Monikers

Teams and card selection: The classic sheet recommends two teams. Deal ten cards to each player; each person secretly chooses five cards for the game and returns the rest to the box. Shuffle all selected cards into one shared deck of roughly 40–50 cards, adjusting the deal and selection for group size. The team with the best story about meeting someone famous may start, or the group may choose randomly.

Rounds and clue givers: The standard game has three rounds. Teams alternate turns, choosing one clue giver who has about 60 seconds to help teammates guess names from the shared deck. The other team then takes a turn. Players should rotate clue givers so everyone has a chance. For groups of ten or more, the sheet allows an optional adjustment to roughly 30–45 seconds; that is a house adjustment, not the standard timer.

Round one clues: In the first round, a clue giver may use words, sounds, or gestures, but may not say the name on the card. Saying any part of the answer means the card must be skipped. Reading the extra clue text printed on the card is allowed. The team may guess several names during a turn; guessed cards are kept for the team’s score, and a difficult card can be skipped so the clue giver can try another one before time runs out.

Round two clues: Shuffle the cards used in the previous round and play the same names again. In round two, a clue giver may use one word only; the word may be repeated, but sounds and gestures are not allowed. Since the same names appeared in round one, teammates use their memory and the associations made earlier. The clue giver must keep the hint to one word while guessers connect it to a familiar answer.

Round three clues: The classic edition’s third round is acted charades: the clue giver may not speak words, but the printed rules allow sound effects “within reason.” This differs from current MON00REV, whose public product summary specifies silent charades. The classic round continues to use the same shared names, so teammates recall people and associations from earlier turns.

Skipping, timing, and the deck: Skipping is encouraged when a name is difficult; a clue giver may move past it and return if time allows. Stop the turn when the timer ends. A team keeps cards it guessed, while unguessed and skipped cards remain available. After each turn, shuffle skipped cards back into the remaining unguessed deck for the next team. A round ends after every card in that round’s deck has been guessed.

Round scoring and next-round start: At the end of each round, add the printed point values of cards each team guessed and record the totals. Shuffle the entire selected deck for the next round. The team with the lower cumulative score starts next, giving the trailing team first opportunity to clue. Printed card values are part of the 2015 classic rules; CMYK’s revised product has officially removed points.

Ending and winner: After all three rounds, compare the teams’ cumulative printed-card scores. The team with the higher total wins. The 2016 classic instruction sheet does not state a tie-breaker. If totals are tied, the rules do not name a winner; the table may agree beforehand to call it a draw or settle it informally, but that would be a house agreement rather than an official publisher rule.

Answer judgment and casual play: The clue giver decides during their timed turn whether a guess is close enough; the team may discuss borderline answers after time stops. The sheet recommends not accepting abbreviations, spelling, or initials, while leaving the strictness of near answers to the group’s agreed standard. It also permits relaxed play without scorekeeping. More than two teams, cooperative play, and extra clue restrictions are variants, not the standard two-team scoring sequence.

Edition choice: BGG 156546 is the 2015 classic game. This entry’s card selection, printed points, lower-score team starting first, and three-round winner follow its classic rules. CMYK’s current MON00REV is a standalone 440-card refresh with new art and content; its official product synopsis says points have been removed and round three uses silent charades. Public official material reviewed here does not verify the new edition’s full ending or winner calculation, so do not infer that the team guessing the most cards wins.