Overview

Articulate! is a team-based party game where players describe words to their teammates without saying the word itself or using forbidden clues. Teams race around the board, advancing one segment for each correct guess. The first team to reach the FINISH segment and win a final CONTROL round is the winner.

Components

• 500 cards (6 categories per card plus a CONTROL entry)
• Game board
• 4 playing pieces
• Spinner
• Sand timer
• Rules

Setup

1. Unfold the board and place the arrow spinner in the centre hole.
2. Divide players into teams of 2 or more. Larger teams are preferred (e.g., 8 players should form 2 teams of 4, not 4 teams of 2).
3. Each team selects a playing piece and places it on the START segment.
4. Decide by common consent which team goes first.

Turn Structure

1. The team nominates DESCRIBERS and GUESSERS for the turn.
2. Flip the sand timer to start the turn.
3. DESCRIBERS draw a card and describe the entry matching their current board segment’s category.
4. When a teammate guesses correctly, DESCRIBERS take another card and repeat using the SAME category.
5. When the timer runs out, the turn ends.
6. Count correctly guessed cards and move the playing piece forward that many segments.
7. Play passes to the next team, UNLESS the piece lands on a CONTROL or SPIN segment.

Describer Allocation:

Team Size	Describers	Guessers
2 players	1	1
3 players	2	1
4+ players	2	2+

Advanced players may choose only 1 DESCRIBER per turn regardless of team size (decided at game start).

Actions

Describing: The DESCRIBER(s) take a card and describe the word corresponding to the category of their current board segment.

Categories: Object, Nature, Random, Person, Action, World (each card has entries for all 6 categories plus a CONTROL entry).

Scoring / Victory Conditions

• Each correctly guessed word advances the team 1 segment.
• When a team reaches or passes FINISH, the DESCRIBERS must describe a CONTROL entry to ALL players. The team must be the first to guess it correctly to win.
• If they fail, they stay at FINISH and try again on their next turn. While waiting, opponents can use SPIN bonuses to push them back.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

Description Rules — You MUST NOT:

• Say what letter the word starts with or how many letters it has.
• Say the word itself or any derivative (e.g., for “post,” you cannot say “postage” or “postman”; for “swim,” you cannot say “swimmer”).
• Use “rhymes with” or “sounds like” type clues.

You MAY:

• Gesticulate, act, or mime (but NOT mouth the word).
• PASS on one card per turn (skip it and move on).

CONTROL Segments (white):

• When a team lands on CONTROL, play does NOT pass to the next team.
• DESCRIBERS take a card and describe the CONTROL entry to ALL players.
• No time limit for CONTROL rounds.
• Whichever team shouts the correct answer first wins and takes their turn next.
• If the landing team wins CONTROL, their describers must change for the bonus turn.
• If the landing team fails to guess, they remain on CONTROL and try again next turn.
• If two teams shout the answer simultaneously, draw another card.

SPIN Segments (orange/red, extending to board center):

• When a team lands on a SPIN segment, they spin the spinner:
  • Wide green segment: Move your piece forward 2 OR an opponent’s piece back 2.
  • Narrow green segment: Move your piece forward 3 OR an opponent’s piece back 3.
  • Orange/red segment: No bonus.
• If the arrow points to a line, spin again.
• Cannot move an opponent back past START.

CONTROL & SPIN Exceptions:

• CONTROL and SPIN segments only activate when landed on from correct guessing, NOT from SPIN bonuses.

Player Reference

Segment Type	Effect
Normal (colored)	Use matching category, advance per correct guess
CONTROL (white)	Describe to all players, no time limit, winner takes next turn
SPIN (orange/red)	Spin for bonus: +2/+3 forward or push opponent -2/-3
FINISH	Must win a CONTROL round to win the game

Forbidden	Allowed
The word or derivatives	Gestures, acting, miming
Starting letter / letter count	Passing once per turn
“Rhymes with” / “sounds like”	Any other verbal description