Paper-and-Pencil

Things... is a party game where everyone writes a response to a particular prompt, such as "Things... you shouldn't put in your mouth," and the players then try to guess which player wrote which response.

A reader is chosen. This reader reads aloud a Topic Card. The players all write a response, fold up the slip of paper and turn it in to the reader, who reads them aloud once and then a second time. The player to the left of the reader has to guess who wrote which response. This is all done from memory, without benefit of taking notes or having the responses read again. If the guesser is correct, he or she continues guessing until incorrect, at which time the player to his/her left tries guessing. Players whose responses were correctly identified are eliminated and cannot make guesses. The round ends when one player has not been matched to a response.

1 point is awarded for each correct guess. 6 points are awarded to the person who successfully avoided detection. The job of reader passes to the left. When everyone has been reader once, the game ends. High score wins.

From BoardgameNews.com:

Fréderic Moyersoen presents a new take on the us-versus-them genre with Nuns on the Run, published by Mayfair Games. Most of the players are novices who are eager to secretly explore the grand abbey at night in order to fulfill their “secret wish.” They sneak through corridors searching for keys and treasures. (What treasures could a novice be searching for? Forbidden cookies? A soft mattress? Or narcotics? Or a book of witchcraft?)

While sneaking through the abbey, they must remain watchful for the abbess or prioress who are on patrol to ensure that pure novices remain that way. These characters are controlled by other players who want to nab the novices before they can make it back into bed.

Nuns on the Run is a like a reverse of Scotland Yard. Players play either as a novice, or as the Abbess or Prioress. The Novices move in secret and avoid being seen or heard by the Abbess or Prioress. The goal is to make it to the location on the board where the novice can get her "secret wish" and return to their room without being detected. All of the novices move in secret by marking their movement and locations on hidden sheets. The Abbess and Prioress move on regulated paths around the board, but can diverge and chase down novices that they see or hear. The player or players who complete their secret wishes and return to their rooms win, or the Abbess and Prioress win if they catch a certain number of novices.

From the publisher's press release:

"Each player begins by sketching a TELESTRATIONS word dictated by the roll of a die. The old fashioned sand timer may limit the amount of time they get to execute their sketch, but it certainly doesn't limit creativity! Time's up! All players, all at the same time, pass their sketch to the next player, who must guess what's been drawn. Players then simultaneously pass their guess -- which hopefully matches the original word (or does it??) -- to the next player who must try to draw the word they see -- and so on."

"Telestrations contains eight erasable sketchbooks and markers, a die, a 90 second sand-timer and 2,400 words to choose from."

A timed version of Cranium, designed for two or more players to play cooperatively.

Each player is dealt 4 cards depicting commonly known people, places, or objects. Another 8 cards are added to a common Play Pile. Players then take turns rolling a die to determine what type of clues can be given, starting the timer, selecting a card from their hand, and trying to get the other players to guess what is on that card as quickly as possible.

The four types of clues that can be given to describe your cards are:

Cloodle - provide clues by drawing and doodling
Tongue-Tied - use alliteration to give as many clues as possible that start with a single letter
Soundstage - act out or provide sound effects for clues (but you can't use words!)
Tweener - give hints in the form "It's bigger than blank but smaller than blank", using two objects that imply the answer

After someone guesses the card in play, stop the timer and draw a new card from the Play Pile. The next player takes the die and repeats the same process, until either no cards are left or the available 15 minutes are gone.

Players who are stuck on a particular card can choose to discard that card, but two new cards must then be added to the game instead - one card is placed directly in that player's hand, and a penalty card is added to the Play Pile.

The game is won by all players if they can work together to guess all of the cards in play before the timer runs out.

Cranium bills itself as the "whole-brain" game. It's a party game that borrows from a host of other popular party games of recent times. Players have to successfully complete activities in each of four sections to win: In
- Creative Cat : A player must clue a word to his or her teammates by drawing it, sculpting it in clay, or drawing it with his or her eyes closed.
- Data Head : A variety of trivia questions.
- Word Worm : Players unscramble words, spell challenging words, guess definitions, identify words with letters left out, or spell words backwords.
- Star Performer : players must whistle a song, impersonate a celebrity, or act out a clue.

Cranium has elements similar to those of Pictionary, Charades, Trivial Pursuit, Celebrities, Huggermugger, Claymania, etc.

Expanded by:

Cranium Booster Box 1
Cranium Booster Box 2
Cranium New York Booster Pack

NOTE: Unfortunately, Cranium had to be removed due to the clay being a poor fit for the library. We were having issues with people sticking the clay to tables, other games, and food. Sorry for the inconvenience.
--Spielbound Management