Game creator: Steven & Tara Poelzing
Ages 6 and up
2 to 10 players
Things you'll need:
Pencil or pen for the players.
Player sheets. Download here
and cut in half. Each player needs their own copy.
A non-transparent envelope.
- Separate the birds into two decks. Each deck should have only
one copy of a bird.
- Arrange one deck bird side up in the Shrubbery in rows
and columns. We suggest 5 rows, and 6 columns. (One column will only
have two cards in it).
- Shuffle the remaining deck. Under the table, randomly select one
bird and put it in the envelope. This is the Missing Bird.
- Deal out the rest of the birds to the remainder of the players.
Players should not show each other their cards. You don't even have
to reveal the back of your cards to other players.
- Give every player a player
sheet.
- Use the player sheets
to mark down what birds you have. The object of
the game is to be the first to discover which bird is in the
envelope.
- The youngest player starts first by asking any other player a
question that can be answered with a yes or no. For example, a
player may ask another player, do you have any blue birds that are
in this column (while pointing to the face up birds in the
shrubbery)? Be creative with your questions. You can even ask
questions like, "Do you know that the missing bird is black?" The
other player must answer truthfully to the best of his or her
knowledge.
- Mark down what ever information you gather on your player sheet.
You can mark down information based on others' questions and
answers.
- Play proceeds clockwise.
- At the beginning of a player's turn, before they ask a question,
they can say, "I know what bird is missing." They then circle the
bird on their player sheet and then peak into the envelope. If they
are correct, then that player shows everyone the missing bird
and the bird that was circled on the
player sheet.
- If the player is incorrect, then they are out of the game and
play proceeds as normal.