GeoChallenge:  2 To 6 Players

What You Should Know Before You Play

The object of the game is to be the first player or team to use what you know (or learn) of U.S. geography to get 50 points by guessing the states of the GeoPlunge cards your opponents have.  Don’t worry, you’ll get clues about your opponents’ cards before you have to guess. Which clues you get will depend on what GeoChallenge cards you pick.  Some GeoChallenge cards will tell you exactly what clue you’ll get, and some give either you or -- gasp -- your opponent some choice as to what the clue will be. 

Of course, you’re not the only one doing the guessing.  Your opponents are trying to guess the states of your cards too.  So to win, you’ve got to do a better job of guessing than them. Your goal is to guess the states of your opponents GeoPlunge cards before they guess your states. When they do guess one of your states, you have to discard that card. 

You can play individually or in teams. Play a round at a time until someone wins the game. Use the GeoPlunge and GeoChallenge cards (shuffle the decks after each round, and put the GeoChallenge cards at the bottom of the deck after they are used).

Getting Started

To start a round, deal each player 3 GeoPlunge cards, even if you’re playing with teams.  A round ends when only 1 player or teammates have cards left.  They are the winners of the round.

Playing the Game

What to Do When it’s Your Turn to Guess

§         Each time it’s your turn to guess, make only 1 guess.   During your turn, you guess at only one of your opponent’s cards. 

§         Before you guess, pick the top card in the GeoChallenge card deck and read it out loud.  Based on what that GeoChallenge card says, your opponent gives you a clue about one of his or her cards.  Then make your guess.

§         However, if there are 3 or more players, unless you are sitting to the left of the clue-giver, don’t pick a GeoChallenge card before guessing.  In that case, you have to make your guess based on whatever clues your opponent has already given.   

What to Do When it’s Your Turn to Give a Clue

¨      Each time it’s your turn to give a clue, give only 1 clue.  The clue you give will be for only one of your cards. 

¨      The first time during a round you give a clue, decide which of your cards to give the clue about after your opponent picks and reads out loud the top GeoChallenge card in the deck.

¨      During a round, never give a clue about another card you have until an opponent correctly guesses the state of the card you’ve already given clues about.  So if your opponents keep guessing wrong, you still keep giving clues about that same card when it’s your turn to give a clue.

¨      When the GeoChallenge card your opponent picks starts with the words, “Opponent Chooses”, you have some choice as to what clue to give.  When that happens, if you can, you must give a clue other than one you’ve already given about that card during that round.

Determining Whose Turn it is to Give Clues and Guess

o       Each round, the dealer is the first player to give a clue about a card.  Play proceeds in clockwise order around the table. So the player to the dealer’s left is the next player to give a clue about a card.

o       With 2 players, the players take turns guessing (taking one guess per turn).

o       With 3 or more players, each player, other than the clue-giver’s teammates, gets to guess (until everyone guesses once or someone guesses right).  The player to the left of the clue-giver guesses first and picks the GeoChallenge card.  No other player gets to pick a GeoChallenge card before guessing.   

Keeping Score

You get 20 points for winning the round. You get 10 bonus points if you (or a teammate) still has all three cards left at the end of the round.