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Official "Monikers" Rules
Monikers is a fun and fast-paced party game that tests your communication skills and knowledge of pop culture. Here's a breakdown of the rules to get you started:
Objective
Your team works together to guess as many names on the cards as possible within a time limit based on clues you provide. The team with the most correctly guessed names wins!
Setup
1. Divide players into two or more teams with roughly the same number of players.
2. Shuffle the deck of Monikers cards and place it face down in the center of the playing area.
3. Decide on a time limit per round (typically 60 seconds for larger groups, adjust for smaller groups). You can use a timer or simply count down together.
4. Choose a starting team and designate one player from that team as the clue giver for the first round.
Gameplay
Playing a Round:
The clue giver sets a timer (if using) and draws a card from the deck. They look at the name on the card BUT cannot reveal it to their team.
The clue giver has three rounds to get their team to guess the name on the card. Each round has a specific restriction on how they can provide clues:
Round 1: Anything Goes (Except the Name): The clue giver can use any words, sounds, or gestures to describe the person on the card. However, they cannot say any part of the person's name (including nicknames) or any derivative words (e.g., "singer" for a singer's name).
Round 2: One Word Only: The clue giver can only use one word (again, excluding the name or derivatives) to describe the person. They can repeat the word as many times as they like, but cannot use any other words or sounds.
Round 3: Charades Only (Optional): In some variations, there's a silent charades round where the clue giver can only act out the person on the card without any sounds or words.
Guessing and Scoring:
If their team guesses the name correctly at any point during the three rounds, they discard the card face up in a score pile and draw a new card to start the next guess.
If the team fails to guess the name after all three rounds, they discard the card face down in a discard pile and the turn moves to the next team. The card in the discard pile is not used again during the game.
Winning the Game
Play for a predetermined number of rounds (e.g., 5 rounds).
After the final round, each team counts the number of cards in their score pile. The team with the most correctly guessed names wins!
Notes/Variations
Optional Rules:
Passing: If the clue giver feels stuck, they can choose to pass and skip the card. They draw a new card and start the guessing process over with the new card. However, passing might come at a cost depending on the specific game variation (e.g., some rules penalize passing by making the team lose points).
Team Clue Givers: In some variations, the entire team can participate in giving clues during each round, but they still have to follow the restrictions for that round (e.g., only using one word in Round 2).
Tips:
Think creatively with your clues! Use references, puns, or funny descriptions to help your team guess the name.
Communication is key! Talk to your team and bounce ideas off each other to see if you can land on the right guess.
Don't get discouraged! Some names might be tougher than others. Just move on to the next card and keep the energy high.
Monikers is a perfect game for bringing laughter and excitement to your next game night. So gather your friends, unleash your creativity, and see who can guess the most Monikers!
