Dobbelspel

Introduction

This is a great game for adults (and possibly children, though it remains untested) at a dinner party. It's a great way to have fun, even if you are meeting strangers for the first time. There are three main aspects to the game of Doppelspel: timed rounds, rolling the die, and gifts. Each is introduced below.

The game consists of three, 20-minute rounds. You will need a timer or stopwatch (or mobile phone with countdown capability), so that you can keep track of the time. Beware that if you attempt to use a clock, you are likely to get distracted by the fun you're having and forgot the time.

General game play consists of each participant rolling a die and performing some actions based on the number rolled. Thus, you will need at least one six-sided die, though if you have many people, more dice may be easier if you spread them amongst the players. After the necessary actions, the die is passed onto the next player, and the game continues until time is up.

The actions generally involve something to do with rolling the die or the gifts. Each participant brings a gift to contribute to the game. These gifts will get picked up, traded around, and enjoyed no matter what they are.

For the most fun, invite at least four players to the game. There is no limit on the number of people; however, a very large (more than ten, perhaps) group means each person spends more time waiting than playing.

Prelimaries

Before the Game

You may wish to be very mysterious about the the game. For us, it seemed to work best if you only tell the invitees that there is a game involving a gift. The players knew no more than that (not even the name of the game which could be Googled). This served to spark their interest and curiosity.

Instruct the players to buy a single gift that is fairly cheap. We used €2 (approximately $3) as the cutoff point, but this is of course flexible. The player should wrap the gift so that it is not apparent what it is. NOTE: The gifts should not be unwrapped until after Round 2 is over and before Round 3 begins.

Cut out the assignments in the table below. Fold each one such that the text is not visible. Put them into a container and put the container aside. Bring the container out only during the preparation for Round 2.

Bring a digital camera (for instant feedback). One of the assignments requires it.

During the Game

At the beginning of each round, go through the preparation as described and explain the rules for that round. This works best if you do not explain the rules for each round until the previous round has concluded. This preserves the sense of curiosity and, later, surprise. For example, you wouldn't want to tell the players that they will be changing seats in Round 3, because then they plan their strategy around that.

Each move generally consists of the following steps:

1. Roll the die.
2. Perform the action listed for the number that lands face up on the die.
   
3. Pass the die to person on the player's left.

The actions for the die may override the above steps. For example, one action tells the player to pass to the player on his or her right instead of the left.

The Rounds

There is a different set of rules for each round. Some things change between rounds, so be careful to note what that is. It may help to have a cheat sheet for each player.

For each round, there is a Preparation section and a Play section. In the Preparation section, you will find a list of steps required before the game play starts. Follow these steps carefully and in the order listed. Inform everyone about the rules for that round. You may wish to simply read aloud the steps for preparation and the actions associated with the die, so that everyone understands what is expected.

In the Play section, you will find a table with descriptions for the numbers on each of the 6 sides of the die. The columns of the table represent the following:

• # - the number face up on the die after a player rolls
  
• Action - a brief description of the action taken for the associated number
  
• Details - a more detailed description of the action

Each player should follow the instructions associated with the number of his/her roll. If no details on passing are mentioned in those instructions, a player should pass to the person sitting to his/her immediate left.

Round 1

Preparation

1. Put the wrapped presents in the middle of the table. Do not unwrap the presents.
   
2. Find out who the youngest person is. She or he will start with the first roll.
3. Set the timer to count down for 20 minutes.
4. Throw the first roll and start the timer.

Play

Round 2

Preparation

1. Do not unwrap the presents.
   
2. Remember whose roll was next in Round 1. She or he will start with the first roll.
3. Bring out a container with the assignments and set it on the table in view of everyone.
   
4. Set the timer to count down for 20 minutes.
5. Throw the first roll and start the timer.

Play

Round 3

Preparation

1. Remember whose roll was next in Round 2. She or he will start with the first roll.
2. Each player moves one place to his or her left (clockwise). Alternatively, each player's presents may be moved one place to his or her right (counterclockwise).
3. Unwrap the presents. This works best if only one player unwraps presents at a time. You may start with the person who has the first roll for this round.
   
4. Set the timer to count down for 20 minutes.
5. Throw the first roll and start the timer.

Play

Same as for Round 2.

Assignments

The table below lists the "assignments" for use in Rounds 2 and 3 when no presents are available on the table. Before the game starts, cut this table along the lines on a printed copy of these rules. Fold each piece with text such that no text was visible. Put all of the folded assignments into a container and put that container aside. Bring it out after Round 2 and before Round 3.

For each assignment, the player should attempt to follow the instructions. If they are marked (Optional), then the player may choose not to follow them and only sacrifice the current turn. If the conditions required for the assignment are not currently valid (e.g. there is no player without a present) and there is no instruction in the assignment for this, then the player does nothing for this turn.

When we played, we did not use all of the assignments. We found the items that required pouring everyone a drink in 5 minutes and taking everyone's picture to be time consuming (given you only have 20 minutes in that round) and tedious. So, we mostly ignored those. If we were to play again, I think we would take those out.