Cranium is a great
game.
But it's got some issues.
Here's how to fix them.
(further submissions and suggestions welcome...)
CRANIUM: House Rules
Definitions:
“Subject” = humdinger, cameo, etc.
“CC” = Club Cranium.
"Actor" = the person singing, humming, etc.
These rules overrule the rules included with the game where they conflict.
- The team with youngest player picks their color first
- The team with oldest player goes first. From there, turns goes
clockwise around the table.
- Unless everyone agrees beforehand, you always take the "fast track".
Always.
- It's up to each team to pick their own actor. They can use the same
actor every time if they want, although that's not much fun.
- For Copycat cards, you can literally say anything other than people or
places. You don’t have to actually do an impression.
- If you’ve seen a question card before, congratulations. Get it right and
keep your mouth shut.
- Getting a card right does not entitle you to another turn.
- The team that draws a CC is entitled to another card after the CC is
finished (and if they draw another CC, they get yet another card when that
one's done, etc).
- Any “card fouls” (eg, two people on team seeing the card, or not noticing
that the card was a CC) are handled like this:
Card is “discarded” as used
The next card is used instead (even if it is a different subject)
If the first card was a CC, then the next one is treated like it. If the
first one was not, then the next one is treated as if it was not.\
Of course, a team cannot deliberately foul to get a new card.
- Any “performance fouls” (eg drawing letters in a cloodle) result in the
team losing the turn (if not a CC). If it is a CC, then treat it like a “card
foul”, except that the team that messed up is prohibited from guessing.
- Even when talking or gesturing is not allowed, expressions of frustration,
encouragement, etc are allowable. Words are an instant disqualification.
This means that “mm-hmm” is ok, while “ok, almost” is not.
- In the case where the actor doesn’t understand or isn’t sure of the answer
(e.g. a “humdinger” where they do not know the song), they can ask everyone on
the other teams if they know it. If anyone does, they go into a different room
and explain the answer/sing the song. If no one knows it, then it's treated
like a card foul. The actor can’t feign ignorance just because it’s a hard
one.