Objective of the Game
The objective of "Bring Your Own Book" is to creatively and humorously respond to prompts by finding passages in any book. Players must impress the judge to earn points.
Game Materials
- A deck of Prompt Cards
- Each player needs a book
- A scoreboard or paper to track points
Setup
- Each player brings their own book, which can be any kind: a novel, non-fiction, cookbook, or any other type of book.
- The group decides who will be the first judge, a role that rotates with each round clockwise.
Gameplay
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Draw a Prompt: The judge draws the top Prompt Card and reads it aloud. Each card features a phrase or category requiring players to find a relevant passage in their books, like "An advertisement for a new pet" or "A line from a personal diary."
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Search Books: All other players quickly skim through their books to find a passage that fits or humorously responds to the prompt.
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Presentation: Once a player has found a passage, they read it aloud. Other players may continue to hunt for their best passage, as there’s no strict time limit.
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Judgment: The judge decides which passage best fits the prompt or is the funniest or most creative. The winner earns a point.
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Next Round: The judge role is passed to the player on the left, and a new round begins.
Winning the Game
- The game can be played for a set number of rounds or until a player reaches a specific number of points.
- The player with the most points at the end wins.
Tips and Strategy
- Choose Versatile Books: The more variety in a book's content, the higher the chances of finding fitting passages.
- Be Quick: The fastest player often has more opportunity to refine their choice of passage while others are still searching.
- Know the Judge: Tailor your passage choice to the current judge's sense of humor or creativity.
Bring Your Own Book is a light-hearted and informal game that thrives on imagination and humor. Much of the fun comes from the challenge of finding the right excerpt as well as the absurd and hilarious scenarios that arise!
