MathBalderdash

Contact: Abby Todd

Greenville College

abby.todd@greenville.edu

 

Description: This game is played like the original Balderdash board game of bluffing and inventing definitions.  As in the original game, one player is the ‘dasher’ who chooses a category, reads a word, and collects the other players’ definitions along with the correct one. Players earn points by either guessing the correct definition or fooling others with their fake ones.

 

Rules:

1. Roll a die to determine first ‘dasher.’
2. Dasher chooses category (Words, People, etc.) to use.
3. Dasher reads item on card.
4. Dasher writes down correct answer on paper.
5. Other players write an answer on paper and pass to dasher.
6. Using ‘proper dasher etiquette’ dasher reads all answers. (Read cards to self before reading aloud to make sure you can read them keeping authors anonymous.)
7. In clockwise order, players guess which answer is correct.

 

Scoring (Balderdash game board can be used or numerical score can be kept):

 

• If player wrote correct answer, player’s answer is set aside and player gets 3 points.
• If player guesses correct answer, player gets 2 points.
• If player’s answer is chosen by another player, player gets 1 point.
• If no players choose correct answer, dasher gets 3 points.

 

Resources: You may use the sample Word and People definitions provided here or edit them to make up your own cards.

 

Balderdash Words Cards

Balderdash People Cards