Rules of the Game

Object of the Game

The object of the game is to fill in the blanks on the board with concepts (as represented by single words) according to the rules. Some of the blanks are more difficult than others and more difficult blanks are worth more points. The player with the most points at the end of the game could be declared "the winner," but really, this game is meant to be collaborative, so it's OK if you don't keep track.

Playing the Game

This goal of the game is to have fun and be as creative as possible. Use the rules to keep chaos from setting in, but remember that creativity counts for as much as following the rules exactly.

1. Start by choosing an initial concept (a seed) for the center of the crystal. If you want to roll a die to see who takes the first turn, feel free.

2. A turn looks like this: the player chooses a word on the board and asks themselves "what comes up for me in connection to this word?" That connection can simple or profound; it doesn't matter which it is. For example, let's say the word on the board is "tea". One player might choose the word "comfort" explaining that my Grandmother always drank tea before bed to help her sleep. Another player might have chosen the word "taxes" explaining that to citizens of the American colonies, the high price of tea represented the unfair taxation being imposed by Britain. Other player might have thought of "herbal" or "ritual". In a very real sense there are no wrong answers. Discussion among the players is encouraged.

3. The player then adds their word to the board. Each new word added to the crystal is placed in an adjacent oval, triangular or circular space, and only one space can be filled in per turn.

4. The structure of the board make it possible to make more than one connection at a time. If you want to keep "score" during the game, points are based on how many interconnections one makes in one move, according to these rules.

• Connections are not directional like they are in Crystal Word Chain. If you are using the CWC board, you can ignore the arrows on the board.

• A concept cannot be used twice if it is connected to the same word at a circle.

• Purple spaces can only be filled in when the two white spaces on either end are filled in. The word entered into the purple space must work with both words in the adjacent white spaces. For example:

  

• Pink spaces can only be filled in when either all three of its corner circle links or all three of its side oval links are filled in. The word entered into the pink space must work with either all three corners or all three sides. For example:

  

Using Prompts

If you would like a suggestion of how you might make a connection to a word on the board, you can choose to select a prompt. These prompts help you make connections of the following types:

• Sensory Experience: Ground the concept in how you sense the world.
• Emotional Resonance: Connect the concept to feelings, the body, or values.
• Field of Knowledge (What You Think You Know): Connect the concept to a specific domain (science, linguistics, etc.)
• Cultural Mirror: How is this reflected in art, media, and society?
• Human Constructs: Consider how the idea is reflected in the human-designed world we live in.
• Evolutionary Potential: Imagine how the concept might contribute to the evolution of the human-designed world.
• Perspective Shift: Look at an idea metaphorically, symbolically, or from a new angle.

Scoring

If you choose to keep score:

• White Space = 1 point
• Purple Space = 3 points
• Pink Space = 5 points

Ending the Game

The game ends when the crystal is filled, there is no more time to play, or when the group decides it’s over.