Lost & Found Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• The Game at a Glance
• What's in the Box
• Setting Up
• Beyond the Basic Game
• What You're Aiming For
• On Your Turn
• Placing a Hint Card
• Did Somebody Say "All Sorted"?
• Time for a Change
• Variations to Try
• Ready for a Challenge?

The Game at a Glance

In this game, you play together as a team, not against each other! You either all win or all lose!

Glasses, phones, keys, socks and wallets lie hidden in a grid on the table. One big mess. Your task? Group all matching items together.

Work together to find out what's where. Get everything sorted to win the game. But no sharing what you know aloud!

Let your hint cards do the talking!

What's in the Box

• 30 item cards (5 types, 6 of each)
• 4 reference cards
• Hint cards

Setting Up

Here's how to set up the basic game.

1. For the basic game you only need 4 of the 5 item types. Put the 6 cards of 1 type (e.g. the socks) back in the box. These cards are used for harder levels.
2. Take 4 cards from each type. Shuffle them and make a 4×4 grid, cards face down.
3. Shuffle the remaining cards. Put 2 cards per player in a pile. You'll use these as hint cards. Place the pile face down beside the grid. Example: For 3 players, use 6 hint cards.
4. Finally, give each player a reference card summarising the rules.

Beyond the Basic Game

On page 12, you'll find out how to make the basic game harder or easier if you like. Then try the 10 challenges on pages 14–15. Can you complete them all?

Example: A grid of 4×4 cards.

What You're Aiming For

You play Lost & Found together, taking turns. You can talk to each other during the game, but you mustn't say what you saw when you looked at the cards.

Your goal is to group all the matching items together. By the end of the game, all cards of a type must form one connected group. Cards may connect horizontally or vertically, but never diagonally. The fewer cards you flip face up, the more points you score!

Examples: On the facing page, you can see a few examples of what the grid should look like at the end of the game. You can also see 2 examples of how it shouldn't look.

• The glasses aren't all connected.
• Diagonal connections don't count.

On Your Turn

1. Pick up 2 cards in the grid that are still face down. Only you may look. Remember what you see, but keep your lips sealed! Note: you can't choose face-up cards!
2. Put the 2 cards back face down where they were. You may swap their positions, but you don't have to.
3. Choose: either flip any card in the grid face up, or place a hint card (see below).
4. If you think everything is in place, say "All sorted!" This ends the game. The game also ends when only 1 card remains face down.

Placing a Hint Card

Each remaining face-down card earns a point at the end of the game. So, rather than flipping a card face up, place a hint card! Take the top hint card from the pile and place it face up next to the grid.

The hint card is now part of the grid. So by the end of the game, the item must be grouped with all the other matching items!

Use hint cards strategically. For example, to let the others know what you saw. Like, where a key is. Or use a hint to propose: "Let's put all the glasses here."

Did Somebody Say "All Sorted"?

When the game ends, check the cards and work out your score.

1. Count how many cards in the grid are still face down. If everything matches, this is your score as a team.
2. Then flip all the cards in the grid face up. Check that all the matching items are grouped together, including any hint cards you've added.

Everything grouped with its matching items? You've won! The higher your score, the better! Hats off if at least half the cards were still face down!

Something out of place? Bad luck! Try again.

Time for a Change

Try playing with a bigger or smaller grid. Choose from a 2×4, 3×3, 3×4 or 4×5 grid. The bigger the grid, the harder the game. Try using 2, 3 or 5 item types instead of 4.

Choose one of these combinations to match the size of your grid:

• 2×4: 2 or 4 item types
• 3×3: 3 item types
• 3×4: 3 or 4 item types
• 4×5: 5 item types

When setting up, put any item types you don't need back in the box. Take enough cards of each type to fill the grid.

Also try playing with just 1 hint card per player. Or even none at all!

Variations to Try

1. Choose the 2 cards you want to pick up before you look at either of them.
2. After looking at the cards, always swap their positions when you put them back.
3. If you flip a card face up, you must choose 1 of the cards you've just put back.
4. Spread the hint cards face up on the table. You can choose which one to take.
5. Play with a random number of cards of each type, so you don't know how many of each item are in the grid.
6. Try to complete all 10 challenges on the next 2 pages.

Ready for a Challenge?

Try these 10 challenges, each harder than the last. Can you complete them all?

• Play with a 3×3 grid, using 3 item types. Play without hint cards. Score at least 1 point.
• Play with a 3×4 grid, 4 item types. No hint cards. Score at least 3 points.
• Play with a 3×4 grid, using 4 item types. Play without hint cards. Always flip 1 of the cards you've just put back face up. Score at least 2 points.
• Play with a 4×4 grid, using 4 item types. Play with 1 hint card per player. Score at least 8 points.
• 4×4 grid, 4 item types, no hint cards. You must always swap the 2 cards when you put them back. Score at least 4 points.
• 4×4 grid, 4 item types, no hint cards. Don't look at either card until you've picked up both. Score at least 6 points.
• 3×4 grid, 4 item types, 1 hint card per player. Score at least 6 points.
• 4×4 grid, 4 item types, 1 hint card per player. Carry out action 3 (flip a card face up or place a hint card) twice in every turn.
• 4×5 grid, all item types. Play with 1 hint card per player. Spread the hint cards face up on the table. You can choose which one to take. Score at least 6 points.
• A grid of all cards (5×6). Good luck!