Round & Revel / prediction
Quiet Split
Lock your choice. Forecast the room. Reveal the split.
Planning estimate only. This edition has not had a live group playtest.
What you need
30 printed A/B choice cards, cut apart; A pen and 16 small opaque paper slips per player for eight rounds, plus spare slips; A bowl or envelope for locked CHOICE slips; A score sheet with eight round columns
How to play
Print and prepare
Print one copy of the 30-card deck and cut cards apart. Card faces are public when drawn; there is no answer key. Prepare two slips per player per round, labeled CHOICE and FORECAST, with space for a name. Use opaque paper and fold written sides inward. Set out spare slips for replaced rounds and a score sheet. No timer is needed.
The aim
Make a private A/B choice, lock it in, then forecast how many OTHER players chose A. You score for reading the group, never for picking the most popular option. Everyone plays every round. Play eight rounds; each player can earn up to 24 points.
Set up
Seat 4–12 players where everyone can see or hear each card. Shuffle the 30 cards and choose a reader; rotate that job clockwise each round. Each player needs a name or unique initial, a pen, and two small slips per round. Prepare a score sheet with one row per player and eight round columns. Put an empty bowl or envelope in the center to hold locked choices.
Read and clarify
The reader reveals one card and reads its situation and fixed A and B options aloud. Leave the card visible. Clarify literal wording together, but do not announce, hint at, negotiate, or discuss anyone’s likely choice. Treat the card as an imaginary choice: assume both options are available and equally affordable unless the card says otherwise. No personal explanation is ever required.
First: lock your choice
In silence, everyone writes their name and either A or B on a CHOICE slip, choosing whichever option appeals more right now. If indifferent, privately pick either. Fold the slip so the letter is hidden and keep it in front of you. Once everyone is ready, the reader counts “three, two, one, lock”; everyone moves their folded slip into the central container together. Nobody may retrieve, inspect, or replace a locked choice.
Second: lock your forecast
Only after every CHOICE slip is collected, each player writes their name and a whole-number forecast on a separate FORECAST slip: how many of the OTHER players chose A? With N players, the allowed numbers are 0 through N minus 1. Do not include yourself, even if you chose A. Fold the forecast. When everyone is ready, count down and reveal all FORECAST slips together. Keep the choices sealed until all forecasts are visible. No changing either slip after its lock or reveal.
Reveal and count
Open the CHOICE slips, return each to its named player, and count the total number of A choices. For a player who chose A, their target is that total minus 1. For a player who chose B, their target is the total unchanged. This is the actual number of OTHER players who chose A. Each player checks their own target; another player verifies their score before it is recorded.
Score each forecast
Award 3 points if the forecast equals that player’s target; award 1 point if it differs by exactly 1; award 0 points otherwise. These awards are alternatives, never added together. Choosing A or B earns no points by itself. There is no bonus for matching the majority or for a unanimous room. Record every player’s score, then optionally discuss the choices before moving on.
Keep the forecast fair
All choices are committed before anyone predicts, and your own choice is excluded from your target, so you cannot move your own scoring target by choosing a convenient answer. Keep both stages silent and concealed. No voting agreements, signals, false announcements, or peeking. Accidental exposure of any choice or forecast before the proper reveal voids the round: discard that card and repeat with a fresh card, with no points awarded for the void round. The same rule applies if a missing, ambiguous, duplicate, or out-of-range entry is discovered after locking. A private correction is fine before the relevant lock. Deliberate repeated breaches end the competitive game; continue unscored if the group wishes.
A round in practice
Six players lock choices. Four choose A and two choose B. Every A chooser has a target of 3 other A choices; every B chooser has a target of 4. An A chooser forecasting 3 earns 3 points; another forecasting 4 earns 1 point. A B chooser forecasting 4 earns 3 points; another forecasting 2 earns 0. The whole room uses the same revealed slips, but targets can differ by one because nobody counts themselves.
End and ties
After eight valid scored rounds, add each player’s eight scores. The highest total wins. Equal highest totals share the win; do not introduce a last-minute tiebreak. A round voided or replaced does not count toward the eight. For a shorter game, agree on four rounds before beginning, for a maximum of 12 points.
For 4–12 players
With 4–5 players, forecasts range from 0–3 or 0–4 respectively. With 6–8 players, keep individual scoring and rotate the reader. With 9–12, let the next reader help verify counts and totals after revealing; every person still makes their own private choice and forecast, with a maximum forecast of 8–11. Nobody sits out and there are no teams. Keep the player count fixed during a round. If someone leaves between rounds, update the allowed range; continue unscored or restart the competitive game if membership changes.
Comfort and access
Anyone may replace a card before choices lock, without giving a reason. These are hypothetical preferences, not requests for personal history, money, health, or relationship information. Reading aloud, large-print slips, typed private notes, and A/B tokens are welcome; never rely on color alone. With tokens, hide each named choice under a cup and reveal only after forecasts lock. A trusted nonplaying helper can privately record a player’s choice and forecast. Use a visible countdown as well as spoken words if needed. Allow everyone enough time to choose and write; there is no speed bonus or penalty. Play entirely seated.
Play again
Set used and skipped cards aside so the next game begins with fresh situations. Return used cards and shuffle when needed; keep unwanted cards out. Do not preview future cards or swap the printed A/B options mid-game. If the deck runs out during a game, reshuffle used cards; previously seen choices may be easier to predict, so use a fresh deck for a new competitive session when possible.
Host counting reminder
After forecasts lock, count all A slips once. An A chooser predicts total A minus 1; a B chooser predicts total A. Forecasts always exclude the forecaster. Score 3 for exact, 1 for one away, and 0 otherwise. Forecast ranges: 4 players, 0–3; 5, 0–4; 6, 0–5; 7, 0–6; 8, 0–7; 9, 0–8; 10, 0–9; 11, 0–10; 12, 0–11.
Printable play cards
Print single-sided at 100%. Cut along the borders and follow the setup instructions.
Imagine one extra room appears in your home. Which would you choose?
A: A library with a perfect reading chair.
B: A workshop with supplies for your hobbies.
Choose a free, comfortable evening outing.
A: A rooftop for watching the sunset.
B: A garden for watching fireflies.
One cupboard magically restocks a modest treat each week. Pick its contents.
A: Fresh flowers.
B: Fresh bread.
Choose one reliable perk for an imaginary trip.
A: Your luggage always arrives first.
B: Your seat always has extra legroom.
A shared garden has room for one new feature. Which gets your vote?
A: A shaded hammock corner.
B: A long table for outdoor meals.
Pick one harmless convenience for a month.
A: Always find the exact item you are looking for.
B: Always arrive just as a queue clears.
Choose a free beginner class with a patient teacher.
A: Make a ceramic bowl.
B: Make a wooden birdhouse.
You have time for one more stop at an imaginary festival.
A: A lantern-lit maze.
B: A greenhouse full of butterflies.
Choose one weather setting for a completely free afternoon.
A: Crisp air and bright sunshine.
B: Warm air and a gentle breeze.
A tiny friendly creature can help at your desk. Choose its talent.
A: It sorts every loose object.
B: It brings exactly the snack you want.
Choose a comfortable one-night stay, with easy travel included.
A: A cabin beside a quiet lake.
B: A room above a lively town square.
You can add one gentle sound to an imaginary courtyard.
A: Leaves rustling in tall trees.
B: Water trickling through a fountain.
One routine can become effortless for a week.
A: Meals appear prepared, exactly as requested.
B: Rooms become tidy whenever you leave them.
Choose a shelf-sized collection to explore for an hour.
A: Intricate mechanical toys.
B: Unusual stones and crystals.
Choose a safe, comfortable ride with an excellent view.
A: A slow hot-air balloon trip over fields.
B: A glass gondola ride up a mountain.
An imaginary picnic already has food, seats, and pleasant weather. Add one extra.
A: A basket of outdoor games.
B: A musician taking gentle song requests.
One window can show a peaceful live scene whenever you wish.
A: An underwater reef.
B: A snowy mountain valley.
Choose a no-cost activity with equally easy access.
A: Browse a vast secondhand bookshop.
B: Explore a botanical garden.
Pick one small guarantee for a month.
A: Your shoes are always perfectly comfortable.
B: Your drinks stay at your preferred temperature.
Choose a fictional museum wing to explore at your own pace.
A: Ingenious inventions that almost caught on.
B: Extraordinary everyday objects from around the world.
Choose a little machine for your home.
A: It folds every piece of laundry perfectly.
B: It waters and tends every houseplant perfectly.
Choose the main activity at an imaginary relaxed gathering.
A: Prepare a simple meal together.
B: Solve a large tabletop puzzle together.
Choose a free keepsake from an imaginary seaside town.
A: A handmade cup by a local potter.
B: A small framed photograph by a local artist.
A safe passage near home leads somewhere useful. Choose where.
A: A quiet public garden.
B: A bustling indoor food market.
Choose a comfortable front-row seat for one evening spectacle.
A: A sky full of shooting stars.
B: A shore glowing with bioluminescent waves.
Choose one ordinary-looking object with a helpful trick.
A: An umbrella that keeps your whole outfit dry.
B: A bag that always weighs almost nothing.
A community room can add one welcoming feature.
A: A huge table for making things.
B: A cozy nook for reading and relaxing.
Choose a guided visit with a friendly expert.
A: The backstage workings of a theater.
B: The growing rooms of a rooftop farm.
Choose an imaginary scenic trip where comfort and cost are equal.
A: A train through mountain valleys.
B: A boat along a tree-lined river.
Choose a quiet hour with no chores or interruptions.
A: Make something small with your hands.
B: Discover something new through reading or listening.
Original Round & Revel game text. Edition 1 / October 2026. Reuse the printed cards for future gatherings.