There are two different ways to play Draft’d. As each version of the game plays quite differently, there is a different section of this post dedicated to each game.
The Popular Vote | Setup | Playing the Game | Voting | Winning the Game |
The Commissioner | Setup | Playing the Game | Bust Round | Scoring | Winning the Game |
If you have a specific question not answered below, leave a comment and I will try to answer your question as quickly as I can.
The Popular Vote
Setup
- Return the Draft Commissioner board to the box as it won’t be used in this game.
- If there are more than four players, the players divide into teams.
- Each player/team writes their name next to one of the letters at the top of the Player Picks Board.
- Each player/team takes a set of Voting Cards that match the letter next to their name.
- Whichever player picked to play Draft’d starts the game.
How to Play Draft’d The Popular Vote
The game is played over a number of rounds. Each round begins with the start player drawing a Topic card. They will read the card out loud. The topic on the card details what the players will have to come up with during the round. For example say the topic is “pets.” All of the players will have to come up with different types of pets during the round. If the player wants to use their own topic, they can write it down on the House Topic Card.
The start player gets the first “pick” for the first round. The player picks something that fits the topic and writes it on the board in the first row in the column under their own name. They will announce what they wrote down to the rest of the players. The word they wrote down cannot be wrote down again for the first three rounds.
After writing down an answer, pass the board and marker to the player on your left/clockwise. That player now has to pick a different thing for round one that is different from what the rest of the players have wrote down.
Should any player think a player’s answer doesn’t fit the current topic, they can reveal their Yellow Card. The players will then decide whether the answer should be allowed.
Once everyone has wrote down an answer for round one, the players continue with round two. Round two is played the same as the first round. You can’t use any of the answers provided in round one though. This continues through round three.
Bust Round
After round three is completed, the players will move onto the “Bust Round.” In this round the players will write down something that “sucks” based on the round’s topic. In this round you can repeat an answer given in one of the previous three rounds. Only one player can give each answer in the Bust Round though.
Voting
Once all of the players have wrote down an answer for the four rounds, it is time to vote.
Players will start by considering all of the answers provided for round one. Each player picks what answer they think was best for round one. The rules aren’t specific on what criteria you can use when picking the best answer. You cannot vote for your own answer. You will make your choice by placing the corresponding letter card face down on the table.
Once everyone has chosen a card, all of the players reveal their cards. Whichever answer received the most votes wins the round. Place a check mark next to the chosen answer. If there is a tie for the best answer, both answers receive a check mark.
You will repeat the same voting process for the other three rounds.
After all of the voting is completed, look at how many check marks each player received. Whichever player received the most check marks wins the round. They will take the Topic Card.
The players then decide which player made the worst picks. That player draws the Topic Card for the next round and gets to make the first choice.
Winning Draft’d
The game ends when one of the players acquires three Topic Cards. The first player to acquire three Topic Cards wins the game.
The Commissioner
Setup
- You won’t use the voting cards in this version of Draft’d, so you can return them to the box.
- The player that picked the game becomes the Commissioner to start the game. They will take the Draft Commissioner Board and one of the markers.
- The rest of the players write their names on top of one of the columns of the Player Picks Board. If there are more than five players, the players should break into teams.
How to Play Draft’d The Commissioner
Each round begins with the Commissioner drawing a Topic Card and reading it out loud. If the Commissioner wants to use their own topic, they can write it on the House Topic Card.
The Commissioner thinks about the topic and writes down their top three picks for the topic. You should actually pick things you actually like that fit the topic. You should make sure no one can see what you wrote down on the board. For the Bust section you should pick your least favorite thing for the topic.
Once the Commissioner has completed their list, the player to the Commissioner’s left starts. They will choose an answer that they think the Commissioner wrote down. They should try to avoid what the Commissioner wrote down as the bust. Each player writes down their choice under their own name, and says their answer out loud. They will then pass the board to the next player clockwise.
The players will keep taking turns writing down answers until each player has wrote down three answers. Once an answer has been wrote down, no other player may write it down. Normally you will play where players keep taking turns writing down answers in turn order. You could choose to play with a snake draft though. If you choose to use these rules, after each round is finished the player that provided the last answer gets to provide another answer and turn order reverses.
If any player thinks an answer doesn’t fit the current topic, they can reveal their Yellow Card. The players will then decide whether the answer can be used.
Bust Round
After all of the players have wrote down three answers, the Commissioner looks at the Player Picks Board. They will check to see if anyone gave the answer they wrote down as the bust. If anyone wrote down the bust, they will tell the other players. They will not tell the other players what the bust is.
If no one wrote down the Bust word, all of the players get to write down one last answer. They are trying to guess what the Commissioner wrote down as the bust. Multiple players could end choosing the same word for their bust pick.
If someone wrote down the Bust word, all of the players can choose one of the previously given answers. They are trying to pick the answer that matched the Commissioner’s Bust word. Multiple players can write down the same answer.
Scoring
To begin scoring the Commissioner lists off their top three picks. They will find any matching answers on the Player Picks Board and place a check mark next to each answer.
Next they will see if anyone wrote down the Bust word in the first three rounds (before the players tried to guess the Bust word). If any player wrote down the Bust word in their first three picks, they are eliminated from the current round. They cannot win the round even if they scored the most points.
The Commissioner then places a check mark next to anyone who correctly guessed the Bust word during the Bust round.
Count up how many check marks each player received. The player that received the most check marks and wasn’t eliminated, wins the round. They will collect the Topic card.
If there is a tie or no one matched any of the Commissioner’s choices, each player defends their choices. The Commissioner then chooses who made the best list and gives them the Topic Card.
You will then play another round. The player that collected the Topic Card this round, plays as the Commissioner in the next round. The current Commissioner chooses which player made the worst list. They get to make the first choice in the next round.
Winning Draft’d
The first player to collect three Topic Cards wins the game.
Components
- Player Picks Board
- Draft Commissioner Board
- 2 Dry Erase Markers
- 12 Voting Cards (three for each player)
- 84 Topic Cards
- House Topic Card
- 4 Yellow Cards
- Instructions
Year: 2024 | Publisher: Spin Master | Artist: Justin Gray
Genres: Family, Party
Ages: 14+ | Number of Players: 3+ | Length of Game: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Light | Strategy: Light | Luck: Moderate
For more board and card game rules/how to plays, check out our complete alphabetical list of card and board game rules posts.