Poetry for Neanderthals

1. 1
   Teams. Split into two teams, Team Glad and Team Mad. Put the shared team slate in the middle of the table. The team slate has +3, +1, and −1 areas for each team.
2. 2
   Boards. Give the first poet the poet slate. Blow up the inflatable NO! stick. The poet slate has +1 on the left, +3 in the middle, and −1 on the right. Cards won or lost this round go here.
3. 3
   Cards. The first poet picks grey or orange. Use that side for the full game. Grey words are easier than orange words.
4. 4
   Stick. One rival sits next to the poet, holds the NO! stick, and looks at each card together with the poet. This rival sees the printed words, so they can spot rule breaks. They also flip the timer each round.

Worked example: Ana is the first poet on grey and draws tooth / Tooth Fairy. She says 'small white thing in mouth, bite food with' until Gus shouts 'tooth'. She says 'yes, tooth, worth 1' and keeps the same card: 'small kind one takes tooth, leaves cash' until Gus shouts 'Tooth Fairy'. She puts the card on the +3 area of the poet slate and picks up a new card.

1. 1
   Start. The rival flips the timer. The poet picks up the top card. The poet reads the card silently and starts with the 1-point word.
2. 2
   Clue. Give clues with one-syllable words only. Do not act things out. Do not use initials, abbreviations, or other languages. Teammates shout as many guesses as they want. Wrong guesses lose nothing.
3. 3
   Yes. When a teammate says the exact word, say yes. Now you may say that word too, even if it has more than one syllable.
4. 4
   Try 3. Keep the 1 point, or try the 3-point phrase on the same card. Each card gives 1 point or 3 points. It never gives 4. A foul loses the 1 point.
5. 5
   Foul. If the poet breaks a rule, the stick holder taps the poet with the stick and shouts NO. Put that card on the −1 area of the poet slate.
6. 6
   Skip. To give up on a hard card, say Skip. Put that card on the −1 area of the poet slate.
7. 7
   Timer. Pick up a new card after each win, foul, or skip. Play until the sand runs out. Move all poet-slate cards to the matching areas on your team slate. The next player clockwise is the next poet.

1. 1
   Clue. Explain with one-syllable words only. Clues like sounds-like and rhymes-with are allowed.
2. 2
   Banned. Do not act things out. Do not say initials, abbreviations, or words from other languages. Do not say any word printed on the card, or part of one, unless a teammate said it first.
3. 3
   Repeat. After a teammate says a printed word, you may say it too. Say yes, say the word back, and tell the points. Then keep the point or try the 3-point phrase.
4. 4
   Guess. Only the poet gives clues. Only teammates call out guesses. Guesses can have many syllables. Wrong guesses lose nothing.
5. 5
   Stick. The stick holder taps the poet and shouts NO for each rule break. Fouled cards and skipped cards go on the −1 area of the poet slate.
6. 6
   Challenge. Shout Wait if a NO call seems wrong. Lay the timer on its side to pause. All players vote. Then place the card where the vote decides.
7. 7
   Round. When the timer runs out, move each poet-slate card to the matching team-slate area. The next player clockwise becomes the poet.
8. 8
   Win. Play until each player has been poet the same number of times. Add each team's 3-point and 1-point cards, then subtract the −1 cards. The highest total wins.

1. 1
   Score. Put a solved card on the 1-point or 3-point area of the poet slate. One card is worth 1 or 3 points. Never add both.
2. 2
   Oops. Put each fouled or skipped card on the −1 area. Each −1 card takes 1 point off your team total.
3. 3
   Transfer. When the timer runs out, move all poet-slate cards to your team slate. These cards build the team total that decides the winner.

• Straight for 3: clue only the 3-point phrase and ignore the 1-point word. If a teammate says the 1-point word, say yes and use it to help clue the phrase.
• Lost point: the team wins the 1-point word, then the poet breaks a rule while trying the phrase. The card goes to −1, and the 1 point is lost.
• Skip: the poet says Skip on a hard card, puts it on −1, and picks up a new card. The team loses 1 point but saves time.

Grey vs orange side

Use one side for the full game. Grey is easier than orange.

1-point word and 3-point phrase

Each card has one easy word and one hard phrase. Each card is worth 1 or 3 points, never 4.

NO! stick

The rival stick holder taps the poet for each rule break. Those cards go on −1.

Skip

Say Skip to stop trying a card. It goes on −1.

• Two players. Play together on one team. Take turns as poet, three turns each. Score 10 or less is bad, 11 to 30 is okay, 31 to 49 is great, 50 or more is best.
• Three players. Take turns as poet, guesser, and stick holder. The poet and guesser share the points from the round. After each player has been poet three times, the highest total wins.

• Any word with two or more syllables breaks the rules. The stick holder calls NO right away.
• Do not say printed words or word parts until a teammate says them first.
• Each skip takes 1 point off your team. Skip only when stuck.
• Wrong guesses are free and can have many syllables. Keep guessing out loud.