One-clue word field
Give one semantic clue for several public words while avoiding a hidden stop card.
Cooperation & communication
- Players
- 4–8 in two teams
- Time
- 15–25 minutes
- Materials
- Nine word cards, private host role map and reveal marks.
Prepare
Lay a 3×3 word grid row-major: river,moon,chair / lemon,clock,bridge / forest,candle,snow. Each team has one captain who sees the same private map: A owns 1,4,7; B owns 2,5,8;6 is stop;3,9 neutral. Other players must not see that map. Team A begins.
Play
The active captain says one word and a number 1–3. The word must not contain a visible card word, name a position or encode letters by agreed code. Teammates discuss and may reveal up to that many unrevealed cards, stopping voluntarily at any time. Each card is revealed and checked before another guess.
Worked example
“Citrus 1” can point to lemon, A’s card 4. A valid own-team reveal allows another guess if the clue count remains. A neutral reveal ends the turn. An opponent card is credited to that opponent and ends the turn. Revealing bridge, the stop card, loses immediately regardless of remaining count.
Finish and check
A team wins as soon as all three of its cards are revealed, including a card mistakenly revealed by opponents. A captain may not gesture, correct a guess or invent a second clue mid-turn. After an ended turn the other captain gives a fresh clue. If teams choose to stop early, record unfinished rather than force guesses.
Adaptation and limits
Use a screen or folded key for captains and read words aloud when needed. Our fixed small word set is separately written, not commercial artwork. A broad clue such as nature may fit both teams’ words; the host key establishes roles, not a guaranteed semantic interpretation or the single best clue.
Purpose, observation and provenance
Within this activity: Give one semantic clue for several public words while avoiding a hidden stop card.
Explain one legal decision and check it against the written constraints; a single result does not measure lasting ability.
Our rules, examples and printable diagrams are separately prepared. The earliest inventor of the broader mechanism is not established here.
Free alternative: Copy the supplied grids, labels and cards onto reused paper. No specialist product is needed. Adults may prepare pieces or act as a scribe.
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 materials · One-clue word field
river moon chair / lemon clock bridge / forest candle snow.
Clue / count / guesses in order / revealed roles / turn stopped?
river
moon
chair
lemon
clock
bridge
forest
candle
snow
Player record · keep host key separate
| Team | Clue/count | Guess | Role/result |
|---|---|---|---|
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
| ________ | ________ | ________ | ________ |
Host key · separate from players
Private: A1,4,7; B2,5,8; stop 6; neutral 3,9. Citrus→lemon is an illustrative clue only.
Run the round
Lay a 3×3 word grid row-major: river,moon,chair / lemon,clock,bridge / forest,candle,snow. Each team has one captain who sees the same private map: A owns 1,4,7; B owns 2,5,8;6 is stop;3,9 neutral. Other players must not see that map. Team A begins.
The active captain says one word and a number 1–3. The word must not contain a visible card word, name a position or encode letters by agreed code. Teammates discuss and may reveal up to that many unrevealed cards, stopping voluntarily at any time. Each card is revealed and checked before another guess.
“Citrus 1” can point to lemon, A’s card 4. A valid own-team reveal allows another guess if the clue count remains. A neutral reveal ends the turn. An opponent card is credited to that opponent and ends the turn. Revealing bridge, the stop card, loses immediately regardless of remaining count.
A team wins as soon as all three of its cards are revealed, including a card mistakenly revealed by opponents. A captain may not gesture, correct a guess or invent a second clue mid-turn. After an ended turn the other captain gives a fresh clue. If teams choose to stop early, record unfinished rather than force guesses.
Use a screen or folded key for captains and read words aloud when needed. Our fixed small word set is separately written, not commercial artwork. A broad clue such as nature may fit both teams’ words; the host key establishes roles, not a guaranteed semantic interpretation or the single best clue.