Cards Against Humanity

Cards Against Humanity is a party game in which players complete fill-in-the-blank statements using words or phrases typically deemed as offensive, risqu or politically incorrect printed on playing cards. The person who most recently "pooped" (a form of primitive randomization) begins as the "Card Czar" (or "Card Tsar") and plays a black card, face up. The Card Czar then reads the question or fill-in-the-blanks phrase on the black card out loud. The other players answer the question or fill in the blanks by each passing one white card (or however many required by the black card), face down, to the Card Czar. The Card Czar shuffles all of the answers and shares each card combination with the group. For full effect, the Card Czar should usually re-read the black card before presenting each answer. The Card Czar then picks the funniest play, and whoever submitted it gets one "Awesome Point". Note: Adult language, offensive and scatological humor. We are not imposing an age limit, so it is the parent's full and complete responsibility to restrict their children from playing if they do not wish them to participate. Host: Jay Friedlander

Carnelli

Carnelli is the classic Mensa word-association game consisting of movies, music, books, and whatever else the capricious and arbitrary host will allow. More details are on Wikipedia's Carnelli page. Host: Roy Ball and Jay Friedlander

Colander

Colander is the basis for the popular party game Time's Up. We write a bunch of names on cards and toss them into a colander. First round you can say or do virtually anything to clue the popular figure on the card. Second round is one word plus gestures and humming. Final round is strictly humming and pantomime. Host: Jay Friedlander

Encore

Your team will get an ordinary word, and you've got to help them out by thinking of a song that has that word in the lyrics. Any song will do, even old commercial jingles or TV theme songs. Actually, you'll have to sing at least eight words of the song, but no one cares how badly you sing or if you're off-key, just sing it! Host: Jay Friedlander

Code Names

Codenames is a game of guessing which code names (words) in a set are related to a hint-word given by another player. Players split into two teams: red and blue. One player of each team is selected as the team's spymaster; the others are field operatives. Twenty-five code name cards, each bearing a word, are laid out in a 5 by 5 rectangular grid, in random order. The teams' spymasters are given a randomly-dealt map card showing a 5 by 5 grid of 25 squares of various colors, each corresponding to one of the code name cards on the table. Only the spymasters know the location of these or see the map. Teams take turns. On each turn, the appropriate spymaster gives a hint about their agents' identities by giving verbal hints about the words on the respective cards. Each hint may only consist of one single word and a number (the number of cards related to the hint). The spymaster should give a hint that is related to as many of the words on his/her own agents' cards as possible, but not to any others -- lest they accidentally lead their team to choose a card representing an innocent bystander, an opposing agent, or the assassin (ends game immediately). Host: Jay Friedlander

Hyper Ghost

This four-team game is high IQ variation of regular Ghost. When your team is up, you will be able to put another letter at the end, the beginning or somewhere in between. It combines strategy, vocabulary and spelling. Host: Alan Stillson

Lawyer Games

Myron Faverman used to run this game of questions and deductions and StaRGazing 2018 will run it again in his memory. Sample: “The music stopped. The woman died. How?” Ask a series of “Yes” and “No” questions to deduce the events of her death. Then start another riddle. Host: Teodora Chrystie

Lyric Snippets, a variation of Name That Tune

This long-standing RG tradition will be tweaked this year. Instead of hearing the notes, you will hear a snippet of lyrics. All songs will be from well-known musicals or movies. For example, the snippet, “sometimes the ace, sometimes the deuces” is from “I Am What I Am” from La Cage Aux Folles. Host: Alan Stillson, leader of the GLAAM Folksong SIG.