As an update to our popular previous post, we have created a more clear interpretation of the rules to help with the game. How do you play? Comments encouraged!
Game prep:
The Castle: On a table in the center of the playing area, arrange four lines of four beers in a plus sign around a bottle of whiskey with a shot glass (crown) over it. The beers are Pawns of the Secret Order, the whiskey is the King, and the arrangement table is called the Castle. (This example is for four players, if you have more, add lines of pawns)
The Zones:Decide on 4 “land” Zones, and arrange platforms (chairs, buckets, anything) in patterns through them. The 5th Zone is the Zone with the castle. You must follow the chair path through the all the zones before proceeding to castle.
While the show calls for a setup like Candyland, we took that only in reference to the zones. Since Candyland is more of a chronological progression through the board, it makes it difficult to start in any land for that setup. The gameplay is much more fluid if you have a setup similar to Sorry or Trivial Pursuit where the movement is done around a circle and then leads up to the castle in the center.
Possible setup
Teams:
You can do team play or free for all play. If you choose free for all, chanting is then done in a set layer rotation. If you choose team play, only one person on your team has to reach the finish. Chanting in teams is done team rotation, with team members swapping the chant.
To choose teams, count down from 3, and on 0 raise your right hand to your forehead, displaying a number from 1 to 5. Anyone with the same number is on your team.
Gameplay
To start, someone shotguns a drink. This person chants first.
Chanting: Someone yells “1, 2, 3, 4 JFK”. Everyone else yells “FDR”, drinks, and gets off the floor. The floor is now lava. Stepping into it causes you to lose. You can start at the beginning of the Zone you are in, or choose to sit out. If you choose to sit out, you start over from Zone 1 if you decide to rejoin. You can only move when chanting and one space per chant.
- If everyone is standing, no one is drinking or moving, the player who is next to chant may chant the name of 2 presidents. If you know something in about the 2, you may chant it back and drink (an example would be chanting “Abe Lincoln, George Washington” and having everyone yell back “Cherry tree”. Anyone who yelled back can now drink ). If you don’t know anything in common, you don’t get to drink. The chanter always drinks.
- Players can also chant “1, 2, 3”. If this happens, do the number selection again. If your number is alone, you get to drink and move forward. If your number has partners, you don’t drink or move.
- The third option is chanting “JFK” and everyone else chants “FDR” and drinks. No moving forward, unless you finish your drink.
- Empty cans are all tossed to the same Zone. This is to keep the area somewhat clean. If someone throws a can into the wrong Zone, go back to the beginning of the Zone that player is in. You can use a bin as a target. Cans that go in the bin earn chanting rights.
Objective:
Choose your line of pawns. Each pawn is dedicated to a zone. When you enter a zone, you select a pawn from the castle. As you chant and drink you move through the zone. Once you finish your pawn, you may begin to head to the next zone. When you reach the next zone, you select a new pawn.
To win: After you have progressed through every zone (and thus every pawn), you may proceed to the Castle. Once you reach the Castle, you must do one chant by naming a president that you have not been named and take a drink (shot) for each player/team from the King to win (i.e. three other players/teams = three shots). If you can’t complete the Castle, go back to the beginning of your most recent Zone.
- If you move or drink when you’re not supposed to, you go back to the beginning of the Zone you’re in.
- Players are encouraged to lie to each other.
For a non-alcoholic version, substitute soda. Good luck and have fun. Please drink responsibly.
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