Last Updated on May 20, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Draft’d is a party game where players take turns drafting picks that fit a chosen topic. You’ll either be trying to win votes for the best picks (The Popular Vote mode) or match the preferences of a rotating leader (The Commissioner mode). The first player to win three Topic Cards wins the game.

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How to Play Draft’d

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Table of Contents

Game Mode 1: Popular Vote
1. Components
2. Setup
3. Topic Cards
4. Round 1-3: Standard Picks
5. The Bust Round
6. Voting Phase
7. Scoring
8. Winning the Game

Game mode 2: The Commissioner
1. Objective
2. Setup
3. Commissioner Planning Phase
4. Drafting Phase
5. Bust Check
6. Bust Guess Round
7. Scoring
8. Winning the Game

Components

• Topic Cards (with prompts)
• Player Picks Board (whiteboard with columns)
• Voting Cards (labeled A–F)
• Yellow Challenge Cards
• House Topic Card (for custom topics)
• Dry-erase markers
• Draft Commissioner Board (used only in The Commissioner mode)

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Game Mode 1: Popular Vote

Objective

Win rounds by earning the most votes across four answer rounds. The first player to win three Topic Cards is the overall winner.

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Setup

1. Do not use the Draft Commissioner Board in this mode.
2. If playing with more than 4 people, divide into pairs or small teams.
3. Each player/team writes their name at the top of a column on the Player Picks Board.
4. Each player/team takes a set of Voting Cards labeled with their column’s letter (A–F).
5. Choose a starting player. This player draws the first Topic Card and begins the round.

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Playing a Topic Card

Each Topic Card goes through four rounds of answers followed by voting:

• Rounds 1–3: Players submit a creative, relevant pick.
• Round 4: The Bust Round, where everyone submits a terrible pick.
• After all four rows are filled, players vote on the best pick from each round.

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Rounds 1–3: Standard Picks

1. The starting player reads the Topic Card aloud (e.g. “Breakfast Foods”) or creates a new one using the House Topic Card.
2. That player writes a unique, relevant pick in Row 1 under their column.
3. Pass the board and marker clockwise. Each player adds a pick to Row 1 in their column. Picks must be relevant and cannot repeat.
4. If a player thinks an answer is invalid, they may raise the Yellow Challenge Card. The group discusses and votes to decide whether the pick stays.
5. Repeat this for Rounds 2 and 3, filling Rows 2 and 3 with new, unrepeated answers.

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Round 4: The Bust Round

1. Players write a pick that would be terrible or ill-fitting for the topic.
2. These Bust Picks go in Row 4.
3. Players may reuse answers from previous rounds, but no duplicates are allowed within this round.

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Voting Phase

1. Players vote on their favorite answer in each of the four rows.
   • Use Voting Cards to make a secret selection.
   • Players cannot vote for themselves.
   • Everyone reveals simultaneously.
   • The answer with the most votes gets a checkmark. If tied, all tied entries receive a checkmark.
2. Repeat this process for all four rows.

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Scoring

• The player with the most checkmarks across all four rounds wins the Topic Card.
• That player becomes the winner of the round.
• As a group, determine who had the worst overall list. That player draws the next Topic Card and goes first in the new round.

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Winning the Game

The first player to win three Topic Cards is the winner of the game.

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Game Mode 2: The Commissioner

Objective

Try to match the secret Top 3 Picks of the current Commissioner without selecting their Bust Pick. The first player to win three Topic Cards wins.

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Setup

1. Set aside the Voting Cards. They are not used in this mode.
2. The player who chose the game becomes the first Commissioner.
3. Give that player the Draft Commissioner Board and a marker.
4. Remaining players write their names at the top of the Player Picks Board.
5. If playing with 6 or more people, divide into teams.

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Commissioner Planning Phase

1. The Commissioner draws a Topic Card and reads it aloud or writes a custom one on the House Topic Card.
2. On the Draft Commissioner Board, the Commissioner secretly writes:
   • Three Top Picks (favorites for the topic).
   • One Bust Pick (a response they personally dislike or think is terrible).
   • Example: Topic = “Halloween Stuff”; Picks = “Trick or Treating, Costumes, Scary Movies”; Bust = “Ghosts”.

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Drafting Phase

1. Beginning with the player to the left of the Commissioner, each player writes one answer in Row 1 of their column.
2. Proceed clockwise for three total turns per player, filling Rows 1–3.
3. Picks must be unique and relevant. Players aim to match the Commissioner’s Top 3 without guessing the Bust.
4. Optionally, use a snake draft (reverse order every round).

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Bust Check

After all players have submitted three picks:

• The Commissioner announces whether the Bust was selected:
  • If it was guessed, the Commissioner says: “Someone matched my Bust.” They do not reveal who or what it was.
  • If not, players move to the Bust Guess Round.

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Bust Guess Round

Only occurs if the Bust was not guessed during the draft.

1. Each player writes one guess for what they believe the Commissioner’s Bust Pick is.
2. These can be new guesses or existing picks.
3. Multiple players can choose the same word.

If the Bust was guessed during the draft:

• Each player chooses one of the written picks (not their own) that they believe was the Bust.

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Scoring Phase

1. The Commissioner reveals their Top 3 Picks.
   • Any player with a match receives a checkmark next to that answer.
2. Any player who guessed the Bust in their first three answers is eliminated from the round.
3. The Commissioner then reveals the Bust Pick.
   • Any player who guessed it correctly in the Bust Round earns a checkmark.
4. Among non-eliminated players, the one with the most checkmarks wins the Topic Card.
5. If there is a tie or no one matches, players explain their lists and the Commissioner picks a winner.

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Next Round

• The winner of the round becomes the new Commissioner.
• The Commissioner chooses the player with the weakest list to draft first in the next round.

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Winning the Game

The first player to collect three Topic Cards is declared the winner.