game
Make your own words guessed and guess the words of your neighbour.
Setup
- The players sit around the table.
- Choose one card face (red or blue) and a line number from 1 to 10. These are used for the whole game. Warning: lines 8, 9 and 10 contain harder words, and their use is not recommended for your first games. The example setup in the rules uses line 3 of the red face.
- Place the buzzer in the centre of the table, set to the ON position (adjustable underneath). When a player presses it, it buzzes for 8 seconds.
- Deal 4 cards to each player. Each player looks at their 4 words from the chosen face and line number. Each player may, if they wish, reject one of their cards to the centre of the table and draw another in its place. Rejected cards are not used.
Each player therefore has 4 words to make their left-hand neighbour guess. Each player must guess the 4 words of their right-hand neighbour.
Playing the Game
The player with the hardest hearing plays first. The other players then take turns in clockwise order.
On his or her turn, a player:
1. Says exactly one word, in one of two ways:
- a clue (indice) to make the left-hand neighbour guess one of the words on the player's own cards;
- a proposal (proposition) to make the right-hand neighbour guess one of the words on the neighbour's own cards.
Restrictions on the word said:
- It is forbidden to say:
- the roots of words appearing on the player's own cards (example: "arm" for "armour");
- onomatopoeias (examples: "crack", "meow");
- translations of the words and/or roots into a foreign language (example: "window" for "fenêtre").
- It is allowed to say:
- proper nouns, but always a single word (example: "Dujardin" but not "Jean Dujardin");
- compound words, which count as one word (examples: "wolf-dog", "grandmother").
If the word said really is one of the words on the right-hand neighbour's card, that card is won by both players. It is placed face up between the two of them. The game continues without waiting.
2. Immediately presses the buzzer. This starts the 8 seconds for the next player.
Notes on the buzzer:
- If there are many players and some of them find it difficult to reach the buzzer, pass it from hand to hand.
- If the buzzer sounds before the player has said his or her word, that player cannot say anything and only presses the buzzer. It is then the left-hand neighbour's turn to play.
- Turns continue around the table without pause, the buzzer being pressed by each player on their turn.
Clarifications
- Players must keep all their cards in hand. They may make their 4 words guessed in any order, and may pass from one word to another at any time. However, when a player changes word, it is forbidden to announce the change. Take care not to confuse your neighbour even more!
- On his or her turn, a player does not say whether the word is a clue or a proposal. This possible confusion is intended and is part of the fun.
- Special case: if a player says, by chance, an opponent's word for which that player has not yet given a clue, the card is not revealed and the game continues without comment from the card's owner. At least one clue must be given before a word can be guessed.
End of a Round
As soon as a player has no cards left in hand, the round stops.
Each player discards the cards still in their hand and adds up the cards that are visible in front of them, to their right AND to their left. The player or players with the most cards win the round.
Example from the rules: Laura has 4 points from the cards to her right and 2 points from the cards to her left, for a total of 6 points.
A new round then begins:
- Each player receives 4 new cards and may exchange one of them.
- The player whose turn it was at the end of the previous round plays first.
- The game now goes in the opposite direction. Each player must therefore make their words guessed by their right-hand neighbour while guessing those of their left-hand neighbour.
The direction of play alternates from round to round: one round clockwise, one round counter-clockwise, and so on.
End of the Game
As soon as a player has won 2 rounds, that player has won the game.
Feel free to change seats for the next game in order to change neighbours.
Advanced Game: "Too Cool?"
After a few games, move up a gear and add a third possibility.
On his or her turn, a player still says exactly ONE word, in one of three ways:
- a clue (indice) to make the left-hand neighbour guess a word;
- a proposal (proposition) to make the right-hand neighbour guess a word. If the word said really is one of the right-hand neighbour's words, the card is won by both players and placed face up between them;
- an ATTACK: a proposal to guess a word of an opponent OTHER than the right-hand neighbour. If the word said really belongs to another player (not the right-hand neighbour), the card is lost by its owner and won by the player who places it face up in front of themselves. If the word belongs to the left-hand neighbour (the next player), the card is still placed in front of the attacker, not between the two players.
Scoring in the Advanced Game
At the end of a round, when counting cards, each player scores:
- 1 point for each card visible in front of themselves (a successful attack);
- 2 points for each card visible to their left and to their right.
Example from the rules, for Laura:
- cards of Mike guessed by Laura: 2 x 4 = 8 points;
- cards of Laura guessed by Matthieu: 2 x 2 = 4 points;
- cards won by "attacks": 1 x 1 = 1 point;
- total: 13 points.