How to Play

Point or confess. Explain yourself. Keep the card.

4–10 players · Ages 12+ · 30-second timer · 116 cards

The goal

Win the most cards, and learn something about each other along the way.

Setup

Remove the two rules cards before you shuffle.

Shuffle. Place the deck in the middle, timer beside it.

The first player is the person with the next birthday. Play passes clockwise.

Only the first player must confess on their first turn. That is their one confession for the whole game.

When it’s your turn

1 · Draw three. Only you can read them.

2 · Pick one. Put the other two at the bottom of the deck.

3 · Read it out loud and lay it face up. Then decide who tells the story.

Confess

You tell it. Claim the card and tell your own story. Once per player.

or

Explain

Someone else tells it. Everyone puts a hand in the middle. You count to three, and on three everyone points at the person they most want to hear. Most fingers tells the story. Tied? You choose between them, and you can choose yourself if you are in the tie.

Telling the story

To win the card, tell your story for at least 30 seconds, and it has to be true.

Trouble filling the time? The table can ask you questions. Your answers count toward the time. Nobody fails alone.

Filled the time? The card is yours.

Can’t? You forfeit the card. The first person to slap a hand on it tells their story instead. Fill the time, keep the card. A slap never counts as your confession.

Nobody slaps? Discard the card to the bottom of the deck.

How many laps

Three laps around the table is standard for any number of players. 4 to 6 players can stretch to four or five. 8 to 10 can drop to two. The first player calls the last lap.

Confessing

Everyone confesses exactly once per game.

The confession card you win goes sideways in your pile. That is how the table knows you have done it.

If you haven’t confessed by the last lap, you must confess on your final turn.

How to win

Most cards after the last lap wins.

Tied at the end of the game? Everyone points at whichever of them told the best story during the game. Most fingers wins. Still tied? Next birthday wins.


Preorder the deck · Questions? hello@explainyourselfgame.com