rules you discover

curated written for the tool not checked yet

In the group Information visibility.

One player knows a secret rule. Everyone else finds it out only by breaking it and being told no. In the card game Mao, newcomers learn the rules this way.

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Entries with rules you discover

call and response + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
One player knows a secret rule about which answers count, and others learn it by answering.
playing in silence + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players find a secret rule in silence, learning only from which moves are refused.
change the rules + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
One player secretly adds rules, and others discover them by breaking them.
no objective + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players try to discover a secret rule just for the joy of finding it.
set your own goal + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players set aims while still discovering what the rules allow.
one loser + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players try to learn a secret rule, and the one who breaks it most loses.
playing by letter + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
One player knows a secret rule and answers each letter with yes or no.
absent player + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
The absent player set a secret rule long ago, and players discover it by breaking it.
chance read as a sign + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
A sign is thrown, and players learn a secret rule about what each sign means by acting on it.
attunement + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players sense a hidden rule from how others play, rather than being told.
rules you discover + roll and move drafted not checked yet
Players roll and move, and one player knows a secret rule about which spaces are safe.
rules you discover + drafting drafted not checked yet
Players pick from a shared row, and a secret rule decides which picks are allowed.
rules you discover + bidding drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides which bids count, and players learn it by bidding.
rules you discover + push your luck drafted not checked yet
Players keep pushing, and a secret rule decides when a push fails.
rules you discover + area control drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides which areas can be taken, and players learn it from refused moves.
rules you discover + worker placement drafted not checked yet
Some action spaces follow a secret rule, and players learn it by placing workers.
rules you discover + pattern building drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides which patterns score, and players learn it by building.
rules you discover + hand management drafted not checked yet
Cards are played under a secret rule, and a card that breaks it goes back with a penalty, as in some traditional card games.
rules you discover + trick-taking drafted not checked yet
Tricks follow a secret rule about which card wins, and players learn it by playing.
rules you discover + negotiation drafted not checked yet
Players negotiate while one knows a secret rule about which deals hold.
rules you discover + set collection drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides what counts as a set, and players learn it by collecting.
rules you discover + tile placement drafted not checked yet
Tiles have to follow a secret rule, and a tile that breaks it is handed back.
rules you discover + race to finish drafted not checked yet
Players race to discover a secret rule first.
rules you discover + most points drafted not checked yet
Players score points for moves that follow a secret rule they are still learning.
rules you discover + last standing drafted not checked yet
Players who break a secret rule too often are out, until one remains.
rules you discover + cooperative survival drafted not checked yet
The group survives by working out a secret rule together before time runs out.
rules you discover + shared objective drafted not checked yet
The group works together to discover a hidden rule as its goal.
rules you discover + hidden personal goal drafted not checked yet
Each player secretly tries to learn one hidden rule while others learn different ones.
rules you discover + narrative completion drafted not checked yet
A story unfolds as players discover the rules of its world.
rules you discover + solo in parallel drafted not checked yet
Each player discovers a secret rule on their own, side by side.
rules you discover + direct confrontation drafted not checked yet
Players use what they have learnt about a secret rule against each other.
rules you discover + indirect via board drafted not checked yet
A secret rule changes the board when broken, and players learn it from the changes.
rules you discover + fully cooperative drafted not checked yet
The whole group works out a secret rule held by the game itself.
rules you discover + semi-cooperative drafted not checked yet
Players share what they learn about a secret rule, but may keep some of it to themselves.
rules you discover + team vs team drafted not checked yet
Teams race to work out a secret rule.
rules you discover + traitor drafted not checked yet
Players work out a secret rule together, and one player secretly knows it and misleads them.
rules you discover + mostly chance drafted not checked yet
A secret rule exists, but luck decides most of what happens anyway.
rules you discover + chance with mitigation drafted not checked yet
Luck brings each move, and players use what they learn about the rule to soften it.
rules you discover + skill with luck drafted not checked yet
Skill in reading a secret rule decides most outcomes, with a little luck.
rules you discover + mostly skill drafted not checked yet
Winning depends on how quickly you work out a secret rule.
rules you discover + model a system drafted not checked yet
Players act in a model of a real system whose rules they do not know at first, as newcomers to a real system often do.
rules you discover + stakeholder roles drafted not checked yet
Some roles know the rules and others have to discover them, as in real institutions.
rules you discover + shared resource drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides how fast a shared resource returns, and players learn it by taking.
rules you discover + delayed effects drafted not checked yet
A secret rule shows its effects only later, so players learn it slowly.
rules you discover + try a rule drafted not checked yet
One player tries a rule in secret, and others work out what it is from its effects.
rules you discover + debrief drafted not checked yet
Afterwards, the secret rule is revealed and players talk about how they worked it out.
rules you discover + irreversible change drafted not checked yet
Each rule discovered is written into the rulebook permanently, so the next game starts knowing it.
rules you discover + real-time span drafted not checked yet
Players test a secret rule once a day and slowly work it out over weeks.
role-play + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Characters learn the hidden laws of their world by breaking them.
dexterity + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides which feats count, and players learn it by trying.
drawing the map + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
A secret rule decides which drawings are allowed, and players learn it by drawing.
keep the game going + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players discover a secret rule about what ends the game, and try to avoid it.
cannot be won + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players discover a hidden rule that means nobody can win.
game master + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
The game master knows the world's hidden laws, and players learn them by trying.
public game + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Passers-by learn the rules by watching and being told no, as in many street games.
dice tell the story + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players learn what each table result means by seeing what happens.
rules make an argument + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Hidden rules make a point about systems newcomers cannot see.
stakes outside the game + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players learn a hidden rule that also applies in their real situation.
points stand for values + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
A hidden rule decides what scores, and players learn it by noticing what is rewarded.
rehearse a future + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players discover the hidden rules of a future world by living in it.
take turns + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players learn the rules by trying moves in turn and seeing what happens.
everyone at once + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Everyone tries something at once and learns from all the results.
no turns + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players try things whenever they like and learn the rules from the chaos.
timed turns + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Players experiment under time pressure to find the rules.
sedated + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Rules discovered slowly, through careful play.
accelerated + rules you discover drafted not checked yet
Play speeds up as players learn the rules.
excited · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling excited.
clever · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover supports the feeling clever.
silly · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling silly.
tense · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling tense.
together · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling together.
sneaky · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling sneaky.
lucky · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling lucky.
in charge · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover works against the feeling in charge.
surprised · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover supports the feeling surprised.
thoughtful · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling thoughtful.
fast · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling fast.
unfair in a fun way · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover supports the feeling unfair in a fun way.
careful · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling careful.
daring · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling daring.
friendly · rules you discover drafted not checked yet
rules you discover neither supports nor works against the feeling friendly.
Eleusis — guess the dealer's secret rule not checked yet
The rules themselves are what you discover. Players learn by testing guesses against right and wrong, which is how a designer learns what a rule does. The Rulemaker also feels the balance: a rule nobody finds is as dull as one everyone finds at once.
Mao — the rules nobody will tell you not checked yet
Hidden rules turn every penalty into evidence. It shows how players build a model of a game from feedback alone, and how much frustration a design can carry before it stops being fun.