Polle de Maagt

The dictionary game.

By Polle de Maagt · First written · 3 min read

A game where the best liar and the best listener both win.

What it does

Everyone writes a convincing fake definition for a word nobody knows. The others guess which one is real.

People
4 to 10
Time
30 to 60 minutes
Level

FacilitationBeginner

Comfort zoneEasy

Goal
Bluff, laugh and learn words nobody needed
You need
A thick dictionary, small slips of paper, pens

OriginA traditional parlour game, also known as Fictionary. Balderdash is the boxed version.

Story.

We play it with the family. It is one of the games where the Van Zummeren trophy comes out, because it is a game built on bluffing.

We use whichever dictionary is at hand. That changes the game a little.

An older dictionary sounds different from a newer one. Your invented definition needs to sound as if it belongs in that particular book. Not just a plausible meaning, but the right language and level of formality.

The better you match the dictionary, the harder it is for the others to tell your definition from the real one.

How to run it.

Models & frameworks · used in this structure
The five structural elements.
Invitation, space and materials, participation, group configuration, sequence and time. From Liberating Structures.
The five elements of this structure
tap one to jump
  1. 1Invitation
  2. 2Space and materials
  3. 3Participation
  4. 4Groups
  5. 5Sequence and time
Structural element 1 of 5

Invitation.

Explain the goal: fool the others with your fake definition, and spot the real one yourself.

Structural element 2 of 5

How space is arranged and materials needed.

One table. Whatever dictionary you have at hand, the same kind of paper slips for everyone, and pens. Read a few entries together first to get a feel for the book’s wording and style. Use identical slips so the paper does not give anything away.

Structural element 3 of 5

How participation is distributed.

Everyone writes a definition every round. The role of reader rotates.

Structural element 4 of 5

How groups are configured.

One group around the table. With more than ten players, play in pairs.

Structural element 5 of 5

Sequence of steps and time allocation.

  1. The reader picks an obscure word from the dictionary, says it and spells it. If someone knows it, pick another word.
  2. Everyone except the reader writes a fake definition that sounds like it came from this particular dictionary. Match its vocabulary, tone and level of formality. The reader copies the real definition onto a slip.
  3. The reader collects all slips, shuffles them and reads them aloud without laughing.
  4. Everyone votes for the definition they think is real.
  5. Scoring. Each guessing player gets one point for choosing the real definition, plus one point for each vote their fake definition receives. Fooling several people can earn you several points. The reader does not earn points in their own round.
  6. The reader role passes to the next player. Play until everyone has read once, or until the dictionary wins.

Variations.

  • Use words from your own organisation’s jargon instead of the dictionary, as an energizer at the start of a workshop.
  • Use obscure place names, and write what the place is famous for.
  • Award the Van Zummeren trophy after the game to the best bluff, not the highest score.
Try this

At your next family dinner, open a dictionary on a random page and play one round. It takes ten minutes.

A traditional parlour game, played in our family. Old dictionary made with Midjourney.

Your version of this

Tried it, or thinking about it?

Let me know how it went.

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