Fictional definition vote
Write plausible invented definitions and distinguish the chosen game-world definition from anonymous decoys.
Language & storytelling · Cooperation & communication
- Players
- 4–8 people including a rotating host
- Time
- 12–18 minutes
- Materials and quantities
- Six invented-word prompt cards, a separate host meaning list, one slip per writer and a score table.
Seat the host where the key cannot be read by others; one shared scorekeeper is enough.
Prepare
The six words and their meanings are fictional for this game, not dictionary facts. Keep the printed host list hidden. Each round one host shows a word only; every other person writes one short plausible meaning. Do not include a name or personal detail. The host contributes the listed meaning and mixes it with the slips, numbering all options. A host does not submit a decoy or vote that round.
Play
Read every numbered definition in the same neutral manner. Each writer privately chooses one option other than their own; reveal votes together. The host then reveals the listed game-world meaning and returns each decoy to its author. A correct vote earns two points. A decoy author earns one point for each other person who voted for that decoy. No points are awarded for choosing your own text, and the host gets no automatic points.
Worked example
For plimble the host meaning is a clip that holds a rolled map. A player may invent a tiny bell on a garden gate. If two voters choose the bell, its author earns two points; a voter choosing the map clip earns two. These are different scoring routes, so record them in separate columns. If a submitted slip duplicates the listed meaning or another slip, ask that writer privately to replace it before numbering; never leave two indistinguishable correct-looking choices.
Finish and check
Rotate the host and finish after each person has hosted once, or after six words if that occurs first. Compare totals; ties remain ties. Return slips only after all votes are locked, so authorship cannot influence later votes. The host key is a preparation aid, not a participant answer sheet. A round without a unique listed option should be rebuilt rather than scored by an improvised explanation after voting.
Adaptation and practical limits
An adult may read or scribe without changing a player’s idea. Keep subjects harmless and fictional; do not invent claims about real people, medicines or historical events. There is no need for an external dictionary. Allow passing without a decoy or vote. If a writer knows a similarly spelled real term, remind the group that only this round’s explicitly invented meaning is being sought.
Aim: Write plausible invented definitions and distinguish the chosen game-world definition from anonymous decoys.
Practice within this activity: Separate a canonical answer from a convincing invented alternative.
Adult observation: Check scoring categories without judging a person’s honesty or vocabulary from a round.
Mechanism and adaptation: A separately written PartyPageKit version of the mechanism described below, with original examples and materials. The earliest inventor is not established here.
Goals describe observable activity choices, not measured long-term gains or institutional endorsement.
Free alternatives: Use paper or clean reused cardboard and a pencil. Copy the supplied diagrams and tables by hand; no specialist kit or purchase is needed.
Printable materials
Preview at 100% scale, with browser headers and footers off. Cut with suitable help. Keep host keys separate. This is a manual tabletop kit, not an online opponent, automatic judge or solver.
Player invented-word prompts
Words are fictional for this game. Show only one word; host meanings stay separate.
Player vote and score log
Correct canonical vote +2; your decoy +1 per other voter; host neither votes nor scores automatically.
| Round / word | Voter / option | Correct +2 | Decoy votes +1 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
Host / teacher checked example · separate
Seat the host where the key cannot be read by others; one shared scorekeeper is enough.
Six invented-word prompt cards, a separate host meaning list, one slip per writer and a score table.
Keep this answer page separate. Read the full web rules and preview materials before leading; allow pauses, passing and supported writing.
| Word | Game-world meaning |
|---|---|
| plimble | a clip that holds a rolled map |
| tavric | a shelf reserved for empty jars |
| norsel | a soft brush used only on paper models |
| brindlew | a mark showing where a path forks |
| sovket | a bag for carrying folded cloth |
| mellip | a lid that fits two different containers |
Replace duplicate definitions privately before numbering. Rotate host; stop after each person hosts once or six words. These meanings are not dictionary claims.