How To Play: Faces

Overview

If you want to be the master of making people laugh and guess wrong, you need to check out Faces! My friends and I played this game for hours, and every round had us in stitches. In this guide, I’ll give you a quick outline of the How To Play faces rules, plus the sneakiest strategies we used to win. No poker face required, but it sure helps!

What’s in the box

• 162 Faces cards
• 54 Description cards
• 6 Face boards
• 6 Sets of voting tokens
• 1 Card stand
• 1 Score pad
• 1 Pencil
• 1 Rulebook

How To Play Faces: Rules Summary

Setup

1. First, gather 3-8 players around a table. Grab the Faces cards and scoring tokens.
2. Shuffle the deck of Faces cards well. Place the deck in the center where everyone can reach it.
3. Give each player enough scoring tokens or paper to track points.
4. Choose a starting player. (We fight over this every time. Winner gets bragging rights!)

Gameplay

1. The starting player draws a Faces card and reads the question or prompt out loud.
2. Then, that player secretly picks one face from the card as their answer.
3. All other players guess which face the chooser picked. They do this by placing their guess face-down.
4. Once everyone has guessed, reveal the choices at the same time.
5. Lastly, the starting player reveals their pick. It’s usually not who you think. My friends always surprise me!

Winning

1. If you guessed correctly, score a point! Mark it with a token or on your paper.
2. The player who read the card also gets a point for each correct guess. Encourage everyone to be mysterious, but not impossible!
3. Play continues clockwise, so everyone gets a chance to be the Chooser.
4. When someone scores 10 points, the game ends and that player wins. Unless you all want to play again, which we always do.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If two or more players tie for the win, play a tie-breaker round with just those players. I once lost on a tie-breaker and still haven’t recovered.
2. If a card causes confusion, draw a new one. Clarity is king.
3. Don’t give away your answer with your poker face! Try acting mysterious or outright silly. It works, trust me.
4. Above all, laugh a lot. Faces is about having fun and seeing which of your friends is the sneakiest!

And that’s How To Play faces, step by step! Just remember: goofy expressions, good company, and guessing skills are all you need.

Best Faces Strategies

Become a Faces Champion: Master Reading Player Expressions

Watch Eyes Like a Hawk

1. Focus on where players look when they try to hide the truth. Shifty eyes often mean trouble! I learned this the hard way when my friend Dave kept looking anywhere but at the cards.

2. Pay attention to blinking. Some folks blink too much when they bluff. Next time you play How To Play faces, stare just enough to catch the pattern.

Notice Sudden Smiles

1. Spot the smirk. If a player starts grinning as soon as the options are read, they might know more than they let on. My buddy Jane can’t keep a poker face to save her life. Always gives it away!

2. Look for fake laughs. A real laugh is rare during tense games. A forced laugh? Something’s up, and you should pounce.

Check Body Movements

1. Watch for nervous habits. Fiddling with cards, tapping fingers, or scratching noses can mean they’re bluffing. Even my quietest friend once gave themselves away by drumming on the table—easy win for me!

Creative Storytelling: The MVP Move in Faces

Why Stories Matter

Stories grab attention way better than boring answers. When playing How To Play faces, I always whip out a funny tale. Friends can’t help but listen or laugh—which means they buy my bluff nearly every time.

Hooks that Work

1. Start with a wild fact about yourself. Even if it’s fake, sell it!
2. Add sound effects. It’s goofy, but memorable.
3. Connect your story to someone at the table. Friends get pulled in.

Keep It Short and Sweet

Long stories lose folks quick. Stick to punchy lines, and you’ll have everyone eating out of the palm of your hand.

Misdirection Magic: Outsmart Your Friends in Faces

I love tricking my pals with crafty moves in How To Play faces. Use these sneaky tactics to keep everyone guessing and snag the win.

Distract With Conversation

1. Tell a fun unrelated story just before your turn.
2. Ask someone about their weekend so the room forgets the last clue.

Change Your Behavior

1. Act extra confident, even if you’re clueless.
2. Suddenly stay quiet to throw off suspicion.

Blame the Wrong Player

1. Accuse someone else with a straight face.
2. Laugh off suggestions about yourself to look innocent.

Now Go Fool Your Friends!

So that’s my take on How To Play faces. There’s nothing quite like watching your pals try to read your blank stare while you convince them you once rode an ostrich to school. Every game I played ended with loud laughter, bad guesses, and requests to play again. Remember, go big with your stories, watch their faces like a hawk, and throw them off with clever tricks. Master these, and you might just become the undisputed champ of Faces. Good luck, and may your poker face never crack!

Want to know what we think of Faces? Read our detailed review of Faces here