Moniker game is a fun party game that is simple to play but will probably be more fun when things go wrong! All players need to do is guess who a card refers to, but players have to follow strict rules when giving clues.
While it’s easy to play, winning the game is an entirely different matter! But this is all part of the fun and challenge. If you’re looking for a new party game, it’s easy to recommend Moniker. Let’s take a look at what the game is all about.
What is The Moniker Game?
Monikers is a great alternative to other popular games like Cards Against Humanity and work similarly to Codenames. The game works best with a lot of people, but smaller teams can play as well just as easily.
To play, you first need to split into two teams. Ideally, these should be equally numbered teams to ensure things are fair but can be played with uneven teams. However, we recommend trying to keep things as even as you can.
Once teams have been decided, one player should shuffle the deck of cards and deal out ten cards to each player. Make sure the deck is wheel shuffled before dealing the cards. Each player should have a couple of minutes to review their cards before choosing five to keep.
Players (even those on the same team) can’t show their cards to each other. Instead, all the cards people choose should be returned to the dealer, who will reshuffle them. This deck will then be used for the rest of the game.
The cards that weren’t chosen should be returned to the box. Ideally, it’s best to have between 40 – 50 cards in your deck, so if you don’t have enough players to reach this number, you can increase the number of cards people can keep.
Once all this is done, place your deck so it’s in easy reach and decide which team will go first. Under the official rules, this is determined by which person has the best story about meeting someone famous, but you can choose/ decide however you like.
Then each person in your team will take a turn trying to get their teammates to guess a card. Each player only gets 60 seconds for their turn, and the game is played over three rounds. Each round has specific rules that must be followed when giving clues.
We’ll talk more about how this works in the game guide below. If someone guesses correctly, your team gets to keep the card. At the game’s end, the team with the most cards will win! So, that’s the introduction to the Moniker game; let’s look at what’s included and where you can find it.
What You’ll Need To Play?
The Moniker is easily one of our favorite party games, but finding it in regular brick-and-mortar shops might be difficult. Thankfully it is easy to find the official Monikers game online. You can even add to the fun with numerous expansion sets.
These expansion sets add more cards to the game, with many being themed characters/ celebrities. While adding plenty of cards might be tempting, you get 440 cards included with just the base set!
The Cards
You’ll become very familiar with the Moniker cards throughout the game. These cards will include a moniker (it’s in the title, after all); they could be a specific person’s name or something more general.
For example, you might have a card that says William Shakespeare or a fictional character like Harry Potter. But it could also be something more general, like a Ginger or Blond person. Some cards are easier than others.
Rules and Gameplay
Here are the rules and gameplay for the moniker.
The Aim of The Game
Monikers is a fun party game, and to win, your team needs to get the most cards over the three rounds. You win cards by guessing what’s on them, and every player will get a turn to give clues. But how you give these clues will change each round; each player only gets 60 seconds!
Like most party games winning or losing doesn’t matter unless you’re overly competitive, that is. You don’t even need to use points; if you don’t want to, you can simply play for fun. But however you play, you’ll need to know the rules.
The Set-Up
The first thing to do is get your two teams set up. Ideally, teams should have an equal number of people, and the more, the merrier is certainly true with this party game. Once your teams are sorted, one player should be chosen as the dealer.
The dealer should shuffle the deck and give each player (across both teams) ten cards. Cards need to be given face-down, and once all the cards are dealt, players should have a couple of minutes to look through what they got.
Each player should only look at their own cards and choose five to keep. The chosen cards should be returned to the dealer, who will then shuffle them all one final time. These cards will be the deck for the rest of the game.
The cards players have left should be returned to the box. Once this is done, simply choose which team will go first. Then you’re ready to begin playing, so let’s look at the rules for each round.
The Basic Gameplay
Each player on the team will get only 60 seconds per round; use a smartphone or stopwatch to keep count. On your turn, you will take a card from the deck and then try to give clues so your teammates can guess what the moniker on the card is.
The rules for how you can give clues will vary each round, but no matter which round it is, players can always skip the card and choose another. With only 60 seconds, we recommend doing this if you’re not confident with your first card.
If your teammates guess in time, you can keep the card till the end of the game. Each card you win is worth a point. Now let’s take a look at the rules for each round.
Round 1
You can use words, sounds, and gestures in the first round. Each card will also have a clue written on it that you can also say during this round. However, you must not say the moniker/the name of the game even partially.
Round 2
You can only say one word has a clue. This means no sounds or gestures, simply one word. You can repeat the word as much as you want but can’t change it once it’s been said, so choose carefully.
Round 3
This is the “Charades” round, so you can only use gestures. Although if both teams agree, you can also use sound effects to make this round a bit easier. Once this round is over, both teams should count up their cards to see who has won!
Monikers – A Magnificent Party Game!
The Moniker is great fun and sure to go down a treat! We think it makes a great bachelor or bachelorette party game; if you’re a fan of guessing games and looking for something a little different, give Monikers a try.
