Medium: A Party Card Game for Mind Readers

Welcome to Medium, the exciting party card game that delves into the depths of our psychic abilities. In this game, we challenge our minds by attempting to peek into the thoughts of our fellow players. The journey towards victory begins now!

Getting Started: Setup Matters!

First things first, let’s set the stage for an amazing gameplay experience. Depending on the number of players, we need to determine how the game will unfold. Pay close attention as I guide you through this part.

Once I’ve figured out who will be playing, it’s time to put together the deck. There are 270 medium cards in total, and they’re divided into groups of 13, each one labeled for easy identification. You’ll need as many decks as there are players, minus one. So, for a game with 5 players, you’ll use 4 of the 18 card groups to make the deck.

After you’ve selected the sets of cards, it’s time to add the crystal balls. Shuffle the deck and divide it into three stacks as evenly as possible, without counting the cards. Place the 3 crystal ball cards on the last stack and give it a shuffle. Then stack the other two stacks on top of the one with the crystal balls.

Now it’s time to deal out the cards. Each player should receive 6 cards. In the center of the play area, place all the mind-melding tokens face down and separate them into three piles. And finally, determine the first player randomly.

GAMEPLAY

When it’s your turn to play, you’ll be facing your partner. If you have partners on both sides, always face the one on your left. Take a look at your hand and pick one card. Then, together with your partner, reveal your chosen cards out loud. Next, take a moment to silently think about how these two cards could be connected. Trust your instincts, there’s no need to say anything just yet. What do you see? Is there a hidden link?

Imagine a game where you and your partner try to sync your thoughts. It’s like a mental connection, a mind-meld. Here’s how it works:

1. First, take a moment to think of a word that both of you will say at the same time. This word will be your “medium word.”
2. Now, get ready to count down. When you reach zero, say the word at the same time.
3. If you both match, you get a mind-meld token from the first pile.
4. If you don’t match, don’t worry! You have two more chances to get it right.
5. On the second and third attempts, instead of using the words on the cards, you and your partner will use the words you said.
6. But here’s the catch: you can’t use any words that have already been used in this round, and you can’t use the words on the cards.
7. Oh, and one important rule: you can’t stay silent. If you do, your turn is automatically over.
8. If you still can’t mind-meld by the third attempt, your turn is over.

After each turn, you and your partner refill your hand to six cards and discard the ones you used. Then it’s your partner’s turn to try.

END OF GAME

When you draw the third crystal call card, the game comes to an end. Don’t worry, though—you still finish the round so that everyone has the same number of turns. After that, it’s time to tally up the scores and see who comes out on top.

SCOREKEEPING

To determine the winners, you and your partner(s) will count up your points. If you’re playing with two partners, each team will have its own score. The team with the highest score takes home the victory.

ESP CARDS AND TWO-PLAYER GAMES

When playing with more than two players, you have the option to use ESP cards, or Extra Special Power cards. Each player will receive one of each card at the start. If a player doesn’t use their cards during the game, each card will be worth two points when it comes time to score. However, beware—only one of these cards can be used by all players in a single turn. The player who flips their card first gets to use it. There are two types of cards: the physic link card and the clear mind card.

The physic link card is pretty neat because it lets me join in on the other team’s turn. I can totally try to guess what word they’re thinking of! Here’s how it works: there are four different outcomes. First, if we all say the same word, we each get a 1st attempt card. Second, if I match with just one player from the other team, I get a 1st attempt token and they keep trying without me for a second attempt. Third, if none of us match, nobody gets a 1st attempt token and the other team gets a second try without me. And finally, if my teammates match but I don’t, they get a 1st attempt token and I don’t get anything.

The clear mind card is pretty handy too! It lets me throw away some cards from my hand and then draw back up to 6 cards. But wait, here’s the cool part: any crystal call cards that I throw away still count towards the end of the game. So it’s a win-win!

When I’m playing with just one other person, we don’t have a winner. Instead, we both work together to score as many points as we can. We don’t use ESP cards, but everything else stays the same. It’s a bit different, but still loads of fun!