HOW TO PLAY - Things You Can Say

HOW TO PLAY – STANDARD VERSION

Whoever had the most recent kiss goes first. This player is called the DEALER (duh!).

Setup

There are two types of cards:

  • Red-Backed Cards (Play Cards) – 204 cards with different words, mostly representing people, places, or things.
  • White-Backed Cards (Point Cards) – 46 cards in total: 23 with "AND" and 23 with "BUT NOT" written on them.

The DEALER shuffles the WHITE cards and places them face down in the center of the play area. They then flip over the top card, revealing either "AND" or "BUT NOT" to all players.

Next, the DEALER shuffles the RED cards and deals five to each player, including themselves.

Gameplay

  1. The DEALER selects one RED card from their hand, reads it aloud by saying:
    "Things You Can Say…" [reads the card's text]
    They then place the card face-up to the left of the WHITE card.
  2. Each player chooses a RED card from their hand that they think will create the funniest double entendre when paired with the dealer’s card. They place their chosen card face-up for everyone to see.
  3. The DEALER picks the funniest or most interesting RED card from the ones played. They then form a phrase by reading:
    "Things You Can Say…" [Dealer’s RED card] [WHITE card (AND or BUT NOT)] [Chosen player’s RED card]
  4. Starting with the player to the DEALER’s left, each player must respond with a phrase or sentence that fits the created combination. Play proceeds clockwise.
  5. The DEALER selects the funniest response. The player who gave it wins the round and keeps the WHITE card as a point.
  6. Each player draws a new RED card to maintain a five-card hand. The player to the left becomes the new DEALER, and the next round begins.

Winning the Game

The first player to collect 5 WHITE cards wins!

Additional Rules & Notes

  1. Time Limit – If a player cannot respond within 30 seconds, they are skipped, and play moves to the next person.
  2. "Anything Goes" Cards – If played, the player can invent any phrase for the card before using it.
  3. Bonus Play (Dealer’s Choice) – The DEALER may swap the first and third cards in the phrase.
    • Example: If the cards initially read "Lover BUT NOT Skiing", the dealer can switch them to "Skiing BUT NOT Lover."
  4. Interpretations – Players can interpret RED cards broadly. For example, "Things You Can Say About Skiing BUT NOT Lover" could mean:
    • Things you can say about skiing, but not about your lover.
    • Things you can say about skiing, but not about a lover.
    • Things you can say about going skiing, but not about a lover.
    • Things you can say about water skiing, but not about your lover.
  5. First Printing Easter Egg – There are two spelling mistakes in this first edition. Can you find them?