Anomia: [uh-NO-mee-uh] - Noun - 1) A problem with word finding or recall. 2) Chaos. 3) The game where common knowledge becomes uncommonly fun! |
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Rules/Directions
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If you have misplaced your copy of Anomia's directions you can download a PDF by clicking on the link to the right.
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Alternate Versions of Anomia
PLAYING WITH YOUNGER KIDS
If you want to include younger kids in a round of Anomia, try assigning them a single category for the entire game. For instance, a 6 year old could participate by being on the hook for giving an example of an animal, or a food, for the entire round. Older kids and adults will still have to respond to the specific category offered up by their opponents card but younger kids can just focus on symbol matches and their single category. We got this suggestion from an avid fan, and think it's a great idea!
2-PLAYERS
It's definitely possible to play Anomia with only two players, and it's pretty fun too. First, we suggest you make yourself familiar with how a three to six player game works. Once you understand that, you can start a two player game by simply having each player maintain two separate Play Piles.
When it's your turn, draw a card from either Draw Pile, and quickly flip it face up on either of your play piles. If the symbol on your drawn card matches one of your opponent’s symbols, then you must face off with your opponent, just like in a three to six player game. However, if the symbol on the card you draw matches the top card in your own (second) play pile, then EITHER player may attempt to give an answer for the newly drawn card. Whoever gets a correct answer out first wins the Face-Off (and the card).
MULTI-ANSWER VERSION
Consider upping the ante by requiring players to name two or three examples (your choice) for each Face-Off. Instead of just blurting out a single answer, you must be the first to blurt out two (or three) correct answers.
TEAMS
Got more than 6 people? You can team up with another player and share a Play Pile. Potentially you could have as many as 12 people playing at once, 2 people to each team. This is also a great way to include younger kids.
CHARADE-ANOMIA
I'll admit that we haven't quite worked this one out fully. That said, we have a hunch that incorporating a Charades element into Anomia could make things pretty interesting, and quite funny as well.
The basic idea is that, instead of shouting out your answer, you must act it out to anyone who is not your opponent. The first player to get someone else to shout out a correct answer wins the Face-Off. You will need to get another player to guess an example of something based on your opponent’s card. All the standard rules of Charades apply here, as well as the standard Anomia rules.
"BEST" ANSWER
I've gotten a few comments from players saying that they enjoy letting the group decide who wins a Face-Off based on the "best" answer. Instead of just being the first to blurt out a correct answer, you can only win a face-off by giving an answer that the rest of the players agree is the better of the two examples given in a Face-Off. The group must determine what the criterion for “best” answer is; a few possible options might be funniest, dumbest, smartest, most obvious, most obscure, etc...
ETC...
If you come up with any other ways to play, we'd love to hear about them! Please get in touch by sending us a message.
Also, join our mailing list to get updates on other alternate versions we'll be publishing in the near future...kids, sports, music, movies, TV, slang, etc... These expansion packs can be played as stand alone games or mixed in to the classic version to give it a new flavor.