Overview

Electronic Dream Phone is a deduction party game where players use a battery-powered electronic phone to call boys and gather clues to figure out who the Secret Admirer is. There are 24 boys on the gameboard, each with a phone number. By calling them and listening to their clues about the Secret Admirer’s hangout, clothes, and food preferences, players eliminate suspects on their cluesheet. The first player to correctly guess the Secret Admirer wins.

Components

• 1 Electronic phone (battery-operated, requires 2 AA batteries)
• 56 cards total: 24 Photo cards (one for each boy) and 12 Special cards (4 Speakerphone, 4 Share A Secret, 4 Mom Says Hang Up!)
• 1 Gameboard (showing boys at 6 locations)
• 4 Cluesheet holders
• Cluesheets (pad of paper)
• Tray (game organizer)

Setup

1. Place the gameboard over the tray as shown on the back of the package box. You may stand the phone up in the tray or just keep it within easy reach of all players.
2. Carefully punch out all cluesheet holders from the cardboard sheet. Discard waste. Give each player one cluesheet and one cluesheet holder. NOTE: Each player will need a pen or pencil to write notes on their cluesheet.
3. Separate the 12 Special cards (Speakerphone, Share A Secret, Mom Says Hang Up!) from the 24 Photo cards. Give every player one of each type of Special card. Place these 3 cards face-up in front of each player. Place any extra Special cards out of play.
4. Shuffle the 24 Photo cards and deal 3 cards face-up to each player (other players CAN see your Photo cards). Place the remaining Photo cards facedown in the Draw section of the tray.

NOTE: All boys’ names, phone numbers, and gameboard locations are entirely fictional.

Turn Structure

Starting a New Game

Press the NEW GAME button on the phone. When you hear a loud dial tone, you’re ready to call a boy.

On Your Turn

1. Press NEW on the phone for the dial tone, then press each number of a boy’s phone number (e.g., 555-7777 for Dan).
2. Listen to the boy’s clue about the Secret Admirer. Everyone will hear the first part of his message, but only you will hear the clue at the end.
3. Mark the clue on your cluesheet by crossing off suspects.
4. Pass the phone to the next player.

Calling a Boy

Press the phone buttons to dial. You hear each number’s tone as you press it, then the boy speaks. Listen carefully – the boy will give you a clue about the Secret Admirer. His clue will be about one of six things: hangout, food, sports, or clothing.

Phone Buttons

• NEW GAME: Starts a new game with a new Secret Admirer.
• REDIAL: Replays the last boy’s clue. If you miss a clue or accidentally press SPEAKER or GUESS instead of REDIAL, you can still hit REDIAL to hear the clue again.
• SPEAKER: Stands the phone upright on the table and lets everyone hear the clue on the loudspeaker. Be careful not to cover the phone’s loudspeaker.
• GUESS: Used when you’re ready to guess who the Secret Admirer is.

Actions

Gathering Clues

The gameboard is divided into three columns on the cluesheet. The first column lists the boys you’re calling. The second column shows the clues which will be given. The third column is the Secret Admirer cross-off list.

There are four clue sections with six boys in each section. Each boy will give you any one of the six clues for his section – either a hangout clue, food clue, sports clue, or clothing clue, depending upon the section.

Gameboard Clues

• ALL clues are shown in full color in the gameboard pictures. Anything which is shown in silhouette (in black or mostly in black) is NOT a clue.
• Clothing clues: jeans, jacket, food items (cookies and ice cream), and caps are considered. Everything else is shown in silhouette.
• Each figure on the gameboard is identified by a photo below it. NO clues are found in the boys’ photos.
• Six different locations: Reel Movies, Woodland Park, High Tide Beach, Jim’s Gym, Crosstown Mall, and E.A.T.S.
• Jackets are shown in different styles and colors. The ONLY boys who ARE wearing jackets on the gameboard are: James, Spencer, and Steve.
• Visors and caps: if the clue says the Secret Admirer is NOT wearing a hat, check the gameboard for boys wearing visors or caps. Then cross those boys off your cluesheet.
• “Blue jeans”: remember that blue jeans come in different shades of blue.
• If the clothing clue is NOT wearing anything yellow, check the gameboard pictures for those boys who ARE wearing clothes that have yellow somewhere on them (John, Paul, Wayne, and Scott are the only boys who ARE wearing something yellow).

Special Cards

Speakerphone Card: When played, the player with the Dream Phone presses the SPEAKER button on the phone before dialing her chosen boy’s phone number. The boy called will then announce his clue so everyone can hear it. (If someone misses hearing the clue, press the REDIAL button to hear it again.) Once a Speakerphone card is played, it is out of play for the rest of the game – even if the boy called doesn’t give a clue.

Share A Secret Card: When played, the player with the Dream Phone must let the player who played the card listen in on her phone call. The player with the Dream Phone calls her chosen boy.

Mom Says Hang Up! Card: When played, the player must immediately hang up the Dream Phone by placing it face down. No phone call is made. The player places their Mom card on the table in front of another player – it’s usually paired in the middle of a game when other players want to prevent someone from calling.

Making a Guess

1. Tell everyone that you want to make a guess. Do NOT say WHO you think it is. If a Mom Says Hang Up! card is played on you, you cannot make a guess (if a Mom Says Hang Up! card is played at this time, your turn is over – it goes to the next player).
2. Everyone searches for the boy’s Photo card. You may already have it in front of you, or it might be found in the Draw pile, or from another player.
3. When you find the boy’s Photo card, place it facing in front of you. Then make your guess by pressing the GUESS button and dialing the boy’s number.
4. The phone answers. If correct, the message will announce that you are right.

Scoring / Victory Conditions

Winning

The first player to correctly guess who the Secret Admirer is wins the game.

Incorrect Guess

If the phone says “No, I’m sure right. I just heard… it’s NOT George!” – you are eliminated from guessing. You continue to help for the rest of the game but cannot make another guess.

Special Rules & Edge Cases

• Automatic Shut-off: During gameplay, if no buttons are pressed for 5 minutes, the phone automatically shuts off and the game is over. To continue play, you’ll have to start a whole NEW GAME. (So if someone has to leave the game for a few minutes, continue to play and let that player catch up later.)
• Surprise Caller: During the game, the phone will ring without anyone having made a call. The girl on the line will then tell everyone a special clue. She might say “Hi! I just heard…it’s NOT George!” It’s a free clue – make sure you mark it on your cluesheet. You cannot redial the Surprise Caller.
• Wrong Number: If you dial the wrong number, the operator will cut in and tell you to dial again. Try dialing the correct number again.
• If you accidentally press SPEAKER or GUESS instead of REDIAL, hit any number button, continue to hit wrong numbers until the operator speaks. Then dial the entire phone number again.
• Phone requires 2 AA alkaline batteries. Remove batteries when not in use for extended periods.
• The Secret Admirer changes for each NEW GAME.

Player Reference

Turn: Dial a boy’s number > Listen to clue > Mark cluesheet > Pass phone

Special cards: Speakerphone (everyone hears), Share A Secret (one player listens in), Mom Says Hang Up! (cancel a player’s call)

Clue types: Hangout, food, sports, clothing

Locations: Reel Movies, Woodland Park, High Tide Beach, Jim’s Gym, Crosstown Mall, E.A.T.S.

Guess: Press GUESS button + dial boy’s number; wrong guess = eliminated from guessing

Win condition: First to correctly guess the Secret Admirer