203 ruling cards
Print double-sided, flipping on the short edge . Backs are laid out
mirrored so each answer lands behind its own question. Cut along the card
edges — they are standard poker size, so they fit sleeves if you are that
sort of person.
Hold one up. Everyone guesses official or made up. Turn it over.
AZUL
Can you take just some of the tiles of a colour?
official rule,
or made up?
AZUL
What happens to tiles that do not fit in your pattern line?
official rule,
or made up?
AZUL
Can you fill a pattern line with a colour already on your wall in that row?
official rule,
or made up?
AZUL
Does taking from the centre first cost you?
official rule,
or made up?
AZUL
Do unfinished pattern lines stay for the next round?
official rule,
or made up?
AZUL
Does the game stop the instant someone completes a row?
official rule,
or made up?
BACKGAMMON
Do you have to play both dice if the move is bad for you?
official rule,
or made up?
BACKGAMMON
Who can double after a double has been accepted?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Azul
No. You take every tile of the chosen colour from that display or from the centre, however many there are. Being forced to take four when you can only use two is the central tension of the game.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Azul
They go straight to your floor line and subtract points at the end of the round, on an increasing scale. You may also choose to send tiles to the floor deliberately, which is occasionally the correct play.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Azul
No. If that colour already sits in the corresponding row of your wall, that pattern line is closed to it permanently. Any tiles of that colour you take must go somewhere else or onto the floor.
common
OFFICIAL
Azul
Yes. The first player to draft from the centre each round takes the starting player marker onto their floor line, costing one point, and leads the next round. It is a small price and often worth paying deliberately.
common
OFFICIAL
Azul
Yes. Pattern lines that are not full remain exactly as they are into the next round, keeping their colour and their tiles. Only completed lines send a tile to the wall and clear.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Azul
The current round is played to its end, including all wall placement and scoring, and the game finishes after that. It does not stop mid-round, so a player can still complete a row of their own in the same round.
common
OFFICIAL
Backgammon
Yes. If any legal sequence uses both numbers, you must play one of them. Where only one number can be played, you are required to play the higher. Preferring not to move is never a reason to leave a die unused.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Backgammon
Only the player who accepted. Taking a double gives you sole ownership of the cube, and your opponent cannot double again until you have used it. This is what stops a stronger player simply doubling every turn.
common
BACKGAMMON
Can you move other checkers while one is on the bar?
official rule,
or made up?
BACKGAMMON
Can you immediately redouble when offered a double?
official rule,
or made up?
BACKGAMMON
What happens if you roll higher than any checker you have left?
official rule,
or made up?
BACKGAMMON
When does a win count double or triple?
official rule,
or made up?
BATTLESHIP
Can two ships be placed next to each other?
official rule,
or made up?
BATTLESHIP
Do you have to say which ship has been sunk?
official rule,
or made up?
BATTLESHIP
Is going first an advantage?
official rule,
or made up?
BATTLESHIP
Do you get another shot when you score a hit?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Backgammon
No. Every checker on the bar must re-enter your opponent's home board before you may move anything else. If you cannot enter, your entire turn is forfeited, and against a well-made board that can happen many turns running.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Backgammon
Not in the standard rules. Accepting a double gives you the cube, but you cannot use it until your own turn.
common
OFFICIAL
Backgammon
You bear off a checker from your highest occupied point. This only applies when no point higher than the number rolled is occupied — otherwise you must make a legal move within the home board instead.
common
OFFICIAL
Backgammon
A gammon doubles the stake and happens when the loser has borne off no checkers at all. A backgammon triples it, and requires the loser to still have a checker on the bar or inside the winner's home board. Both are multiplied by whatever the doubling cube
common
OFFICIAL
Battleship
In the standard published rules, yes. Ships may sit side by side as long as they do not overlap. Only diagonal placement and overlapping are forbidden.
common
OFFICIAL
Battleship
Yes. When the last square of a ship is hit you must announce both that it has sunk and which ship it was. Concealing it is cheating, though you are never obliged to hint at anything before the final hit.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Battleship
Yes, unavoidably. Both players need the same number of successful shots, so whoever starts reaches the total first in any tied race. Flip a coin, or play an even number of games and alternate who opens.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Battleship
Not in the standard rules, where every turn is exactly one shot regardless of the result.
common
BATTLESHIP
Can ships be placed diagonally?
official rule,
or made up?
BLACKJACK
Is an Ace worth 1 or 11?
official rule,
or made up?
BLACKJACK
If both you and the dealer bust, is it a push?
official rule,
or made up?
BLACKJACK
Does the dealer have a choice about hitting?
official rule,
or made up?
BLACKJACK
Should you take insurance?
official rule,
or made up?
BLACKJACK
Do five cards under 21 win automatically?
official rule,
or made up?
CATAN
Who discards when a 7 is rolled?
official rule,
or made up?
CATAN
Can players trade when it is not their turn?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Battleship
No. Every ship lies along a row or a column. Diagonal placement is not permitted in any published version, and allowing it breaks the search logic the whole game rests on.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Blackjack
Both, whichever helps. An Ace counts as 11 unless that would bust you, in which case it counts as 1. A hand containing an Ace still counted as 11 is called "soft" — a soft 17 (Ace plus six) can never bust on one more card, which is why the dealer rule for soft 17
near universal
OFFICIAL
Blackjack
No. You lose. The moment you go over 21 your bet is collected, before the dealer plays at all. This ordering is the single largest source of the house edge, and most casual players do not realise it exists.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Blackjack
None at all. The dealer follows a fixed rule: draw to 16, stand on 17. Whether they hit a *soft* 17 varies by house and is printed on the table. Hitting soft 17 is worse for the player.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Blackjack
It is a legal side bet, and for a player not counting cards it is a bad one. It pays 2:1 on a proposition that comes in slightly less than one time in three, so it loses money over time regardless of what you hold.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Blackjack
Not a standard casino rule and absent from most tables.
regional
OFFICIAL
Catan
Every player holding more than seven resource cards discards half, rounded down — not just the player who rolled, and not only the player being robbed. The roller then moves the robber and steals one card from a player adjacent to its new hex.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Catan
Trades between players may only happen during the active player's trade phase, and every trade must involve the active player. Two other players cannot trade with each other. This single rule is what stops the board from being solved by coalition.
near universal
CATAN
What happens to Longest Road when someone ties it?
official rule,
or made up?
CATAN
Can you build on someone else's turn?
official rule,
or made up?
CATAN
Do you collect resources on the first roll of the game for everyone?
official rule,
or made up?
CATAN
Is the robber allowed to sit on the desert forever?
official rule,
or made up?
CHARADES
Can you point at something in the room to indicate a word?
official rule,
or made up?
CHARADES
Is "sounds like" allowed?
official rule,
or made up?
CHARADES
Can you mouth the word silently?
official rule,
or made up?
CHARADES
Does a guess count if they say the right words in the wrong order?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Catan
The holder keeps it on a tie — you must exceed the current holder, not match them. If a settlement is built that breaks the holder's road and drops them below five, the card goes to whoever now has the longest, or is set aside if nobody has five.
common
OFFICIAL
Catan
No, only on your own turn. The exception is the 5-6 player extension, which adds an explicit special build phase precisely because the wait would otherwise be too long.
common
OFFICIAL
Catan
At setup you collect resources only from your **second** settlement, the one placed on the way back round. Collecting from both is a common error that meaningfully advantages the first player.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Catan
The published rules require the robber to move to a different hex, and the desert is a legal destination — effectively a pass.
common
OFFICIAL
Charades
No. Pointing at a real object to convey the word for it bypasses the whole activity. You may mime handling an imaginary object freely — the distinction is between representing a thing and simply indicating one.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Charades
Yes, and the traditional signal is tugging your earlobe. You then act out a word that rhymes with the one you actually need. It is standard in nearly every tradition, though a few groups ban it for being too powerful.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Charades
No. Forming the word with your lips is treated exactly as speaking it, even with no sound. This is the most frequently broken rule in the game, usually accidentally and in the last ten seconds.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Charades
There is no governing body, so no answer is official. The common convention is that the performer decides, and their decision stands.
common
CHARADES
Do you have to signal the number of words before acting?
official rule,
or made up?
CHESS
What is en passant and when can you do it?
official rule,
or made up?
CHESS
When exactly are you allowed to castle?
official rule,
or made up?
CHESS
If a player cannot move, do they lose?
official rule,
or made up?
CHESS
Must a promoted pawn become a queen?
official rule,
or made up?
CHESS
If you touch a piece, must you move it?
official rule,
or made up?
CHESS
How does a game end in a draw when neither side can win?
official rule,
or made up?
CLUEDO
Does everyone show you a card, or only the first player who can?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Charades
It is conventional rather than compulsory, and skipping it makes the round substantially harder. Most groups treat the word count and category as a courtesy the performer owes their own team.
common
OFFICIAL
Chess
If a pawn advances two squares from its starting position and lands beside an enemy pawn, that pawn may capture it as though it had only moved one square — but **only on the immediately following move**. Miss the chance and it is gone. It is a genuine rule
near universal
OFFICIAL
Chess
Four conditions, all required: neither the king nor that rook has moved; the squares between them are empty; the king is not currently in check; and the king does not pass through or land on an attacked square. Note what is **not** on the list — the rook may be
near universal
OFFICIAL
Chess
No — it is a draw. If the player to move has no legal move and is **not** in check, the game is drawn regardless of material. This rule is why a player with a queen and king can still fail to win, and why beginners throw away won positions.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Chess
No. A pawn reaching the far rank must promote, but to any piece except a king — queen, rook, bishop or knight. Promoting to a knight is occasionally the only winning move, because a knight attacks squares a queen cannot. You may have several queens on the
common
OFFICIAL
Chess
In formal play, yes — touch a piece and you must move it if it has a legal move; touch an opponent's piece and you must capture it if you legally can. Say "j'adoube" or "I adjust" first if you only want to straighten a piece. Casual games usually ignore this,
common
OFFICIAL
Chess
Several ways. Threefold repetition — the same position with the same player to move occurs three times — may be claimed as a draw. The fifty-move rule allows a claim after fifty moves by each side with no capture and no pawn move. Insufficient material,
common
OFFICIAL
Cluedo
Only the first player, going clockwise, who holds any of the three named cards. They show one card and the process stops immediately — the remaining players are not asked at all, and reveal nothing.
near universal
CLUEDO
What happens if your accusation is wrong?
official rule,
or made up?
CLUEDO
Can you name a card that is in your own hand?
official rule,
or made up?
CLUEDO
Do you have to be in a room to make a suggestion?
official rule,
or made up?
CLUEDO
If your character is moved into a room by someone else, can you suggest from there?
official rule,
or made up?
CLUEDO
Can you use a secret passage and still make a suggestion?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES
What exactly is a legal clue?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES
Can your clue be a word visible on the grid?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES
Do you always get one extra guess?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Cluedo
You are out of contention permanently and take no further turns, but you stay at the table, keep your cards and must continue disproving other players' suggestions. Returning the envelope unchanged is essential.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Cluedo
Yes, and it is a genuine tactic rather than a loophole. Naming a card you hold guarantees that any player who disproves you must be showing you one of the other two, which narrows things down sharply.
common
OFFICIAL
Cluedo
You must be standing in a room, and the room you name must be the one you are in. Corridors allow no suggestions. An accusation, by contrast, may name any room in most editions.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Cluedo
Yes. On your next turn you may make a suggestion from the room you were pulled into without rolling at all, or you may roll and leave as normal. Being dragged across the board is an opportunity as often as a nuisance.
common
OFFICIAL
Cluedo
Yes. Taking a passage counts as your entire move, and you may suggest immediately on arrival. Passages are strong precisely because they get you into a room without any dice at all.
common
OFFICIAL
Codenames
Exactly one word and one number, and nothing else — no tone, no gestures, no "this one's a stretch". Proper nouns are allowed if your group agrees; compound words are only legal if they are genuinely written as one word. The number is how many grid
near universal
OFFICIAL
Codenames
No. The clue may not be any word currently visible in the grid, and you may not use a form of it either. Once a word is covered by an agent card, it becomes usable again.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Codenames
Yes. A team may make one more guess than the number given, provided every guess so far has been correct. This exists so a team can pick up a word they missed from an earlier clue, and it is the mechanism most new players forget they have.
near universal
CODENAMES
Can you give a clue for zero words?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES
Are homophones and near-spellings allowed?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES DUET
How many agents are there in total?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES DUET
Can a word be an assassin for one player and an agent for the other?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES DUET
Can your clue be a word visible on the table?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES DUET
Are compound words and proper nouns allowed as clues?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES DUET
How many guesses does your partner get?
official rule,
or made up?
CODENAMES DUET
Can you give a clue for zero?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Codenames
Yes to both. A clue of zero means "none of these relate to my words" and lets the team guess as many as they like, using the bonus-guess rule to chase earlier clues. "Unlimited" is used when the team already has several known words outstanding. Both are
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Codenames
The published rules leave this to the group, which is a polite way of saying it is the most argued-about point in the game.
common
OFFICIAL
Codenames Duet
Fifteen. Each key shows nine agents, but three of them overlap between the two sides, so the combined total is fifteen rather than eighteen. Finding an overlapping word from the second side returns a turn token rather than counting again.
common
OFFICIAL
Codenames Duet
Yes, and this is the central design of the game. A word can be a perfectly safe agent on your key and an instant loss on your partner's. You are never permitted to warn them, and being unable to is the point.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Codenames Duet
No. No clue may be any word currently visible in the grid, including as part of a compound. Once a word has been covered by an agent or bystander card it becomes legal to use.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Codenames Duet
The published rules require a single word, with proper nouns permitted at the group's discretion. Hyphenated and compound words sit in a genuine grey area that the rulebook acknowledges rather than settles.
common
OFFICIAL
Codenames Duet
The number you said, plus one. They may also stop at any point before that. The extra guess is intended for picking up an agent from a previous clue that was left behind.
common
OFFICIAL
Codenames Duet
Yes. A clue of zero tells your partner that none of the words relating to it are yours, which is a way of steering them away from danger without naming it. They may then guess as many times as they like, which makes it a genuine gamble rather than a free
rare
COUP
Do you have to coup when you have ten coins?
official rule,
or made up?
COUP
What happens when you are challenged and you really had the card?
official rule,
or made up?
COUP
Can you challenge someone who blocks you?
official rule,
or made up?
COUP
If your assassination is challenged and fails, do you get the coins back?
official rule,
or made up?
COUP
If an assassination succeeds against a player with one card, and they challenge and lose, do they lose two?
official rule,
or made up?
COUP
When you lose a card, do you choose which one and does everyone see it?
official rule,
or made up?
CRAZY EIGHTS
Which cards have special powers in Crazy Eights?
official rule,
or made up?
CRAZY EIGHTS
Do Twos make the next player draw, and do Queens skip?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Coup
Yes. Beginning your turn with ten or more coins forces you to launch a coup as your action. You may not take income, use a character, or hold the coins back. It is the rule that guarantees the game ends.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Coup
You reveal it, the challenger loses a card, and then you shuffle your revealed card back into the deck and draw a replacement. You do not keep the revealed card, which means the table's new information about you is immediately worthless.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Coup
Yes. A block is itself a character claim and is challengeable on exactly the same terms. Claiming a Contessa you do not hold to survive an assassination is one of the most common bluffs in the game, and calling it is often correct.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Coup
No. The three coins are spent when you declare the assassination and are not refunded, whether you are challenged successfully, blocked, or anything else. A failed assassin bluff therefore costs you a card and three coins together.
common
OFFICIAL
Coup
A player with a single card who challenges and loses is eliminated by that alone, and the assassination becomes irrelevant. You cannot lose more influence than you hold, so there is no double penalty — only a faster exit.
rare
OFFICIAL
Coup
You choose which of your cards to reveal, and it stays face up for the rest of the game where everyone can see it. That public information is significant — the table now knows one character you definitely cannot claim honestly, and one more copy of
near universal
OFFICIAL
Crazy Eights
In the base game, only the Eight does anything: it is wild, and you name the suit that follows. Every other card is an ordinary matching card. Almost every group adds powers to other ranks, and almost every group believes theirs are standard.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Crazy Eights
Not part of the base game.
near universal
CRAZY EIGHTS
Do you draw until you can play, or just one card?
official rule,
or made up?
CRIBBAGE
Can you claim points your opponent missed?
official rule,
or made up?
CRIBBAGE
Does a run have to be played in order during the pegging?
official rule,
or made up?
CRIBBAGE
Does a four-card flush score in the crib?
official rule,
or made up?
CRIBBAGE
What happens when the starter card is a jack?
official rule,
or made up?
CRIBBAGE
If your opponent reaches 121 first, do you still count your hand?
official rule,
or made up?
DOMINION
Where does a card you buy go?
official rule,
or made up?
DOMINION
How many actions and buys do you get?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Crazy Eights
In the traditional game you draw until you can play, or until the stock runs out — the opposite of Uno, where you draw exactly one. Many groups import the Uno rule without realising they have swapped games.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Cribbage
Not in the ordinary friendly game, where a player who undercounts simply loses those points and nobody profits.
common
OFFICIAL
Cribbage
No. The cards must form a run when taken together, but the order they were laid in is irrelevant. Five, seven, six scores a run of three. A card that breaks the sequence ends the opportunity.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Cribbage
No. A hand scores four for a four-card flush, but the crib requires all five cards including the starter to share a suit before it scores anything.
common
OFFICIAL
Cribbage
The dealer immediately pegs two, before any cards are played. This is separate from the point scored for holding the jack matching the starter's suit, which is counted later and belongs to whoever holds that jack.
common
OFFICIAL
Cribbage
No. The game ends the instant a player pegs the final hole, even in the middle of a count. This is exactly why the non-dealer counts first, and it is the reason a close endgame is decided before the cards are.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Dominion
Onto your discard pile, never into your hand or your draw pile. You will not see it again until your discards are shuffled back, which is exactly why deck size matters so much.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Dominion
Exactly one action and one buy per turn, unless a card you play grants more. Treasures are not actions and you may play as many as you like during your buy phase without spending anything.
near universal
DOMINION
Which empty piles end the game?
official rule,
or made up?
DOMINION
Do you have to reveal a Moat to be protected from an attack?
official rule,
or made up?
DOMINION
When exactly do you shuffle your discard pile?
official rule,
or made up?
DOMINION
Who wins if two players tie on victory points?
official rule,
or made up?
FISHBOWL
Do you use the same slips in all three rounds?
official rule,
or made up?
FISHBOWL
Can you gesture while giving your one word in round two?
official rule,
or made up?
FISHBOWL
Can you skip a slip you cannot get?
official rule,
or made up?
FISHBOWL
What happens if the timer goes while a slip is being guessed?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Dominion
Any three supply piles at two or three players, or any four at four players — including kingdom piles, Curses, and even Coppers. The Province pile emptying ends it on its own regardless of player count.
common
OFFICIAL
Dominion
Yes. A Moat only protects you if you reveal it from your hand when the attack is played. Holding it silently does nothing, and there is no retrospective protection once the attack has resolved.
common
OFFICIAL
Dominion
Only when you need to draw a card and the draw pile is empty. Draw what remains first, then shuffle the discards and continue drawing. Shuffling early, before you need to, changes what you draw and is a genuine error rather than a shortcut.
common
OFFICIAL
Dominion
The player who has taken fewer turns. If they have taken the same number, the game is a genuine tie and both players share the win. This makes the turn order at the end of a close province race quietly important.
common
OFFICIAL
Fishbowl
Yes, and this is the entire design. Every slip goes back in the bowl at the end of each round. Rounds two and three are only achievable because the room has already heard the whole bowl described once.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Fishbowl
No. Round two is the word alone. Adding gestures collapses the distinction between round two and round three and removes the escalation the game is built on.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Fishbowl
There is no single authority on this and both versions are widely played.
common
OFFICIAL
Fishbowl
The slip is unclaimed and goes back into the bowl. There is no grace period, which is why experienced players glance at the timer before starting a slip they suspect is difficult.
common
FISHBOWL
Can you use part of the phrase on the slip?
official rule,
or made up?
GO FISH
Can you ask for a card you do not already have?
official rule,
or made up?
GO FISH
Do you get another turn if the other player hands cards over?
official rule,
or made up?
GO FISH
What if you draw the exact card you asked for?
official rule,
or made up?
GO FISH
What happens when you run out of cards but the pond is not empty?
official rule,
or made up?
HEARTS
When can you lead a heart?
official rule,
or made up?
HEARTS
Can the queen of spades be played on the first trick?
official rule,
or made up?
HEARTS
What happens when someone shoots the moon?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Fishbowl
No. No word appearing on the slip may be spoken, in any round where speech is allowed at all. That includes rhymes, spellings and translations of those words. The restriction applies to the whole phrase, not only the main noun.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Go Fish
No. You must already hold at least one card of the rank you ask for. This is what makes the game a deduction puzzle rather than a guessing game — every question you ask tells the table something about your hand.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Go Fish
Yes. A successful ask earns you another turn, and you keep going until somebody tells you to go fish. Groups that skip this rule make the game considerably slower and flatter.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Go Fish
The traditional game simply ends your turn.
common
OFFICIAL
Go Fish
Draw a new card from the pond and carry on. You are only out of the game when both your hand and the pond are empty.
common
OFFICIAL
Hearts
Only after a heart has been played on some previous trick by a player who could not follow suit. Until that happens, hearts may be discarded but not led. The exception is a player holding nothing but hearts, who may lead one because there is no
near universal
OFFICIAL
Hearts
No. No point card may be played on the opening trick, which means neither hearts nor the queen of spades, unless a player's hand contains nothing else at all.
common
OFFICIAL
Hearts
They must take all thirteen hearts and the queen of spades — every point in the hand, with nothing missed. They then score zero and everybody else takes twenty-six.
near universal
HEARTS
Do you look at the cards passed to you before choosing what to pass?
official rule,
or made up?
HEARTS
Is the jack of diamonds worth minus ten?
official rule,
or made up?
HIVE
What happens if moving a tile would split the hive?
official rule,
or made up?
HIVE
When must the queen bee be placed?
official rule,
or made up?
HIVE
Can you open the game by placing your queen?
official rule,
or made up?
HIVE
Can a tile move through a narrow gap between two others?
official rule,
or made up?
HIVE
Do your own tiles count towards surrounding your queen?
official rule,
or made up?
HIVE
What if both queens are surrounded at the same time?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Hearts
No. Everyone selects and passes simultaneously, and only then picks up what arrived. Looking first would remove the entire risk of the pass.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Hearts
Not in the standard game, where diamonds are worth nothing at all.
common
OFFICIAL
Hive
That tile cannot move at all. The hive must be a single connected group both during and after every move, so any tile whose removal would create two separate groups is pinned until something else changes.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Hive
By your fourth turn at the latest, and you may not move any tile until she is on the table. Delaying to the fourth turn is a standard opening choice rather than an oversight, since it maximises your placement flexibility.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Hive
Under the base rules, yes. The widely used tournament rule forbids it, because opening with the queen was found to be strong enough to narrow the game.
common
OFFICIAL
Hive
No. A tile must be able to physically slide into its destination without being lifted. If two tiles form a gate too narrow to pass through, the move is illegal. The grasshopper and the beetle are exempt, since one jumps and the other climbs.
common
OFFICIAL
Hive
Yes. All six neighbouring spaces count regardless of colour, so you can absolutely lose by boxing in your own queen. Forcing an opponent to complete their own surround is a genuine winning technique.
common
OFFICIAL
Hive
The game is a draw. This is the only drawn result in Hive and it is genuinely uncommon, requiring a single move to complete both surrounds.
rare
JAIPUR
Do camels count towards your hand limit?
official rule,
or made up?
JAIPUR
Can you take just some of the camels?
official rule,
or made up?
JAIPUR
Can you sell a single diamond?
official rule,
or made up?
JAIPUR
Can you use camels in a swap?
official rule,
or made up?
JAIPUR
What ends a round?
official rule,
or made up?
JAIPUR
Who gets the camel bonus if both players have the same number?
official rule,
or made up?
LOVE LETTER
Do you have to play the Countess?
official rule,
or made up?
LOVE LETTER
What happens if a Prince forces you to discard the Princess?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Jaipur
No. Camels sit face up in your herd, separate from your hand, and are exempt from the seven-card limit entirely. Taking every camel in the market never costs you hand space.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Jaipur
No. Taking camels means taking every camel currently in the market, and the market is then refilled from the deck. Leaving one behind is not an option.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Jaipur
No. Diamonds, gold and silver must be sold two or more at a time. Cheap goods — cloth, spice and leather — may be sold one at a time. A player holding a single diamond and nothing else is genuinely stuck with it.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Jaipur
Yes, and it is the main reason to collect them. A swap exchanges cards from your hand and herd combined for the same number from the market, so a large herd lets you take several valuable goods in one action.
common
OFFICIAL
Jaipur
Three goods token stacks running empty, or the deck being unable to refill the market. It ends immediately at that point, so deliberately emptying a third stack while ahead is a legitimate way to close out a round.
common
OFFICIAL
Jaipur
Nobody. The five-point camel token is awarded only to the player with strictly more camels, and a tie means it goes unclaimed for that round.
rare
OFFICIAL
Love Letter
Yes, and it is the only compulsory play in the game. Holding the Countess alongside either the King or the Prince forces you to discard the Countess that turn. You may still play her voluntarily at any other time, which is what makes the bluff work.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Love Letter
You are eliminated immediately. The Princess removes you from the round whenever she leaves your hand, regardless of who caused it or whether you had any choice. Targeting a suspected Princess holder with a Prince is a legitimate and devastating
near universal
LOVE LETTER
Can a Guard name another Guard?
official rule,
or made up?
LOVE LETTER
What if everyone left is protected by a Handmaid?
official rule,
or made up?
LOVE LETTER
Who wins if two players tie on card value at the end?
official rule,
or made up?
LOVE LETTER
Can you look back through the discarded cards?
official rule,
or made up?
LUDO
What happens if you roll three sixes in a row?
official rule,
or made up?
LUDO
Do you need an exact roll to get home?
official rule,
or made up?
LUDO
Can two of your tokens block opponents from passing?
official rule,
or made up?
LUDO
Are the starting squares safe from capture?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Love Letter
No. The Guard's text explicitly excludes itself, which matters because five of the sixteen cards are Guards and allowing it would make the guess far too easy.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Love Letter
If no legal target exists, the card is played with no effect. The Prince is the exception — it must target somebody, and if all opponents are protected you must target yourself, discarding your own remaining card.
common
OFFICIAL
Love Letter
Add the values of the cards each tied player has discarded during the round; the higher total wins. Some printings instead award a token to each tied player, so check the edition in front of you rather than assuming.
common
OFFICIAL
Love Letter
Yes. Discards stay face up in front of each player for exactly this reason, and tracking them is the intended skill rather than a memory test. Anyone insisting you play from memory has invented a rule.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Ludo
Your turn ends at once and the third six is forfeited entirely — you do not move for it. The first two sixes and their moves stand.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Ludo
Yes. A token must land precisely on the home square. If your roll would take it past, that token cannot move and you must move a different one, or forfeit the move if nothing else is legal.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Ludo
Genuinely disputed, and the sources do not agree. Most British commercial sets describe tokens as simply stacking, with opponents passing freely. General descriptions of the game — including Wikipedia — present the blockade as part of the
regional
OFFICIAL
Ludo
In most sets yes — the marked squares, usually starred, protect any token standing on them. Boards vary in how many safe squares they print, so agree which markings count before the first capture rather than after it.
common
LUDO
Can you decline to move if every option is bad?
official rule,
or made up?
MONOPOLY
Do you collect money from Free Parking?
official rule,
or made up?
MONOPOLY
What happens if you land on a property and do not buy it?
official rule,
or made up?
MONOPOLY
Do you charge double rent on a full colour group?
official rule,
or made up?
MONOPOLY
Can you run out of houses?
official rule,
or made up?
MONOPOLY
Can you collect rent while in jail?
official rule,
or made up?
MONOPOLY
Do you get double for landing exactly on Go?
official rule,
or made up?
PABLO
Is Pablo the same game as Cabo?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Ludo
If a legal move exists you must make one, even when it walks a token onto a square where it will obviously be captured. Only when no token can legally move does the turn pass without action.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Monopoly
No. Free Parking does nothing at all in the published rules. It is a resting space and pays nothing. This is probably the most widely played rule that has never appeared in any edition of the game.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Monopoly
It goes to auction immediately, open to every player including the one who declined, starting at any price. Skipping the auction is the other half of why games run long — property stays unsold, monopolies never form, and nobody can win.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Monopoly
Yes — owning every property in a colour group doubles the rent on the undeveloped ones. Many groups miss this and wonder why completing a set before building feels pointless.
common
OFFICIAL
Monopoly
Yes, and it is deliberate. There are exactly 32 houses and 12 hotels, and when they run out no more can be built until someone sells. Buying up houses to deny them to opponents is a legitimate and brutal strategy.
rare
OFFICIAL
Monopoly
Yes. Being in jail stops you moving, not earning. You still collect rent, may still build, trade and mortgage. In the late game, jail is often the safest place on the board.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Monopoly
No. You collect 200 for passing or landing on Go, full stop.
common
OFFICIAL
Pablo
Effectively yes. Pablo, Cabo and Cambio are the same game under different names, with small local differences in card powers and penalties. Four-card Golf is a close relative without the special cards. There is no single publisher, which is precisely
near universal
PABLO
Which cards have powers?
official rule,
or made up?
PABLO
What happens if you call Pablo and are not lowest?
official rule,
or made up?
PABLO
Can you get rid of a card by matching the discard?
official rule,
or made up?
PATCHWORK
Who takes the next turn?
official rule,
or made up?
PATCHWORK
Can you buy any patch from the circle?
official rule,
or made up?
PATCHWORK
Can patches be rotated or flipped over?
official rule,
or made up?
PATCHWORK
How much does an empty square cost?
official rule,
or made up?
PATCHWORK
Can both players get the seven-by-seven bonus?
official rule,
or made up?
NOT A REAL RULE
Pablo
There is no single authority, so no set is official. The most widely used set is below, and it is worth stating out loud before dealing.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Pablo
Universally penalised, but the size varies.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Pablo
A widespread addition rather than a base rule.
common
OFFICIAL
Patchwork
Whichever player's time token is furthest back on the track, which means one player may take several consecutive turns. If both tokens share a space, the token physically on top takes the turn.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Patchwork
Only the three patches immediately clockwise of the neutral token. Everything else in the circle is unavailable until the token has moved past it, and the token only moves when somebody buys.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Patchwork
Yes, freely. A patch may be turned to any of its orientations and flipped over before being sewn down, provided it fits entirely on your board without overlapping anything already placed.
common
OFFICIAL
Patchwork
Two points each, subtracted from your button total at the end. With eighty-one squares on the board, the penalty dominates the scoring and is the main reason button income alone does not win games.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Patchwork
No. It goes to the first player to complete a filled seven-by-seven square anywhere on their quilt, and once claimed it is gone. It is worth seven points and is frequently the margin in a close game.
common
PATCHWORK
How far do you move when you take buttons instead of a patch?
official rule,
or made up?
TEXAS HOLD'EM
What if the best hand is the five community cards themselves?
official rule,
or made up?
TEXAS HOLD'EM
Can you say "I call, and raise"?
official rule,
or made up?
TEXAS HOLD'EM
We both have a pair of kings — who wins?
official rule,
or made up?
TEXAS HOLD'EM
Does one suit beat another?
official rule,
or made up?
TEXAS HOLD'EM
Is Ace-2-3-4-5 a straight?
official rule,
or made up?
TEXAS HOLD'EM
How small can a raise be?
official rule,
or made up?
GIN RUMMY
What counts as deadwood?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Patchwork
Exactly one space beyond your opponent's token, and you collect one button per space moved. You cannot choose to move further or less, so the payout depends entirely on how far behind you were.
common
OFFICIAL
Texas Hold'em
You may play the board. In Texas Hold'em you make the best five cards from any combination of your two and the five shared — including using neither of yours. If the board plays for everyone still in, the pot is split. (This differs from Omaha, where you
common
OFFICIAL
Texas Hold'em
No. That is a string bet and it is not allowed. State your full action in one declaration, or push all the chips out in a single motion. The rule exists to stop players fishing for a reaction mid-bet.
common
OFFICIAL
Texas Hold'em
The hand is always exactly five cards, so the remaining cards — the kickers — decide it. King-king with an Ace kicker beats king-king with a Queen kicker. If all five cards are equal in rank, the pot is split; suits never break ties in Hold'em.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Texas Hold'em
Not in Hold'em. Identical hands split the pot. Suit order is used only for administrative decisions in some tournaments, such as awarding an odd chip or deciding seating, never for ranking hands.
common
OFFICIAL
Texas Hold'em
Yes. The Ace plays low to make the five-high straight known as the wheel. It is the lowest straight, so it loses to six-high. The Ace cannot wrap around — Q-K-A-2-3 is not a straight.
common
OFFICIAL
Texas Hold'em
A raise must be at least the size of the previous bet or raise in that round. If someone bets 10, the smallest raise is to 20. The exception is going all-in for less, which is always allowed but may not reopen the betting.
common
OFFICIAL
Gin Rummy
Any card not part of a completed set (three or more of a rank) or run (three or more in sequence in one suit). Face cards count 10, Aces count 1, everything else counts its face value. A card can only belong to one meld — you cannot use the same seven
near universal
GIN RUMMY
When are you allowed to knock?
official rule,
or made up?
GIN RUMMY
What happens if the opponent has less deadwood than the knocker?
official rule,
or made up?
GIN RUMMY
Can you add your cards to the knocker's melds?
official rule,
or made up?
GIN RUMMY
How much is going gin worth?
official rule,
or made up?
INDIAN RUMMY
Can you declare without a pure sequence?
official rule,
or made up?
INDIAN RUMMY
Can a joker be used inside a run?
official rule,
or made up?
INDIAN RUMMY
How is the wild joker chosen?
official rule,
or made up?
INDIAN RUMMY
How many points do you lose when someone else declares?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Gin Rummy
When your deadwood totals ten or less, after drawing and as your discard. You do not have to wait for gin. Knocking early with a small count is the core strategic decision of the game.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Gin Rummy
That is an undercut, and it is why knocking is risky. If the defender's deadwood is equal to or lower than the knocker's, the defender scores the difference plus a bonus of 10 or 25 depending on house convention. The knocker scores nothing.
common
OFFICIAL
Gin Rummy
Yes, when defending against a knock — but not against gin. You may extend the knocker's sets and runs with your own unmatched cards to reduce your deadwood. Against a gin hand there is no laying off at all.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Gin Rummy
Twenty-five is the most widely used gin bonus, and twenty-five is also the most common undercut bonus, but both vary.
common
OFFICIAL
Indian Rummy
No. A valid declaration needs at least two sequences, and at least one of them must be pure — three or more consecutive cards of the same suit with no joker standing in for anything. Declaring without one is an invalid declaration and is penalised heavily,
near universal
OFFICIAL
Indian Rummy
Yes, in any sequence except the mandatory pure one. A run using a joker is an impure sequence and is perfectly valid — you simply need one clean run elsewhere in the hand.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Indian Rummy
One card is turned face up at the start of the hand. Every card of that rank, in all suits, becomes wild for that hand, in addition to the printed jokers. If the turned card is itself a printed joker, then Aces are commonly used instead.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Indian Rummy
You count the value of your unmelded cards — face cards 10, Ace 10, others face value — capped at 80. If you hold no pure sequence at all, the full 80 applies regardless of what is in your hand, which is why the pure run is the first thing to build.
near universal
INDIAN RUMMY
Can you quit a hand early?
official rule,
or made up?
SCRABBLE
What happens when you challenge a word?
official rule,
or made up?
SCRABBLE
What is a blank worth, and can you take it back?
official rule,
or made up?
SCRABBLE
When do you get the fifty-point bonus?
official rule,
or made up?
SCRABBLE
Do premium squares keep working on later turns?
official rule,
or made up?
SCRABBLE
Are proper nouns allowed?
official rule,
or made up?
SCRABBLE
Are obscure two-letter words really allowed?
official rule,
or made up?
7 WONDERS DUEL
Do military and science wins end the game immediately?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Indian Rummy
In the pool and points formats, yes. Dropping before your first draw costs 20 points; dropping later costs 40. It is a real strategic option with a bad hand, and it does not exist in most Western rummy variants.
common
OFFICIAL
Scrabble
Look it up. If the word is not in the agreed dictionary, the tiles come back and the player scores nothing that turn. If it is valid, the challenger loses their turn under North American tournament rules, while under the standard home rules there is no penalty at
near universal
OFFICIAL
Scrabble
Zero, always — even on a triple letter square, and even when the letter it represents is a Z. It still benefits from word multipliers. Once played, the letter it stands for is fixed for the rest of the game, and it cannot be swapped out for the real tile. That
near universal
OFFICIAL
Scrabble
For using all seven tiles from your rack in a single turn — known as a bingo. The bonus is 50 points, added after all multipliers, and it is the single largest swing available. It applies even if you only had seven tiles left.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Scrabble
No. A premium square only counts on the turn a tile is first placed on it. Words crossing it later score the letters at face value.
common
OFFICIAL
Scrabble
No, in the standard game — no names, no abbreviations requiring capitals, no words needing a hyphen or apostrophe. (Hasbro released a separate variant permitting proper nouns, which is a different game rather than a rule change.)
near universal
OFFICIAL
Scrabble
If they are in the agreed dictionary, yes. QI and ZA are valid in both major word lists and are the highest-value two-letter plays in the game. Learning the two-letter list is the single largest improvement available to a casual player, and it is also
common
OFFICIAL
7 Wonders Duel
Yes. Pushing the military marker into your opponent's capital, or collecting six different scientific symbols, ends the game the moment it happens. The age is abandoned, points are not counted, and it does not matter how far ahead your opponent was on victory
near universal
7 WONDERS DUEL
Can you buy resources from your opponent?
official rule,
or made up?
7 WONDERS DUEL
How many coins do you get for discarding a card?
official rule,
or made up?
7 WONDERS DUEL
Can both players build all four of their wonders?
official rule,
or made up?
7 WONDERS DUEL
Can you take a card that is partly covered?
official rule,
or made up?
7 WONDERS DUEL
When do you get a progress token?
official rule,
or made up?
SKULL
Which discs do you flip first when you win the bid?
official rule,
or made up?
SKULL
Who chooses which disc you lose?
official rule,
or made up?
SKULL
Can you bid more discs than are on the table?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
7 Wonders Duel
No. All purchases are from the bank. The cost is two coins plus one for each copy of that resource your opponent produces, so their production raises your prices without ever giving them income.
common
OFFICIAL
7 Wonders Duel
Two coins, plus one for each yellow commercial card you have already built. A player with three yellow cards therefore collects five, which makes discarding a genuine strategy rather than a last resort.
common
OFFICIAL
7 Wonders Duel
No. Only seven wonders may be constructed in total across both players, so as soon as the seventh is built the eighth becomes permanently unbuildable. Racing to finish your fourth wonder can strand your opponent's.
common
OFFICIAL
7 Wonders Duel
No. A card must have nothing overlapping it at all to be taken. Removing a card reveals whatever it was covering, and face-down cards are turned up at that moment.
near universal
OFFICIAL
7 Wonders Duel
Immediately upon acquiring your second copy of the same scientific symbol. You then choose any available token from the five laid out. Note that duplicate symbols do not count towards the six needed for a scientific victory, which requires six different
common
OFFICIAL
Skull
Your entire own stack, from the top down, before touching anybody else's. Only when your own discs are all revealed may you choose from other players, and then always from the top of a stack.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Skull
If you flipped your own skull, you choose which of your discs to remove. If you flipped somebody else's, they take one of yours at random without looking at it. Either way the removed disc is not revealed, so the table never learns whether you still hold your
common
OFFICIAL
Skull
No. The maximum possible bid is the total number of discs currently placed by all players combined. Bidding the full total is legal and is a common way to end a round decisively.
near universal
SKULL
Can you rejoin the bidding after passing?
official rule,
or made up?
SKULL
Can a player with one disc still win?
official rule,
or made up?
SPADES
What happens to tricks you win beyond your bid?
official rule,
or made up?
SPADES
Can you signal to your partner?
official rule,
or made up?
SPADES
Is blind nil a real bid?
official rule,
or made up?
SPADES
When can spades be led?
official rule,
or made up?
SPADES
If your partner bids nil, do their tricks count against you?
official rule,
or made up?
THE MIND
What exactly counts as communicating?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Skull
No. A pass removes you from the bidding permanently for that round. This is why the decision to pass early carries real weight rather than being a delaying tactic.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Skull
Yes, and they are frequently the most dangerous player at the table. A single disc is either a flower they can safely bid one on, or a skull that nobody can be certain about. Elimination only comes when the last disc is lost.
common
OFFICIAL
Spades
Each one scores a single point immediately and adds a bag to your running count. When that count reaches ten, the partnership loses a hundred points and the counter drops back by ten. The small reward is a trap.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Spades
No. Communicating your hand outside of the bid and the cards you play is cheating, not strategy. Everything your partner learns must come from what they can see on the table.
near universal
NOT A REAL RULE
Spades
Not part of the base game, though it is so widespread in North American play that many players have never met a game without it.
common
OFFICIAL
Spades
Once a spade has been played by somebody unable to follow the suit led, spades are broken and may be led freely. Before that they may only be played when you cannot follow, or when your hand holds nothing else.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Spades
The nil bidder must take none. Their partner plays their own bid entirely separately and is expected to cover the nil by winning tricks the nil bidder would otherwise be forced to take. The two contracts are scored on their own terms.
common
OFFICIAL
The Mind
Anything intended to convey information about your cards is forbidden — speech, numbers, counting, tapping, deliberate gestures, mouthing, and agreed signals of any kind. The only permitted signal is how long you choose to wait before playing, which
near universal
THE MIND
What happens to lower cards when someone plays out of order?
official rule,
or made up?
THE MIND
Can one player use a throwing star alone?
official rule,
or made up?
THE MIND
What if two players play at exactly the same moment?
official rule,
or made up?
THE MIND
Can you rearrange or hold your cards where others might see?
official rule,
or made up?
TICKET TO RIDE
Does taking a face-up locomotive cost your whole turn?
official rule,
or made up?
TICKET TO RIDE
Do unfinished tickets cost you points?
official rule,
or made up?
TICKET TO RIDE
Can one player claim both tracks of a double route?
official rule,
or made up?
TICKET TO RIDE
What happens if two players tie for the longest route?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
The Mind
Every player discards all cards lower than the one just played, face up so the whole group can see them. The group loses one life and play continues from the card that was played, rather than restarting the level.
common
OFFICIAL
The Mind
No. Any player may propose one by raising a hand, but every player must agree before it is used. Since agreeing is done by raising a hand rather than speaking, the proposal itself carries no forbidden information.
common
OFFICIAL
The Mind
Resolve them in ascending order as though they had been played correctly. If the higher was placed first, that is a mistake and costs a life; if the group genuinely cannot tell which landed first, the friendly convention is to accept it and continue.
common
OFFICIAL
The Mind
Your cards are yours alone and must be kept hidden. Deliberately exposing one is communication and is forbidden, though nobody is expected to police an accidental flash — return it to your hand and carry on.
common
OFFICIAL
Ticket to Ride
Yes. Taking a locomotive from the five face-up cards uses both of your draws. A locomotive drawn blind from the top of the deck does not — it counts as one ordinary card, and you may still draw a second.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Ticket to Ride
Yes, the full face value. A ticket is a two-way bet rather than a bonus, so failing a twenty-point ticket is a forty-point swing against the player who completed a similar one.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Ticket to Ride
No player may ever claim both tracks of the same double route. In addition, with two or three players on the original US map, only one track of each double route may be used at all — the second is closed for the whole game.
common
OFFICIAL
Ticket to Ride
Every tied player receives the full ten points. It is not split and it is not decided by a tiebreaker.
common
TICKET TO RIDE
Does the longest route count branches?
official rule,
or made up?
TICKET TO RIDE
Can other players see how many tickets you are holding?
official rule,
or made up?
UNO
Can you stack a Draw Two on a Draw Two, or a Draw Four on a Draw Four?
official rule,
or made up?
UNO
Can you play a Wild Draw Four whenever you like?
official rule,
or made up?
UNO
What actually happens if you forget to say "Uno"?
official rule,
or made up?
UNO
Do you keep drawing until you get a card you can play?
official rule,
or made up?
UNO
Can you win by playing an action card as your last card?
official rule,
or made up?
UNO
Can you play out of turn if you hold the identical card?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Ticket to Ride
No. It is the longest single continuous path of trains, traced without reusing any segment and without branching. A sprawling network can easily lose to a shorter but straighter one, so trace it carefully rather than counting your total trains.
common
OFFICIAL
Ticket to Ride
The number of tickets you hold is public and may be counted by anyone, since they are held openly in hand. Their contents are secret. The same applies to train cards — the count is visible, the colours are not.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Uno
No. Under the published rules there is no stacking. A player hit with a Draw Two draws two cards and loses their turn — they cannot pass the penalty along. Mattel stated this publicly in May 2019 and a large part of the internet refused to believe it. Note
near universal
OFFICIAL
Uno
No — and this is a genuinely official rule that almost nobody plays. You may only play a Wild Draw Four when you hold no card matching the current colour. Numbers and symbols do not count, only colour. The next player may challenge; if the challenge is
near universal
OFFICIAL
Uno
You must announce it as you play your second-to-last card. If another player catches you before the next player begins their turn, you draw two cards. Once the next turn has started, you are safe. The penalty is two cards, not four, and it is not automatic
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Uno
No. Officially you draw exactly one card. If it can be played you may play it immediately; if not, your turn ends.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Uno
Yes. The published rules allow you to go out on any card, including a Draw Two, Draw Four, Skip or Reverse — and the next player still suffers the effect, drawing the cards that then count against them in scoring.
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Uno
Not official. Turn order is strict in the published rules.
common
UNO
Do Sevens and Zeros swap hands?
official rule,
or made up?
WEREWOLF
Can eliminated players talk?
official rule,
or made up?
WEREWOLF
Can the moderator also have a role?
official rule,
or made up?
WEREWOLF
Do werewolves have to kill everyone to win?
official rule,
or made up?
WEREWOLF
Should the seer announce what they know?
official rule,
or made up?
WEREWOLF
Can the village choose not to eliminate anyone?
official rule,
or made up?
WEREWOLF
Can werewolves eliminate one of their own?
official rule,
or made up?
XIANGQI
Can the two generals face each other down an open file?
official rule,
or made up?
NOT A REAL RULE
Uno
Not official. Sevens and Zeros are ordinary number cards in the printed rules.
common
OFFICIAL
Werewolf
No. A player who has been eliminated says nothing for the rest of the game — no hints, no reactions, no knowing looks. They hold information that would resolve the entire puzzle, so their silence is a rule rather than an etiquette point.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Werewolf
No. The moderator sees every role and every night action, so they cannot take part. Apps that narrate the night exist precisely so that nobody has to sit out.
common
OFFICIAL
Werewolf
No. They win as soon as their number equals the number of remaining villagers, because at parity they can no longer be voted out. Playing on past that point is a formality with a guaranteed result.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Werewolf
It is entirely legal at any time and is a strategic decision rather than a rules question. Claiming early gives the village real information and paints an immediate target; claiming late risks dying with it unspoken. There is no rule either way, and any
common
NOT A REAL RULE
Werewolf
In most rule sets the day must end with somebody eliminated, and a tie is broken by a runoff or by the moderator.
common
OFFICIAL
Werewolf
Yes, and it is occasionally a strong play — sacrificing a wolf who is about to be caught buys enormous credibility for the others. Nothing in the rules restricts the night kill to villagers.
common
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
No. If the two generals stand on the same file with no piece between them, the position is illegal. In practice this means the general may capture the opposing general along an empty file, so no player may ever create that alignment. Clearing the central file at
near universal
XIANGQI
Is stalemate a draw?
official rule,
or made up?
XIANGQI
Does the horse jump like a knight?
official rule,
or made up?
XIANGQI
How exactly does the cannon capture?
official rule,
or made up?
XIANGQI
Can you draw by repeating check forever?
official rule,
or made up?
XIANGQI
Can the elephant cross the river?
official rule,
or made up?
XIANGQI
When can a soldier move sideways?
official rule,
or made up?
YAHTZEE
What happens if you roll a second Yahtzee?
official rule,
or made up?
YAHTZEE
Can you pick up dice you already set aside?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
No — a player with no legal move has lost. This is the opposite of international chess, and it makes the endgame far sharper because there is no half point to scramble towards.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
No. The horse moves one point orthogonally and then one diagonally outward, and if the orthogonal point is occupied by any piece, the move is blocked entirely. Blocking an enemy horse with a single soldier is a standard defensive idea and has no
near universal
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
It captures only by jumping exactly one piece — of either colour — along a straight line, landing on an enemy piece immediately beyond. It cannot capture without a screen, and it cannot jump two. Moving without capturing works exactly like a chariot,
near universal
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
No. Endless checking is forbidden and the checking player must vary or forfeit the game. Rules for other kinds of repetition are detailed and vary slightly between Chinese and Asian federation codes, but perpetual check losing is
common
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
Never. Elephants are confined to their own half for the whole game, which makes them purely defensive pieces. They also move exactly two points diagonally and are blocked if the point in between is occupied.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Xiangqi
Only after it has crossed the river, and even then only one point at a time. A soldier may never move backwards under any circumstances, so pushing one is a permanent commitment.
common
OFFICIAL
Yahtzee
If the Yahtzee box already holds fifty, you score a hundred point bonus and then place the dice elsewhere under the joker rules — the matching upper box if free, otherwise any open lower box, which may be claimed as a full house or straight even though the dice
common
OFFICIAL
Yahtzee
Yes. Setting dice aside is not binding. On your second and third rolls you may reroll any dice you like, including ones you kept earlier. Many players assume kept dice are locked, which quietly costs them points all game.
common
YAHTZEE
Does a large straight also count as a small straight?
official rule,
or made up?
YAHTZEE
Can you skip a turn if nothing fits?
official rule,
or made up?
YAHTZEE
Does three of a kind score just the three matching dice?
official rule,
or made up?
OFFICIAL
Yahtzee
Yes. A small straight needs four consecutive numbers among the five dice, so any large straight contains one. Scoring a forty-point straight in the thirty-point box is legal and occasionally correct.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Yahtzee
No. Every turn ends with a number written into an unused box, and if nothing qualifies that number is zero. Choosing where to take the damage is part of the game.
near universal
OFFICIAL
Yahtzee
You add all five dice, not only the matching ones. Three sixes with a five and a four scores twenty-seven. This is misplayed constantly, almost always in the player's own disfavour.
common