Ghost

Setup

Determine the player order and select the player who will start the round. Make sure all players understand the rules, particularly the importance of not completing a word and the use of bluffing and challenging strategies.

How to Play

The initial player starts the game by saying any letter of the alphabet. For instance, Player 1 might say "S". The next player, moving in a clockwise direction, adds a letter to the initial one to start forming a word, ensuring it doesn't complete a valid word of four letters or more. For example, Player 2 might say "W", beginning to spell what could become "swim", "swing", "sweep", etc. If a player cannot think of a continuation, they have two options: a) Bluff by adding a seemingly random letter, hoping it doesn't form a valid word. For instance, if the current letters are "S-W-I", a player might bluff by adding "X", hoping it doesn't inadvertently form a valid word. b) Challenge the previous player if they believe a bluff has been made. For example, if a player adds "X" to "S-W-I", the next player might challenge them to reveal a valid word beginning with "S-W-I-X". If the challenged player can't provide a valid word, they're eliminated, or if they do provide a valid word, the challenger is eliminated. A player can also be eliminated if they complete a word and no additional letters can form another valid word. For example, if players spell "F-A-C-T", the player who added the "T" is eliminated as they have completed a four-letter word, and no other letters can form a new valid word from "FACT". Once a player is eliminated, they become a "ghost" and are out of the game, and a new round begins without them. The person who starts the next word is the player to the right of the person who started last time. This ensures that everybody takes turns being the first to play. The game proceeds until only one player remains. This player wins the game.

Frequently asked questions

Categories

Adults, Sitting, word game, family, Quick, free, editors choice