How’s that for cutthroat?

Below you will find instructions on how this will be played. Let me know if you have any questions. I will be sending out emails tonight so you can start your boards.

GAMEPLAY

The game will play similarly to Scattergories with some added features. You will be given 12 categories such as Vegetables or Car Models, etc. for which you have to provide an answer. You will also be given a letter of the alphabet. Your goal is to find words that apply to all 12 categories that begin with the letter provided. You will be competing against the other players in your group, and you will earn a points for a words that do not match anyone else’s.

• You will each have your own spreadsheets on google docs to work on that contain the categories and letters. You will be sending an email to splattergories@gmail.com to receive a link to your spreadsheet. When your time is up, you will copy/paste your answers and send them back as a response to that email to make sure your spreadsheet answers are finalized.
• You will have a few powers at your disposal to use during your turns.
• There will be a special answer in each turn that I will provide clues for.

RULES

• Each round will consist of 3 turns. Each turn consists of 12 categories and a letter for which each answer much start with.
• The cumulative score of your three turns will determine who advances through the round.
• You will have 4 minutes on each turn to submit your answers.
• Your word must start with the letter provided.
• In the case of names, the Last name must start with the letter.
  Example: for the letter R, Jim Robinson (ok), Ron Swanson (not ok)
• Adjectives are not allowed unless it is normally a part of its specification, a brand name or a title. Examples: If the category was “Drinks” and the letter was R, you could not say “refrigerated juice”, but you could say “red wine”. If the category was “Things that are heavy” and the letter was B, you could not say “big people”, but you could say “Bigfoot”
• A, An, The will not count
• There will be bonus points for double or triples words like “Freaky Friday” or “To Tell The Truth”. The adjective rule applies here as well. You cannot just tack them on to score more points if it is not normally part of the name/title, etc.
• You cannot score points for the same answer more than once in a turn. You could not score with “Knife” as an answer for “Weapons” as well as “Items found in the Kitchen”, however you could have variations such as “knife rack” or “knife sharpener”. If you do use the same answer twice, you will be scored however it benefits you most. If one instance were to be cancelled out by another player, your other instance would be used.
• Feel free to google all you want. You have 20 seconds per word essentially.
• Words must be in English unless otherwise specified by the category.

SPECIAL ANSWERS

I have come up with 3 answers of my own for each round (1 per turn) that fall somewhere in the list of categories you will receive in a round. You will not know to which category they belong. I will provide clues for each of the three answers.
If you list one of these words in the appropriate category, it automatically counts as a point even if someone else answers it.
If you figure one of these out, list it as your answer to the appropriate category. This is not in addition to an answer you already provided for that category & letter.
If you are the only person in your group to provide the special answer it will earn you two points.
If you are the only person in the entire game to provide the special answer, it will earn you three points.

POWERS

You will be able to use the powers provided below anytime you want during the round. You can use them all in one turn, or spread them out over all three turns. Your power supply will be restocked in the next round, but unused powers will not carry over.

To use a power, simply type the name of the power in the “Power Used” column to the right of the category you wish to use it in.

Copycat (2) — Pick another player’s answer from your group to copy for one category. Whatever your opponent scores, you score. Type “Copycat [player’s name]” in the “Power Used” column in the category you wish to use it.

Bomb (1) — Use this to “blow up” everyones answer for a particular category. They will all score zero and so will you. Type “Bomb” in the “Power Used” column in the category you wish to use it.

Protection (2) — Play this on your own word to protect it from being copied/bombed.
Against “Copycat”: Protects your answer, the “cheater” is caught and loses a point.
Against “Bomb”: Protects your answer, while everyone else’s gets destroyed.
Against Duplicate Answers: Your word counts, any opponent who duplicates it, does not get it counted.

Type “Protection” in the “Power Used” column in the category you wish to use it.

Time Extension (1) — Gain an extra minute to think of answers for one of your three turns in a round. To use this just type “Time Extension” anywhere on your spreadsheet.

You can only play one power per category.

SCORING

• You score one point for each unique answer.
• Score additional points for answers with multiple words starting with the given letter. The initial criteria for an answer must be met first (i.e. Last name starts with it, first word of answer starts with it) before any additional words will count.
• I and two other judges will score your answers. All scoring by the judges is final. Judges can ask each other questions and discuss answers, but they are free to interpret answers as they like. I will strike any answers which do not follow the rules regardless.
• Your cumulative score from each of the three turns will be added up for your total score.
• In the event of a tie, the player who used less powers will win.
• There are two groups of four and two groups of five. The top two from each group will advance to the next round.

There you go. There will be instructions on how to obtain your boards in the individual emails you receive later.