The Chameleon

Big Potato Games • 2017

Everyone at the table gets a card showing the same secret word from a category grid. Everyone except the chameleon, who gets a blank card and has no idea what the word is. Going around the table, each player says a single word that relates to the secret word. The trick: your clue needs to prove you know the word (so the others don't think you're the chameleon) without being so obvious that the chameleon can figure it out. After one round of clues, everyone votes on who they think the chameleon is. If caught, the chameleon gets one last chance — guess the actual secret word and they escape. A round takes maybe 3 minutes. The whole game is over in 15-20 minutes and you'll probably play 5-6 rounds in that time. It's the kind of game you pull out for 10 minutes before dinner or while someone's setting up a bigger game. Best at 5-8 players. With fewer, the chameleon has almost no cover — there aren't enough clues to hide behind. The category cards are the main replay concern — you'll start seeing the same grids after a few evenings. Some groups make their own categories, which fixes that.