The Dictionary Game

The Dictionary GameThe Dictionary Game

The Dictionary Game, also known as Fictionary, is a classic parlor game. One player searches through a large dictionary to find a word she expects no one in the group knows. She announces the word to the group, and each of the other players writes down a made-up definition, trying to make it as plausible as possible. Meanwhile the person with the dictionary writes down a paraphrase of the real definition. She then collects all the definitions and reads them aloud. Each player votes on what she thinks is the real definition. The person with the dictionary scores two points if no one guesses the correct definition, or zero points if anyone does guess correctly. The other players score one point if they guessed correctly, and one point for each other player that voted for their definition. The dictionary then passes to the next person.

The Literature Game

Instead of a dictionary, players may use an anthology of literature, or any thick work of fiction. The person with the book chooses a suitable paragraph from the work, and announces to the group the first sentence and the last sentence of that paragraph, with the understanding that between one and three sentences come between. The person with the book writes what actually fills that space in the work, and the other players attempt to write what plausibly (or humorously) could go there.

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