LIE
LIE Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Components
30 cards. Each card has a die face on the top, with a different die face on the bottom. There are exactly 10 of each die face in the game.
10 cards each showing one, two, three, four, five, and six.
Note: the "one" pip is orange to aid in playing the variant game.
Setup
- Shuffle all 30 cards and put them face down in the center of the playing area.
- The game is now ready to begin, starting with the oldest player.
Game Round
1. Mix
In the center of the playing area, create a mass pile (not stacked) by shuffling all cards face down, making sure to mix them thoroughly.
2. Draw/Choose Dice
Each player draws cards (5 in the first round) into their hands simultaneously, keeping them hidden. Note: there may be cards left over in the pile. Then, players secretly choose which dice they will use in the round of bidding. Players may choose several dice of the same value or choose a diverse hand of different values. A player makes this choice for each card he holds and signifies this by rotating each card so that the chosen die is on top (as he looks at it vertically). Once all players have chosen, the bidding starts and the orientation of the cards may not be changed.
Sample "set" hand: a player draws five cards into his hand, showing four, four, two, two, and two. He rotates them so that he will use two fours and three twos for the round of bidding — the fifth card is not used this round.
3. Bid/Challenge
Players may find it helpful to verbally confirm that their hand is set, to ensure that all players have their hands ready prior to the opening bid. The oldest player makes the first opening bid. For all other rounds, the winner of the previous round makes the opening bid. The opening bidder begins the round by announcing the initial bid. Once the opening bid is made, players take turns in clockwise order. When it is a player's turn to bid, he MUST either make a new bid OR challenge the previous bid. In order for a player to take the appropriate action on his turn, he must try to determine whether or not the previous bid (amount of dice) exists AMONG ALL PLAYERS' HANDS, COLLECTIVELY. If the active player feels that the previous bid is unlikely to be proven, he may choose to challenge the previous player's bid. However, if the active player feels that the previous bid is likely to be shown among all players' hands, then he may want to make a higher bid instead.
The Bid
A proper bid is a QUANTITY, and then a DIE number.
Sample bids, each higher than the previous:
- Three fours
- Three fives
- Four twos
- Five twos
- Five sixes
- Six ones
Make a Higher Bid or Challenge
On a player's turn, he MUST do one of two Actions:
- The player may bid a higher quantity of any die number, OR the same quantity of a higher die number.
- The player may challenge the previous bid by announcing, "Lie!"
If the active player chooses Action 1 (bid), he announces a higher bid. Then, the next player in clockwise order takes a turn.
If the active player chooses Action 2 (challenge), he challenges the previous player's bid and ALL players show their hands. Players count only the die numbers on top of the cards (the ones that players chose to use for the round).
Challenge Outcomes
In a bid challenge, the outcome will result in a winner and a loser.
A. If the total amount of dice among ALL players is less than the bid that was challenged, then the challenger wins the round. B. If the total amount among ALL players is equal to or greater than the bid that was challenged, then the challenger loses the round!
The winner will gain the right to start the next round of bidding.
The loser draws 1 less card at the beginning of the next round.
Players take turns in clockwise order until a challenge is made, with the possibility of players taking several turns in a round. After a CHALLENGE is resolved, all cards are returned to the center of the playing area and another full Game Round occurs and players follow the same steps described in the Game Round section. Play continues until there is one remaining player in the game.
Winning the Game
The last remaining player is the player that may draw at least one card during the next round when no other players are able to do so, making that player the winner!
Examples
Player A starts the round and play continues until Player C challenges Player B.
- Player A bids three threes.
- Player B bids three fives.
- Player C bids four ones.
- Player A bids five ones.
- Player B bids five fives.
- Player C challenges: "Lie!"
Player C challenges Player B. The total amount of fives among all players is 5. Player C loses the challenge and draws one less card in the next round. Player B starts the bidding.
Player B starts the next round and play continues until Player C challenges Player B.
- Player B bids one four.
- Player C bids three twos.
- Player A bids four twos.
- Player B bids six twos.
- Player C challenges: "Lie!"
Player C challenges Player B. The total amount of twos among all players is 5. Player C wins the challenge and starts the bidding, while Player B draws one less card in the next round.
Variants
The following extra rules may be added individually, or in any combination, to the main rule set for variations on LIE.
Wild Ones
The ones are treated as "wild" dice, and are included in the total needed to prove the validity of a bid challenge. HOWEVER, the ones ARE NOT wild in a round in which the starting bid contains ones.
Note: the ones are orange to aid in playing with this variant.
Which Way
When a player starts a new round of bidding, he must announce which direction the bidding turn sequence will continue. He may choose in CLOCKWISE direction (to his left), or in COUNTER CLOCKWISE direction (to his right).
Shorter Game
For games with 4-6 players: once a single person is no longer able to draw cards, the player with the most cards wins immediately. In the case of a tie, only the tied players play the remaining rounds. If a player loses a challenge, he is immediately out of the game, regardless of how many cards he would have drawn in the next round. The last remaining player wins the game.