WAVELENGTH

OBJECTIVE OF WAVELENGTH: Guess a specific point on a spectrum based on the clue given by the “psychic” player on your team.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 20 players

MATERIALS OF WAVELENGTH: 1 Wavelength dial device, 84 Wavelength cards, 2 head scoring tokens, 1 guess token, plastic tray

TYPE OF GAME: Board game

AUDIENCE: 14+

OVERVIEW OF WAVELENGTH

If you’re tired of the same old dinner party games, we’ve got a game you’re going to absolutely LOVE: Wavelength. This game is a cross between a social deduction game and a word association game, and if you like word games like Codenames, this is a fun one to bring to any party, including a birthday party for adults or a party for teens. In this game, you’re going to be divided into teams, trying to use a single-word clue to get your teammates to guess where that word belongs on a spectrum. This is a fun but frustrating game that you can easily play for hours on end! So, without further ado, here are the Wavelength game rules.

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SETUP FOR WAVELENGTH

Place the Wavelength dial device into the tray. Then, place the two heads and the guess token into their spots on the tray.

Divide everybody into two teams. The team names are Left Brain and Right Brain. It doesn’t matter which team starts first, but the first team starts at 0 points, and the second team starts at 1 point, as the first team has an advantage. Decide which player from each team will be the Psychic for the first round.

HOW TO PLAY WAVELENGTH

Now, it’s time to see if you and your teammates are all on the same wavelength! There are four phases to the game: the Psychic Phase, the Team Phase, the Left/Right Phase, and the Scoring Phase. Let’s go over the rules for each of these Wavelength phases below.

THE PSYCHIC PHASE

The Psychic should close the screen on the wheel so no one can see the target. Then, pick a random Wavelength card from the deck and choose a side, as each card is double-sided. Place the chosen side in front of the device. Then, read the card out loud so everyone knows what the card says.

Now, the Psychic should spin the wheel to randomize the target location on the device. Make sure the wheel is closed when you do this so that no one knows where the target is. Now, the Psychic completely opens the screen to look at the target. But make sure no one else can see!

Based on where the target is on the spectrum, give a clue. Then, close the screen and turn the device back to face your teammates so they can try to guess the target based on the given clue.

CLUE-GIVING RULES

Now, in order to get your teammates to guess the right target location on the spectrum wheel, you have to give the right clue. But here are the clue rules to know for Wavelength:

The clue should convey a single thought and shouldn’t combine multiple ideas.
The clue must exist in this universe and cannot be imaginary.
The clue has to be on topic. Don’t try to use double-meanings.
Do not use any word on the card or any synonyms or rhymes.
No numbers allowed.

For example, if the card is HOT – COLD, and the target is all the way to the right on the COLD side of the spectrum, some clues you might give include:

Ice
Arctic
Fridge

THE TEAM PHASE

Now, it’s time for the Psychic’s team to start discussing and figuring out where the dial on the wheel should go. Move the dial and debate where exactly the dial should be pointing on the spectrum. The smallest movements on the dial can make a huge difference in how many points you can get, so be meticulous with your guesses!

Finalize your dial position, and let the Psychic know that you are done.

THE LEFT/RIGHT PHASE

Now, it’s time for the opposing team to guess whether the center of the target (as in, the 4 point wedge) is located on the LEFT or RIGHT side of the dial. The opposing team places the guess marker in the correct slot next to the Wavelength card. For example, in the example of HOT – COLD, if the opposing team thinks the Psychic meant to say something is COLDER than what the other team guessed, they’ll place the market on the right.

THE SCORING PHASE

Finally, it’s time for the reveal! The Psychic opens the screen to show where the target is. The Psychic’s team scores points if they manage to get the dial within the target area, which will range from 2–4 points.

The opposing team scorews 1 point if they were correct in their guess being more LEFT or more RIGHT than the Psychic’s team guessed. However, if the Psychic’s team got the highest number of points (4 points), the opposing team does not win any points for this round.

Move the scoring markers accordingly.

THE CATCH-UP RULE

If the Psychic’s team manages to score 4 points but is still behind the other team, they get to take another turn! This gives them a chance to catch up and win despite being behind!

ALTERNATE TURNS

The two teams take turns, repeating the four rounds above. Choose a new Psychic for each round to vary the game a bit!

COOPERATIVE MODE: WAVELENGTH RULES FOR TWO PLAYERS

Did you know you can play Wavelength with just two players? As a 2-player game, however, this game turns into a cooperative game, in which the two players are on the same team.

This means, when playing Wavelength, you’ll be skipping the Left/Right Phase of the game.

To play with two players, pick 7 Wavelength cards in the card slot and play them one by one, taking turns being the Psychic. Then, tally up your scores accordingly:

0–3: Are you sure it’s plugged in?
4–6: Try turning it off and back on again
7–9: Blow into the bottom of the device
10–12: Not bad! Not great, but not bad
13–15: SO CLOSE
16–18: You won!
19–21: You’re on the same…wavelength
22–24: Galaxy brain
25+: 🤯🤯🤯

END OF GAME

When playing standard Wavelength with teams, the game ends when a team reaches 10 points. This team is the winner! However, if the game ends in a tie with both teams reaching 10 points at the same time, the game goes to a sudden death round. Whoever scores the most points in this round wins.

When playing the cooperative Wavelength game rules for 2 players, you end the game after playing 7 Wavelength cards. You win or lose depending on how many points you gain during those 7 rounds.

FAQ

How Many Points to Win Wavelength?

The game ends once a team reaches 10 points, and the team with the highest score wins. If the scores are tied, then there’s a sudden death round, with the team scoring the most points in that round winning the game.

How Many Clues Can You Give in Wavelength?

According to the official Wavelength rules, you should give just one well-formulated clue for your teammates. Then, use your psychic powers to get them to guess correctly!

Author
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Mia Kim

I am a digital nomad and traveler with a passion for board games. I've been a big board game nerd all my life, and I'm a particular fan of word games like Scrabble, Boggle, and, yes, Wordle, too!