By Ryk Downes
This is a simple game for any number of players who may join in at any time. It normally runs over a number of turns predetermined by the GM.
There are a huge number of variants and this list is by no means exhaustive.
By Ryk Downes
This is a simple game for any number of players who may join in at any time. It normally runs over a number of turns predetermined by the GM.
There are a huge number of variants and this list is by no means exhaustive.
Each turn the GM lists 6 categories and an initial letter. All you have to do is find something that fits the category and begins with the initial letter; you will score points equal to the number of people who offer the same answer as you. The winner is the person with the most points at the end (after a predetermined number of turns).
The initial letter is A and the category is cities in Holland. 13 people give Amsterdam as their answer and score 13 points each, 6 people suggest Alkmaar and score 6 points each, 3 suggest Arnhem and score 3 points each.
There are also the following variants:
The most popular answer or answers (if a tie) score zero. Also known as By Almost Popular Demand.
The most popular answer or answers (if a tie) score negative points. Note that the Quite and Fairly versions have also be named the other way round in zines.
This time you score 1 point if no-one else goes for the same answer, otherwise zero. In the other versions of the game, it doesn't matter if your answer is not a legitimate answer (e.g. if you said Bill Clinton for a British PM beginning with C), as you are almost certain to get only one point, but obviously for this version it must be a correct answer.
A new variant from Conrad von Metzke. Each player has 15 points to allocate to five different categories - e.g. 5-4-3-2-1 or 11-1-1-1-1. The score for each category being multiplied by the number. The default is 3-3-3-3-3 if a player forgets to specify.
In this variant (by Allan Stagg) the questions are subjective, e.g. "Who is or was the best rock guitarist of all time?" and there is no starting letter. Players are encouraged to submit press justifying their choices.
In this variant (by Richard Smith) each turn three Bridge problems / questions are posed on bidding, opening leads or play. The important thing to note is that there are no right or wrong answers, only popular and unpopular ones.
In this variant (by Allan Stagg), each turn the GM will decide a number of categories. For each category, players will be asked to give five answers in order of preference - i.e. their "Top 5".
The GM will give a score of 5 points to each first choice, 4 points to each second choice, 3 points to each third choice, 2 points to each fourth choice, and 1 point to each fifth choice. The GM will add together the points for each choice and and compile a list of the overall top 5 choices.
If a player's first choice appears in the list, the player will score points according to his/her choice's position in the list (e.g. 5 for first place, 1 for fifth place, etc.). If a player's choice does not feature in the eventual top 5 list the player get no points. NMRs will receive no points, while players who send a list of less than 5 choices will have 1 point deducted for each missing choice. Similarly choices which do not fit the category will have 1 point deducted per invalid choice.
Popular Explosive National Aardvark Ladders is a game by Denis Arnold which combines BPD with features from Snakes and Ladders, Grand National and Aardvarks.
The GM supplies 6 categories and a letter of the alphabet before each round. Players then submit a word under each category beginning with the given letter. The word(s) occuring the most (and not exploded, see later) will advance those players 3 rungs up the ladder (well if aardvarks can ride bikes, I reckon most of them should be able to climb ladders). Second most popular words will advance one rung. If there is more than one most-popular, they each advance 2 rungs, but there no second-most.
Each round, players vote to explode a word of their choice in one of the categories, specified by the GM. The word(s) receiving the most votes will explode and score nothing, with the points for the most popular surviving word(s) counting towards movement.
Similarly, players will prod a category of their choice. The category(ies) getting the most prods will add 3 to the most popular and 2 to the least popular words' movement.
The GM may also announce a change of scoring rules for one or more of the categories, this applying only to the current turn. E.g. The least popular word(s) score 3 points and the most popular 1. He may also declare a temporary change to the main rules, e.g explode a category instead of a word this time.