Round & Revel / Creative pitching
The Odd Exhibition
A very ordinary object. A wonderfully unreasonable museum. Make the case.
Original printable party game. Rules and examples checked; estimated timing has not had a live group playtest.
What you need
- 24 object cards and 16 museum brief cards, kept in two decks
- A 60-second timer, pens and a score sheet
- One small voting slip for each listener per pitch
How to play
The idea
Each player turns an ordinary object into a museum exhibit. A public brief gives two concrete requirements. Your one-minute pitch earns points for meeting those requirements and, separately, one audience point if most listeners would visit. No acting, drawing, specialist facts or private stories are required.
Set up
Shuffle the object deck and brief deck separately. In seating order, one player at a time draws two object cards, chooses one secretly and immediately returns the other to the bottom without showing it before the next player draws. Place chosen objects face up. Keep a fixed seating order. Each player will make two pitches. Allow everyone to opt for a written pitch read by another person; the author still chooses all content and scores.
Prepare the first exhibition
Reveal one museum brief for the whole table. Read its two requirements aloud. Everyone has two quiet minutes to prepare a pitch for their own object. Notes are allowed. The first person in seating order pitches first, then proceed clockwise. The same brief stays visible for every pitch in this exhibition. Do not change your object after hearing other pitches.
Give the pitch
You have up to 60 seconds to name the exhibit and describe why it belongs in this museum. You may invent functions, history and harmless fictional details, but must retain the recognisable object on your card: a teaspoon can become a giant’s antenna, yet it still has to be a teaspoon. Do not claim real medical, safety or financial benefits. No one interrupts, heckles or asks questions during the minute. At time, finish your current sentence, then stop; unspoken notes cannot earn points.
Check the brief: two points
The two people next in seating order act as checklist readers for this pitch; neither is the pitcher. They independently check each of the two printed requirements. Award 1 point per requirement clearly present in the pitch. Creativity is not judged in this part. A word-count requirement counts ordinary space-separated words; a hyphenated word counts as one. If the readers disagree, the pitcher may repeat the exact relevant sentence once without improving it, then all non-pitchers vote on that one requirement. A strict majority is needed; a tied vote earns no point. Each pitch scores 0–2 checklist points.
The audience point
Every listener writes YES or NOT YET privately to answer the same question: “Would I stop to look at this exhibit based on that pitch?” Reveal together. A strict majority of all listeners voting YES gives the pitcher 1 audience point; a tie gives 0. Nobody votes on their own pitch. This point is subjective by design, so vote for the pitch rather than a friendship or a previous score. Votes are not ranked against other players, and listeners may vote YES for every pitch. Do not announce your vote before everyone has written.
Second exhibition and finish
After everyone has pitched once, discard the used objects and brief. Again go one player at a time: draw two fresh objects, keep one, and immediately return the other before the next player draws. Then reveal a new common brief. Again allow two preparation minutes. Reverse the pitch order, so the person who went last now goes first. Score the same way. Add both pitch scores for a total of 0–6; highest wins and ties share the win. Keep all used cards out of the decks until the game ends. Even with ten players, the 24-object deck is sufficient: choosing returns one card, so each exhibition consumes exactly ten objects.
Example pitch and score
The object is “a mug with two handles” and the brief is The Quiet Gallery: give it a two-word name and explain one feature that works without sound. “Still Harbour is a mug with two handles so two imaginary sailors can carry their morning tea together. A floating paper flag shows when it is full, without a bell.” Still Harbour has two words and the flag is a silent feature: 2 checklist points. With five listeners, three or more YES votes add 1 audience point.
Comfort and timing
Keep jokes about objects and imaginary museums, never a player’s body, identity or personal life. A player may exchange an uncomfortable card before preparation without penalty. Large groups take longer: two 60-second pitches each plus voting can take 40–45 minutes with ten. For a shorter game, announce one exhibition before dealing; totals are then out of 3 and tied leaders still share the win. You may also skip scoring entirely and host a friendly mini-exhibition.
Print two distinct decks
Object cards begin OE-O and brief cards begin OE-B. Their different headings make them sortable without colour. Print and cut one copy of each. A brief applies to every pitcher in the current exhibition; an object belongs to just one pitcher until discarded.
Printable play cards
Print single-sided and cut on the borders. Read the setup before sorting the cards; some games use separate card types or fewer copies for smaller groups.
Object
A teaspoon with a very long handle
Object
A hat with seven pockets
Object
A cushion shaped like a pebble
Object
A tiny ladder
Object
A doorbell in a wooden box
Object
An umbrella with a transparent canopy
Object
A pair of mismatched mittens
Object
A jar of plain wooden buttons
Object
A suitcase no bigger than a book
Object
A very large bookmark
Object
A paper crown with blank spaces
Object
A clock face without hands
Object
A ribbon that is three metres long
Object
A mirror the size of a coin
Object
A cardboard telescope
Object
A pair of bright yellow shoelaces
Object
A mug with two handles
Object
A map printed on a napkin
Object
A rubber duck wearing a cape
Object
A picture frame with no picture
Object
A stack of six empty envelopes
Object
A soft fabric cube
Object
A wooden spoon with a hole
Object
A notebook with alternating blank and lined pages
The Rain Museum
Give your exhibit a name of exactly three words. Explain how it helps a visitor stay dry.
A Museum for Giants
State its height in an invented unit. Explain how a giant uses it carefully.
The Quiet Gallery
Give it a two-word name. Explain one feature that works without sound.
The Museum of Tomorrow
State an opening year after 2100. Explain one everyday problem it solves.
A Gallery on Wheels
Name a vehicle that carries it. Explain how it stays steady during a turn.
The Midnight Collection
Give it a name containing “night”. Explain how visitors find it in the dark.
The Very Small Museum
Describe how it fits on a shelf. Name exactly two intended visitors, both imaginary creatures.
The Welcome Gallery
Give the exhibit a friendly greeting of exactly four words. Explain how a first-time visitor tries it.
The Wind Museum
Name the direction from which the wind arrives. Explain how the exhibit responds without electricity.
The Lost-and-Found Gallery
Name an imaginary owner. Explain one clue that helps return the object.
The Museum of Detours
Give the exhibit a name containing “perhaps”. Explain why someone would take a longer route to see it.
The Sunday Collection
Name a place it can be used while sitting down. Explain a relaxing use that involves no screen.
The Moon Museum
Name the exhibit’s imaginary inventor. Explain how it stays attached in low gravity.
The Gallery of Useful Mistakes
Give it a two-word name. Explain how one design mistake becomes a useful feature.
The Travelling Tea Museum
Name a fictional destination. Explain how the exhibit makes the journey more comfortable.
The Museum of Small Celebrations
Invent a one-sentence celebration that uses the object. Name a reusable decoration that accompanies it.
Round & Revel. Edition 1 / October 2026. No purchases, accounts or specialist equipment beyond the listed materials are required.