Cross Talk

How to play

At a glance

Separate two messages sharing the same six-word channel. Cooperate for one round per player, about 12–20 minutes. Everyone takes one turn as the speaker.

Set up

Get paper, pens, a 45-second timer, and the 18 public boards below. Number the six nouns on a board from left to right. Make six tiny number slips, 1–6. Choose an unused board. Only the current speaker draws two slips without replacement and records the two targets privately; return and mix the slips afterward.

One round

1. The speaker prepares six numbered, single-word clues privately: exactly three for each target. Mix the two sets in any order. Keep a private answer key recording the target for each clue.
2. A clue must concern meaning, appearance, use, material, or context. No target word, part of a target word, translation, spelling, rhyme, letter count, gestures, or deliberate vocal signals. Each clue must be a different English word. Shared features are allowed: deciding where an ambiguous clue belongs is part of play.
3. Display or read all six clues neutrally. Write spoken clues where everyone can see them. Listeners have 45 seconds to discuss. The speaker stays silent.
4. Listeners submit one joint answer: two different board nouns, with exactly three clue numbers assigned to each. Any listener may be the scribe; rotate that job.
5. Reveal the key. Score 1 for each correct target (0–2). Score 1 for each clue assigned to its actual target (0–6), even if the other guessed target is wrong. A clue assigned to a wrong target scores 0. Maximum 8.

Example

On board 1 the targets are fork and ladder. The six clues are 1 rungs, 2 dinner, 3 climbing, 4 pasta, 5 height, 6 tines. The key assigns 1/3/5 to ladder and 2/4/6 to fork. Naming both but assigning 1/3/6 to ladder and 2/4/5 to fork scores 2 target points plus 4 assignment points = 6. Labels such as A and B do not matter; target names do.

End, mistakes, and access

After everyone speaks once, add the rounds and compare with the maximum of 8 × player count. There are no individual winners or ties. Aim to beat your own score per round next time. If the speaker discovers an illegal clue before the clock, replace it. After the clock starts, cross it out: it scores 0, but listeners still allocate its number and the remaining points remain available (seven in the standard game). A missed deadline uses the last complete answer; no answer scores 0. Allow 90 seconds or untimed discussion for accessibility. Written clues provide a fully silent mode.

Replay

Choose fresh boards, or reuse a board with a new pair: each has 15 possible target pairs. Hard mode uses four clues, two per target, for a maximum 6; keep separate records. Do not reuse a clue set already heard that evening.

Age guide: 12+; younger confident readers can play with help. No personal disclosures, adult themes, physical contact, or elimination. All prompts are fictional or everyday. Estimated duration includes play, not printing. These are original proposed designs; they have not been human-playtested. Scoring targets are suggestions, not measured difficulty ratings.

Printable materials

Print this page or copy the materials onto paper. Use your browser’s Print command to save a PDF.

Print: one copy of the boards, plus six slips numbered 1–6, paper for clues and a private key. Boards are public; never print a selected pair on the public clue sheet. Phone: show a board on a shared phone, then let the speaker privately draw two paper number slips and write clues on paper. A private note can replace the key; return to the public board before passing the phone. No app or account needed.

Round sheet

Speaker ___ · board ___ · clues 1 ___ 2 ___ 3 ___ 4 ___ 5 ___ 6 ___ · group targets and assigned numbers ___ · target points ___ /2 · assignment points ___ /6 · total ___ /8.