Life Style
Life Style Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Aim of the Game
To find the player with the best skills for discovering the most preferences, strengths, opinions and long kept desires of his fellow players in each of the 7 given topics.
There will be a scoring after each round. Every match advances one's own figure one space forward. The player, whose figure is the furthest ahead, wins the game.
Preparation
Distribute the game materials.
Before starting, every player receives 1 figure and 4 large counting markers (with the letters A, B, C & D) in the same colour.
Every player places his figure on the starting field.
The transparent Joker chips and the small counting stones are used for the advanced rules of this game.
The 72 question cards are shuffled and divided into 2 stacks and placed face-down on the question fields 1 & 2.
The 7 stacks with the photo cards have the following themes:
- Environment
- Sports, Play, Fun
- Jobs & Technology
- Living & Life
- Situations
- Vacation
- Eat & Drink
They will remain in the game box until they are needed in the game.
The Game Begins
The starting player is the first "candidate".
a) He draws a question card. b) Places the matching picture cards on the board. c) Positions his counting markers face-down on the voting bar, corresponding to his own preferences.
The other players attempt to "figure him out" and place their counting markers face-down accordingly.
Revealing
a) In turn sequence, all players turn over their counting markers and explain their order. b) The "Candidate" reveals his secret.
Scoring
For each match with the "Candidate" the player's figure advances 1 space.
End of the Game
The player who is at the front after an agreed number of rounds, or who first reaches the finish field, wins the game.
Professional Rules
After a game round with basic rules, we recommend the "Professional rules".
Tips
Touch situations and helpful tips.
Detailed Rules
With over 650 pictures from 7 areas of life and many corresponding questions, Lifestyle invites you to explore and discuss your own and the other player's preferences, strengths and desires within a game round.
Lifestyle raises curiosity, provides interesting topics for discussion and keeps revealing interesting new facets.
It offers an opportunity for everyone who likes the challenge to compete with others in knowing the fellow players' preferences and makes the best predictions.
Every correct prediction is rewarded with the quick advancement of one's own figure.
At the end of the game, the player who is at the front, not only learned some new features about his fellow players and led some interesting discussions, but has also won the game.
One more hint before commencing the game: Lifestyle is learned the easiest when you read the rule booklet until the next marking (*) and practice what you've read immediately.
The Games Starts
The tallest player opens the game. He will be the 1st "Candidate" whose wishes, opinions and preferences to a certain situation have to be discovered by the other players.
He has the choice from which of the two piles he wants to draw the topmost question card.
If he decides for pile 1, then he reads aloud:
a) category (e.g. "Environment" or "Vacation") and b) question # 1
If he decides for pile 2, then he reads aloud the category and then question # 2.
(*)
Every category has a special symbol that can be found on the question cards and the upper left corner of the photo cards. After the question is read out the card is placed face-up on the empty field beside the pile.
(*)
Now the picture cards are introduced to the game:
The "Candidate" draws the 5 top picture cards of the corresponding category out of the box and places them in the middle of the board, visible for all players. Out of these 5 cards he picks 4 that he wants to play with. The 5th picture card is placed back in the corresponding pile into the box.
(*)
Should the 4 chosen pictures be too hard to play, then - after consulting with the players - the "Candidate" may flip up to 3 cards of his choice to the other side and play with the pictures on the backside.
Then the selected 4 pictures are placed with their caption facing outwards, on the picture fields labelled A, B, C & D.
(*)
The picture cards are printed on both sides. This way, twice the number of pictures is available. On a regular basis, we recommend, to only use the backsides once all the front-sides have been played one time.
(*)
Before commencing, the candidate may explain to the players what the displayed pictures mean to him, but he doesn't have to.
(*)
Now the candidate is up.
He must try to find an answer to the question and places his counting markers face-down on the corresponding fields of the counting bar. The counting bar of the candidate is highlighted in a different colour than the others.
Example:
Question: "You are making a diet. How do you think you can best reduce your weight?" Pictures are: A) Bicycle B) A man reading C) People singing D) Playing Cricket
The candidate decides that riding a bike would be best for him to reduce weight, after that Playing Cricket, then singing and the last would be reading. So he places:
- Counting marker A on 1
- Counting marker B on 4
- Counting marker C on 3
- Counting marker D on 2
(*)
Now the fellow players are up.
They have to try to figure out the candidate as good as possible in regards to the question and the displayed pictures. They try to guess "which counting marker has the candidate placed on the positions 1, 2, 3 and 4?"
Then they place their counting markers face-down one by one on any following voting bar, in the exact order in which they think are matching with the candidate's counting markers.
(*)
After all players have placed their counting markers face-down, the real fun begins! The player to the left of the candidate is the first to reveal his prediction from place 1 - 4. After him in clockwise order, the other players reveal their counting markers from 1 - 4.
It is recommended, that each players talks about why he placed his markers in that way when he uncovers his counting markers. The conversation about pictures and their meaning is as important and interesting as the rest of the game. This way, there will always be new aspects in the game and funny moments derive when trying to evaluate the candidate.
(*)
The Candidate Reveals His Secret
After all other players' counting markers have been uncovered it's the candidate's turn to reveal his counting markers. He now explains why he chose this particular order.
After the discussion that ensues hereupon, follows the scoring.
The Scoring
The "Candidate" executes the scoring.
Every counting marker on position 1 which matches its letter with the candidate's counting marker on position 1 remains. The same process is applied to the position 2, 3 and 4. The counting markers of the "Candidate" remain where they are.
All the counting markers that are not matching with the candidate's are removed from the board.
In the end, there can only be counting markers matching with the candidate on the board.
(*)
The following scoring shows, how well each player succeeded in evaluating the "Candidate". The more counting markers he has left on the board, the better he scored. Who scored the best?
Every player advances his figure as many steps ahead, as he has counting markers remaining on the voting bar.
The further up a player's figure is, the better he was able to judge the "Candidate". In the game situation described above, the "Candidate" doesn't get to score. His figure will remain where it was.
(*)
After the successful players have moved their figure along the way up, the first round is over. The picture cards are put back into the box and every player collects his stones back. Now the player left to the former "Candidate" is the new "Candidate" and he opens the next turn by drawing one of the two questions from the pile of questions. The game follows in the described manner.
End of the Game
After each player has been the "Candidate" at least once (twice times when playing with 3 players) the game is over. The player whose figure leads the most on the scoring fields proved the best predictions and is the winner. Congrats!
If more players are tied, then they have both won.
The game also ends if a player reaches or surpasses the finish field.
After playing two rounds with these basic rules it's recommended to use the advanced rules.
Advanced Rules
In the "game for professionals" each player get in addition to his figure and the 4 counting markers, 4 favourite stones and the transparent joker piece of his colour.
The Game Commences
As in the basic version:
- The "Candidate" chooses one of the two question from pile 1 or 2.
- Draws 5 picture cards from the corresponding category.
- Chooses 4 pictures that he likes the best.
- Places them on the picture fields (with the caption faced outside) and
- Votes for the picture in his personal order.
The other players try to assess the "Candidate's" preferences like in the basic version. They place their counting markers face-down on the voting bar.
(*)
Now to the specialities for the "Professional game".
The favourite stones offer all players (and the candidate) a chance to advance the their figure even faster, and hence win the challenge for the player with the best predictions.
After the "Candidate" was evaluated, each player answered the question on the question card for himself. For doing that, the favourite stone with the letter that the player chose for himself as # 1 is placed on the player's favourite-space.
Example: After the player has evaluated the "Candidate" and has given his best predictions, he places his own answer. He thinks that for him Answer B is the best, so he places the favourite stone "B" face-down on his favourite field (= the one with the star).
(*)
After that, all the other players place:
- Their counting markers
- And their favourite stone on their voting bar.
The favourite stone of the "Candidate" must of course be matching with the letter of his counting marker on # 1.
(*)
Every player, including the "Candidate" may advance his figure by one space if his favourite stone is matching with at least one other player.
Even if more than two favourite stones have a matching letter, the corresponding players may only advance their figure by one space.
(*)
Favourite stones that are not matching with any other favourite stone are removed from the board before scoring.
The transparent Joker can help to move up one's figure even faster. It can be used by each player except for the "Candidate" in each round again, but it doesn't have to.
The Joker is used as follows. Every player except for the "Candidate" can place his Joker on top of one of his large counting markers. In doing so, he thinks he is sure about a certain match with the candidate's counting stone.
(*)
Joker scoring: if the "Joker-guess" actually corresponds with the letter of the "Candidate", then the player may advance his figure one additional space forward.
If, however, the "Joker-guess" was incorrect, the figure of the player in question must move one space back (but never beyond the start field). As always, the figure is advance for as many spaces as there are matching counting stones.
After the scoring, each player receives back his game materials. The picture cards are sorted back under the corresponding piles in the box. The player to the left of the "Candidate" is the next "Candidate".
End of the Game (Advanced Rules)
As in the basic version, each player should be "Candidate" at least once (twice times when playing with 3 players). The player whose figure leads the most on the scoring fields proved the best predictions and is the winner.
It is also possible to agree with the fellow players beforehand on a certain number of rounds or on a certain time limit.
We wish you some interesting game-play and lively discussions as well as lots of exploration with Lifestyle.
If there are still some questions about the game, please consider the following "Tips".
Tips
- When the Joker was placed incorrectly, the counting marker on which it was placed is taken away at the scoring, but the Joker remains on the space. This indicates that the corresponding figure of the player must move back one space.
- Many counting markers are allowed to stand on one and the same space.
- When a Joker is placed, it is first placed on the face-down counting marker. Later, when the marker is turned around, the Joker is placed on the face-up marker.
- Feel free to play only the categories that you like or that you as a group agree on.
Scoring Example
(Printed example; the diagram of the board is not reproduced.)
The candidate can advance his figure 1 space, because his favourite stone is matching the favourite stone of Yellow.
Player Yellow can advance 3 spaces:
- 1 space = Counting marker at # 1
- +1 space = Joker stone correct
- +1 space = Favourite matching with other player
Player Blue can advance 3 spaces:
- 1 space = Counting marker at # 1
- +1 space = Counting marker # 2
- +1 space = Favourite stone matching another player
Player Green must move back 1 space: the Joker is incorrect and he doesn't have any counting markers.
Player Grey can advance 4 spaces:
- 1 space = Counting marker # 3
- +1 space = Counting marker # 4
- +1 space = Joker correct
- +1 space = Favourite stone matching another player