Cranium
Cranium is a party board game based on
Ludo. Whit Alexander and Richard Tait created Cranium in 1992 after
Richard spent a weekend playing games with another family and
recognized the need for a game involving a variety of skills. He
left his job at Microsoft, convincing friend and co-worker Whit
Alexander to join him in the creation of Cranium. Cranium is
manufactured by Hasbro subsidiary Cranium, Inc. Cranium is billed
as "The Game for Your Whole Brain." Unlike many other party games,
Cranium includes a wide variety of activities.
Dave Edelstein of Foundation Design
created the packaging and brand identity for the game, and Gary
Baseman, creator of the animated series Teacher's Pet, did the
art.
Overview
Cranium involves teams advancing around
the board toward "Cranium Central" in the center, by doing
activities on the Cranium cards. The cards are divided into four
decks, and each deck involves a skill that players will need to use
to complete the activity. Each deck is divided into several
specific activities.
Creative Cat - involves artistic
skill
Cloodle - A player must sketch a clue
for their teammates to guess, just like Pictionary. (No
gestures)
Sensosketch - Just like Cloodle, but the
artist's eyes must be closed while
sketching.
Sculptorades - A player must sculpt a clue
with clay for their teammates to guess. (The game includes "Cranium
Clay" for this activity; no gestures or acting of any kind is
permitted)
Data Head - involves knowledge of
trivia
Factoid - The team must confer to
answer a trivia question, just like in Trivial
Pursuit.
Selectaquest - Just like Factoid, except
the team will choose their answer from four different
choices.
Polygraph - The team must decide whether
the statement given on the card is true or
false.
Word Worm - involves language
skills
Spellbound - The team must choose one
person to spell the word given on the card (on the first try, the
team is not allowed to confer the word).
Gnilleps - Gnilleps, which is "spelling"
backwards, is just like Spellbound, except the word must be spelled
backwards (without writing it down).
Lexicon - The team must choose, from four
different choices, the definition to an obscure
word.
Zelpuz - In Zelpuz, which is an anagram
for "Puzzle," the team is given an anagram puzzle and must
unscramble the letters to find the answer. A clue is given with the
puzzle to make it easier.
Blankout - Written on the card is a word,
phrase, or title with some letters left out. The team must fill in
the blanks to find the answer. A clue is given with the puzzle to
make it easier.
Star Performer - involves performance
skills
Cameo - A player must act out silent
clues to get his teammates to guess the word, just like in
Charades. (No gestures are allowed as in how many words there are,
nor giving signs that your team is on the right
track.)
Copycat - The clue on the card is a famous
person or character, which the performer must get their teammates
to guess by imitating the person's actions and speech. (teammates
may not ask questions, nor is the performer allowed to answer them.
The performer is not allowed to say proper names.) Teammates can
say anything but not use proper names or
places.
Humdinger - The clue on the card is a
famous tune, which the performer must get their teammates to guess
by humming or whistling it. (The performer must know the tune, s/he
is not permitted to pronounce each word for his/her teammates to
guess.)
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