Shabadabada
Shabadabada Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Setup
To begin, the players split into two teams of at least two players each. The "Words" cards are sorted white side / black side, then shuffled. The players draw eleven of them and place them in a stack to form the draw pile. They set aside the other cards, which will not be used during the game. The first team is chosen at random.
- The colours do not indicate any difficulty. They are there to avoid always playing with the same words.
- For a longer game, the players may agree to draw thirteen or fifteen cards, or even more if they want to make a night of it. The only requirement is to always play with an odd number of cards, so that the two teams cannot tie.
Playing a Round
To start, one player from the first team turns over the top "Words" card of the draw pile.
All the players on that team then try to find an extract from a song, a nursery rhyme or a poem (for those who are both erudite and stuck on singing, provided the poem is recited aloud!) that includes one of the words shown. They must sing at least one full line or recite a complete verse.
Next, the players of the second team try in turn to find a song or poem extract that includes one of the same words. The round continues this way for as long as the teams alternately find an extract matching the card.
As soon as one team is stuck, a player from the opposing team starts a countdown from ten to zero. If the countdown reaches zero, their team wins the card.
- It is advisable, and wise, to allow a reasonable thinking time before starting the countdown, otherwise you may quickly get a taste of your own medicine.
The team that lost the card begins the next round by turning over a new "Words" card.
Clarifications
- Players sing or recite an extract using either the English word or the French word, as they prefer.
- To help the players, some cards show several words. Each player chooses whichever one they prefer for their song extract.
- Verbs are given in the infinitive; they may be conjugated.
- There are a few special cards whose text is printed in italics. These give not words but themes. Players may have a great time with them, for example with Paulette, Isabelle, Lucie, Germaine, Daniéla...
- It is forbidden to sing two extracts from the same song for the same word. It is, however, allowed to sing an extract from a song already cited for a different word.
End of the Game
The game ends when the draw pile is exhausted. The team that has won the most cards wins the game.
- A final piece of advice: stay alert! Some players of the author's acquaintance replace one word with another with incredible nerve. And if the opposing team does not react immediately, the game simply carries on as if nothing had happened!