Balderdash, the hilarious bluffing game, offers plenty of opportunity to flex those bluffing muscles. Five outrageous and unbelievable but true questions and answers let you play the game that asks your friends to call your bluff.

Each game card lists People, Words, Initials, Movies and Laws that you've probably never heard of and aren't supposed to know anything about. But, that's where the fun really begins, because you get to make up an answer that's as silly or as serious as you want!

Now mix in the real answer and vote. You score points for guessing correctly and for bluffing the other players.


Components

  • 1 Game Board
  • 280 Game Cards
  • 1 Answer Sheet Pad
  • 6 Movers
  • 1 Die
  • 1 Instruction Sheet

Object of the Game

To make up answers that will bluff the other players.

Earn points for fooling other players into believing your bluff as well as for choosing the real answer.


Setup

  1. Place the board in the middle of the playing area.

  2. Each player should get a pencil or pen along with several answer sheets.

  3. Each player picks a colored mover and puts it on the "Start" space.



Game Play

  1. Each player rolls the die; high roll becomes the first DASHER (the leader of each round).

    The DASHER rolls the die to determine which category to play. If a 1 is rolled, the DASHER plays the first category on the card and so on.

    If a 6 is rolled, the DASHER can choose a category to play. (As optional play, the DASHER may choose one of the five categories for play without rolling the die. All players should agree on which way to play before the game).

  2. The DASHER reads aloud, from the blue side of the Game Card, the category question for the other players who then write it down on their answer sheets in the "Question" section.

    Each category has a question associated with it:

    1. Weird Words - What is this definition?
    2. Peculiar People - Who is this person?
    3. Incredible Initials - What does this stand for?
    4. Marvelous Movies - What is this movie about?
    5. Laughable Laws - What is this law?


  3. Every player, except the DASHER, makes up an answer and writes it down in the "Answer" section. This is where it gets good...you get to write an answer that's as silly or serious as you want.

    Just try to fool the other players. Make sure your answer is legible and that no one can see what you're writing!

  4. While the other players are writing their bluffs, the DASHER writes the question on their answer sheet, along with the real answer from the green side of the card, then replaces the card in the back of the card box.

  5. Players sign their bluffs by marking their initials on the bottom of the answer sheet in the space marked "Name". This bluff should be handed to the DASHER without the other players seeing it.

  6. The DASHER then looks at all of the answers and makes sure they can be read clearly. If the DASHER cannot read the answer, they should quietly ask the person who wrote it.

    The DASHER arranges them, including the real one, in random order, and reads each answer aloud being careful not to reveal which answer is the real one. A player should not reveal their own answer by shouting "that's mine" or by nudging, winking or grunting.

  7. Moving clockwise from the DASHER, each player chooses the answer that they think is real. As each player chooses, the DASHER writes that player's initials on the answer sheet chosen in the section marked "Score".

    As a bluffing trick, you can vote for your own bluff but you will not earn a point for this vote.

  8. Once every player has guessed, the DASHER reveals the real answer. The scores are tallied and each player advances their colored mover on the board the number of points they earned in that round.

    The player to the DASHER's left becomes the new DASHER and play continues.

  9. If a player writes an answer that is similar or very close to the real answer, put that answer sheet aside and only read the answer copied from the game card. The round is played as usual but with one less answer.

    The player who made up this answer automatically earns 3 points and does not participate in the guessing or voting during the round.

    If two or more players submit an answer that is close to the real answer, the round is cancelled and the DASHER chooses a new card. The players that had the answers similar to the real one earn 3 points each.


Scoring

  • 1 point is given to a player for every vote their answer earned.

  • 2 points are given to each player who correctly guesses the REAL answer.

  • 3 points are given to the DASHER if no players guess the real answer.

  • 3 points are awarded to any player who writes an answer very similar to the real answer.


End of the Game

In each round, the player directly to the DASHER's left advances their mover first, followed by the remaining players in clockwise order.

The first player to reach the "Finish" space on the board wins!

Note: it is a good idea to take one card from the box and read all of the clues along with their answers.

This will get the players familiar with the categories and with how the real answers appear.


2-player Game

Alternate turns being the DASHER. Roll the die, draw a card and read from the corresponding category question. Before turning it over and seeing the answer, the DASHER makes up an answer.

Now turn over the card to read and copy the real answer. Read both choices, in similar fashion, to the guessing player.

If the guesser votes for your bluff, you advance 3 spaces; if the guesser votes for the real answer, they advance 2 spaces. Alternate until you reach the "Finish".


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