Guesstures Directions

Understand what the namesake guesstures are. The object of the game is to act out words using guesstures. They're the motions, actions and gestures you act out to get your team to guess the clues. To guessture correctly, you may never make any noises, but props and visual aids are okay. You may mouth words, but not the word you want people to guess. For example, if the card says "GUN," mouth the word "BANG" as a clue. Feel free to employ traditional charades techniques like placing fingers on your wrist to indicate syllables. However, these may not always be the fastest methods, and you want to beat the clock. Any violations of these rules results in the loss of that point.

Familiarize yourself with the Mimer-Timer. This unique device resembles a clapperboard used on movie sets and serves many functions in Guesstures. It holds cards, keeps score and keeps time. The card-holding/time-keeping aspect makes the Mimer-Timer particularly crucial because as time progresses it swallows your clue cards. You must get your teammates to guess the word and then grab the card from the Mimer-Timer before it is consumed. You only get points for cards guessed and grabbed.

To set it up, place the Mimer-Timer on a smooth surface like a hardwood floor or table. It should be in a position so that only the actor can see the clues. Lift the clapper-arm, and look on the corner underneath to see a switch. Flip the switch up. Then turn the dial found just under the switch clockwise until in won't turn anymore. This activates the timer.

On front of the Mimer-Timer, write team names next to "CAST," and record points next to "Scene 1" and "Scene 2."

Divide all participants into two even teams. If playing with an odd number of people, one team may have one extra person. Each team should decide the order in which they want to act. All players must act. If playing with uneven teams, the short-sided team selects one person to go twice.

Guesstures is divided into two rounds, or "Scenes." Scene 1 consists of easier clues of lower point value. Scene 2 consists of harder clues with higher point value. Each scene concludes when every player has acted.

Play Scene 1. The first actor for Team 1 selects four cards from the blue deck. All players use the blue deck in Scene 1. Each card has two words printed on it-- one worth one point, and one worth three points. The player picks the words she thinks will be most successfully guessed. The player must choose one word from each card, but may mix and match the point value as she sees fit.

Once four words are chosen, the player organizes them from easiest to hardest in terms of how fast she thinks she can get her teammates to guess them. The Mimer-Timer has four slots on top of it, and it eats cards from left to right. The player places cards she thinks her team will guess the fastest on the left, and the ones that will take the longest on the right.

The player then winds the knob on the Mimer-Timer to initiate the timer. Using guesstures, she gets her team to guess each clue. When the word on the card is guessed, the player must grab the card from the Mimer-Timer. Remember, you only get points for the cards you grab. If your team guesses it, but the Mimer-Timer eats it, no points are awarded. When time expires count your points and tally them under Team 1 next to "Scene 1."

The first actor on Team 2 repeats the process. Play alternates between teams until all players have gone. Once they have, Scene 1 is over.

Play Scene 2. Follow all the same steps as scene one, except use the orange cards instead. Point values on orange cards are two or four. When you complete Scene 2 add up all the points from both Scenes to see who won.