Party Lines
Parker Brothers 1985Think you know your friends? Well, think again because you may be in for a surprise or two when you play PARTY LINES game. We call it a provocative and revealing bluffing game for a very good reason. It prompts players to reveal personal characteristics that often are unpredictable. As a result, even good friends become more familiar, while the game is bound to break the ice with that new acquaintance you’d like to get to know.
The premise is simple. Players secretly write crazy responses to a phrase that’s read aloud. Then, without revealing the authors, the responses are read. How well did you say you know your friends? You’ll find out as you try to match each player’s name to one of the responses. Just remember that anyone can bluff and bluffing can disguise and surprise!
So loosen up, leave your inhibitions behind, wear whichever mask of deception you would like and change it as often as you wish. And have a great time discovering how well you know your friends and how well they know you!
OBJECT
To receive the highest score by correctly matching unpredictable responses with the players who gave them.EQUIPMENT
100 phrase cardsSET UP
1. Each player takes one playing folder, one pencil, and one wipe. If you’re playing in teams, partners must sit together so that they can confer in secret.2. Choose a player who will also keep score. The scorekeeper takes the scoring folder and lists all the players by name.
Example:
3. Shuffle the cards and place them face-down in a convenient spot.
4. Choose a player to begin the round. Play will proceed from the first player’s left.
PLAYING
PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING RULES CAREFULLY.1. Read a phrase. The first player draws the top card and looks over the three or four phrases printed on it. The player then chooses one of the phrases, reads it aloud to the group, and places the card face-up beside the draw pile for easy reference.
2. Write a response. Everyone takes a moment to think of a punch line that completes the phrase. Be as imaginative as you can; producing laughs is half the object!
When you have a response, write it down in the blocks provided at the top of the folder. Remember:
Example:
Phrase: I have nothing to fear but...
Response: My grocery bills
3. Redistribute the folders. When everyone finishes writing, players must close their folders, and pass them to the player who read the phrase. This player shuffles the folders and randomly passes back one to each player (or team). If you get back your own folder, bluff! (No one should know that it’s yours.)
4. Record responses. Starting with the player who read the phrase, players in turn read aloud from the folders they hold. As each response is read, players record it in the appropriately numbered space.
Example:
1st player (aloud): "I have nothing to fear but my grocery bills."
EVERYONE WRITES "MY GROCERY BILLS" TO THE RIGHT OF NUMBER 1.
2nd player (aloud): "I have nothing to fear but the mirror in the morning."
EVERYONE WRITES "THE MIRROR IN THE MORNING" TO THE RIGHT OF NUMBER 2.
3rd player (aloud): "I have nothing to fear but my 30th birthday."
EVERYONE WRITES "MY 30TH BIRTHDAY" TO THE RIGHT OF NUMBER 3.
4th player (aloud:) "I have nothing to fear but you should be scared to death."
EVERYONE WRITES "YOU SHOULD BE SCARED TO DEATH" TO THE RIGHT OF NUMBER 4.
Continue in this manner until all responses are recorded. Players should abbreviate where necessary. At this point, each player s folder should look something like this:
5. Guess. Players take two or three minutes to write down beside each phrase the name of the player whom they think gave that response. Do this in secret. PLAYERS MAY NOT WRITE DOWN ANY NAME MORE THAN ONCE. PLAYERS MAY WRITE DOWN THEIR OWN NAME IN THE CORRECT SPACE OR LEAVE THE SPACE BLANK.
Example:
6. Reveal the guesses. The player who read the card begins by repeating the phrase and reading the first response.
Example:
1st player (aloud): "I have nothing to fear but my grocery bills."
PLAYERS NOW OPENLY POINT TO THE PERSON WHOM THEY THINK GAVE THIS RESPONSE. AFTER ALL ACCUSATIONS ARE MADE, THE PERSON WHO ACTUALLY GAVE IT MUST CONFESS TO IT.
7. Score points. Each player who makes a correct guess, places a "5" in the scoring column to the right of the person’s name. If the person who gave the response stumped everybody, this player places a "5' in the scoring column. Otherwise, a player does not score for guessing him or herself. Incorrect guesses earn "0" points for the player.
8. Continue the round. The second player reads response number 2, and players point to the person whom they think gave it. Play continues in this manner until all of the responses have been read, their authors identified, and points awarded. This constitutes a round.
9. End the round. At the end of a round, the scorekeeper records the total number of points earned by each player.
10. Begin a new round. Players erase the writing on their folders and begin a new round with the person to the first player’s left.
RECAPPING A ROUND
The steps that constitute a round are as follows: a. The first player draws a card and reads a phrase.
b. Everyone writes down a response.
c. Folders are passed in, shuffled, and passed back.
d. Each response is read and written down.
e. Everyone writes their guesses in secret.
f. Responses are read, authors revealed, points awarded.
g. Scorekeeper records total points.
WINNING
Whoever has the highest total point value at the end of four rounds wins the game. In case of a tie, everybody plays another round.STRATEGY
PLEASE READ THESE IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT THE COMPONENTS.
Handling the Folders To prolong the life of each folder, do NOT bend the cover all the way back. Cleaning the FoldersParker Brothers
50 Dunham Road, Beverly, MA 01915
