OBJECTIVE OF RANSOM NOTES: Use word magnets to respond to crazy prompts!
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 to 6+ players
MATERIALS OF RANSOM NOTES: 840 word magnets, 6 submission cards, 250 prompt cards
TYPE OF GAME: Board game
AUDIENCE: 15+
OVERVIEW OF RANSOM NOTES
If you’re on the lookout for a new party game that will have you laughing out loud in no time, you should check out Ransom Notes. Ransom Notes is a board game that uses hundreds of different and unique word magnets that you can use to craft notes that fit the prompts.
This game will definitely test your creativity, and you’ll be playing this game at sleepovers, Christmas parties, and birthday parties for years to come. There’s an infinite amount of replayability with this game, which makes it even more exciting! Ready to craft some ransom notes?
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- RANSOM NOTES: The game of hilariously terrible sentences! Players use word...
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: 840 high quality word magnets, 6 metal submission cards, 250...
- EASY TO PLAY: Learn to play in under one minute, and even the shyest players...
SETUP FOR RANSOM NOTES
The Ransom Notes game is incredibly easy to set up.
Give each player a metal submission card. Players must take a few pinches of magnet tiles. It is recommended to have around 75 per player, but you can simply take 3 pinches.
All players should place these magnets in front of them, ready to play and use.
HOW TO PLAY RANSOM NOTES
Ransom Notes gameplay consists of a series of rounds.
PICK A JUDGE
Each round has a Judge. You can pick a Judge randomly and then take turns. Alternatively, you can use the bottom of the game box to spin, and whoever “You’re the Judge” lands on is the Judge for that round.
DRAW A PROMPT CARD
The Judge picks a random prompt card and places it face up on the table so that everyone can see and read it.
CREATE RESPONSES
Every player, including the Judge, has 60-90 seconds to craft a creative response to the given prompt. Players must use the roughly 75 magnets in front of them to create their responses and place the words on their metal submission cards.
PRESENT RESPONSES
All players read their responses out loud or present them to the round’s Judge.
JUDGE THE RESPONSES
The Judge must now choose the best response as impartially as they can. And yes, the Judge may choose themself! They may choose any card, whether it be the funniest, most creative, or most fitting to the prompt.
WIN A PROMPT CARD
The player who created the winning response wins the round’s prompt card and a point.
REPLACE WORD MAGNETS
Discard all the used magnets and pick new word magnets to replace the old ones.
NEXT ROUND BEGINS
It’s time to pick a new Judge and begin a new round!
ALTERNATIVE RULES
As the gameplay for Ransom Notes is relatively simple, there are a few different ways to spice up this game.
TEAM PLAY
Do you have more than 6 people playing? You can either have them submit their responses on another surface instead of a submission card or play in teams. The teams work together to form a creative response to the prompts.
PARTY GAMER
You might already be familiar with these alternative rules. In the party gamer mode, the Judge of the round does not submit a response to the prompt. All submissions are also passed onto them anonymously by “shuffling” the submission cards. This allows for more fair and unbiased gameplay.
SHRINK CITY
Play Ransom Notes as normal, but with one big change to the game rules: No replenishing your word magnets. So, after each round, you’ll have fewer and fewer words to work with. Keep playing until someone can no longer make a sentence. Whoever has the most points at this point wins.
NSFW RANSOM NOTES EXPANSION PACK
- EXPANSION PACK REQUIRES BASE GAME: Not a standalone game; must have original...
- RANSOM NOTES NOT SAFE FOR WORK (NSFW) EXPANSION PACK: Adds a little nasty twist...
- WHAT’S INCLUDED: 180 new word tiles guaranteed to make you blush. Packed with...
Looking for more fun prompts and magnets? Then, you’ve got to get this NSFW Ransom Notes expansion pack! This pack includes 180 new word tiles and 100 new prompt cards. But, as you might be able to guess from the name on the package, these words and prompts are Not Safe for Work, so keep these away from children!
END OF GAME
The game ends when a player wins 5 points, or prompt cards. This player is the winner!
You can easily alter the game rules to have a player win after winning a predetermined number of points, whether that be fewer or more than 5 points, depending on whether you want a shorter or longer game—up to you!
SIMILAR PARTY GAMES
Ransom Notes is a fun and hilarious party game, but it is not the only party game out there. There are other games that are just as fun and have a similar concept, including:
- Apples to Apples (a family-friendly game)
- Cards Against Humanity
- Bad People
- Joking Hazard
- Red Flags
For more games like these, check out our posts on funny card games and games like Cards Against Humanity.
FAQ
Can You Play Ransom Notes with Two People?
Technically, the Ransom Notes game is for at least 3 people. But it is possible to play with just two people if you can both agree on being as impartial as possible when choosing the best note.
Is There a Family Version of Ransom Notes?
While Ransom Notes is rated for players aged 15 and up, you can play it with younger children by taking out the more adult-themed cards. This means you’ll get rid of around 15-30% of the prompt cards, but this won’t make the game any less playable!
How Many Magnets Does Each Player Get in Ransom Notes?
Each player gets 3 pinches of magnet tiles, which roughly equates to 75. It’s not too important to have an equal number of magnets. As long as all players have roughly the same number, it should be fine. However, if having the same number of tiles is important to you, play that as a house rule!
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