Objective
The objective of Hangman is to guess the word before the hangman is fully drawn.
Number of Players
Hangman can be played with a minimum of 2 players, and there is no strict upper limit since it is a cooperative guessing game.
Game Materials
- Paper and pen.
Setup
- Choosing a Word: One player, known as the "host," thinks of a word.
- Record: The host writes down a series of dashes, one for each letter of the word. For example, "DOG" would be represented as
_ _ _. - Drawing Template: Next to the dashes, draw a simple gallows as a guideline for the hangman, allowing for a number of incorrect guesses.
Gameplay
- Guessing: Other players take turns guessing letters that might be in the word.
- Hit or Miss?:
- Hit: If the guessed letter is in the word, the host writes it in all the correct positions. For example, if "O" is guessed and the word is "DOG", it shows as
_ O _. -
Miss: If the letter is not in the word, a part of the hangman is drawn (e.g., head, body, arms, legs). Typically, you have about 6 to 8 chances depending on house rules.
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Continue: Players continue to guess letters round-robin style.
End of the Game
- Win: The group (or guesser) wins if they successfully guess the word before the hangman is completely drawn.
- Loss: The game is lost if the hangman is fully drawn and the word remains unsolved.
Strategic Tips
- Start by guessing common letters in your language, such as "E," "A," or "T" in English.
- Initially guess vowels since they frequently occur in words.
- Experienced players keep track of already guessed letters to avoid unnecessary misses.
Variations: - In some variants, players are given a category (e.g., "animal" or "profession") to make guessing easier. - A harder version would allow fewer misses, for example, only 4 parts for the hangman.
