Topic_
Topic_ Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Overview & Goal of the Game
Try not to be the last person to announce a word for a given theme, so you avoid getting cards. The player with the fewest cards at the end of the game wins.
Contents
- 1 rulebook
- 72 cards
Card Anatomy
Front: labelled as Categories (on the left edge) and Themes (on the right side of the card).
Back: labelled as Number of syllables (on the left) and Category (on the right, shown as a fruit, e.g. lemon).
Setup
Place a deck of cards face down in the middle of the table; the game length depends on the number of cards in the deck:
- short game: about a third of the cards
- medium game: about half of the cards
- long game: all of the cards (except 5 at random).
Return the unused cards in the box.
Playing the Game
A game is divided into rounds. Each round comprises 3 phases: Reveal, Announce, then End of the Round.
1. Reveal
Whoever lost the previous round (for the first round, just pick someone) flips the first card of the deck face up.
The fruit now visible on the top of the deck (on the back of the top card) indicates the category for this round.
This category is also depicted on the revealed card, and here it indicates the theme (drawing, geometric shape, or letter) that applies to this round.
The number or numbers visible on top of the deck indicate the number of syllables that must be in the words the players announce:
- If there is only one number, each player must announce a single word with exactly this number of syllables.
- If there is a sequence of numbers, each player must announce a word containing one syllable more than the previous word announced this round (1, 2, 3…).
Only count a syllable if you hear it clearly. Example: cu/cum/ber = 3 syllabes.
2. Announce
Everyone plays simultaneously.
As quickly as possible, each of you must try to announce one single word corresponding to the theme and to the number of syllables required for the current round. When there is only one player who has not yet announced a word, the round ends.
When the theme is indicated by a drawing or by a geometric shape, the words announced must relate to that theme.
When the theme is indicated by a letter, the words announced must start with that letter; they do not need to relate to any particular subject.
Judgement of whether the word you announce adheres to the theme is up to the other players. If you announce a word whose validity is not unanimously approved, debate its validity at the end of the round (see page 6).
The player who was not quick enough to announce a word loses this round.
Example of a round with 4 players: the raspberry on top of the deck designates cupcake as the theme this round. This round, each player must announce a single 2-syllable word with a cupcake theme. The announced words shown are "DES/SERT!", "SU/GAR!" and "BA/KING!". Michaël was too slow. He loses this round.
Example of a round with 4 players: the kiwi at the top of the deck designates battery as the theme for this round. Each player must announce a single word. The fastest announces a 1-syllable word; the next, a 2-syllable word; the next, a 3-syllable word… all battery themed. The announced words shown are "PLUS!" (1 syllable), "A/CID!" (2 syllables) and "NE/GA/TIVE!" (3 syllables). Michaël is lacking inspiration, and loses this round, too.
The categories don't match! If the fruit visible on top of the deck doesn't match any fruit on the revealed card, you must not announce anything! Instead, put your hand on the deck as quickly as possible. When there is only one player whose hand isn't on the deck, the round ends. The player who didn't get their hand on the deck loses this round.
Example: the Orange category does not appear on the revealed card. As quickly as possible, you have to put a hand on the deck!
Several Losers?
If two or more players cannot come up with a word, even after having time to think about it, everyone can agree to end the round. In this case, all players who have not announced a word lose this round.
You Can't Just Say Anything!
The following words are forbidden:
- acronyms (UN, NATO, LOL…)
- onomatopoeias (blam, glug-glug, pow…)
- proper nouns (John, David, Lana, Smith, Jones, Nike, Mercedes…)
- translations (only English is allowed)
- made-up words
- words with the same root as a word already announced this round (if someone else said "plane", you can't say "airplane")
If you have any doubts about a case not covered above, the players should decide.
3. End of the Round
The loser takes the revealed card. If there are several losers, they each take one, in the following order (until each loser has taken one): the revealed card, cards from the deck, cards removed before the game. Add your new card to those you took in previous rounds.
If the validity of a word announced during the round is not unanimous, the other players can collectively decide to penalize the player who said it. That player takes 1 card.
End of the Game
The game ends when the deck contains only 1 card (or 0) at the end of a round.
Count the cards you collected during the game. The player with the fewest cards wins.
If it's a tie, just go to sleep already.
The Game at a Glance
Flowchart, as printed on page 7.
- Reveal a card from the deck.
- Does the fruit on top of the deck match a fruit on the revealed card?
- YES: Does the top card of the deck depict a single number?
- YES: Everyone announces a word having the number of syllables specified by this number.
- NO (the top card depicts a sequence of numbers): Everyone announces a word, but each word must have one more syllable than the previous word.
- The players who haven't announced a word lose the round.
- NO: Everyone puts a hand on the deck as quickly as possible. The last player whose hand is not on the deck loses the round.
- YES: Does the top card of the deck depict a single number?
- Each loser takes 1 card.