How to Play FLUSTER

FLUSTER Classic

There are many ways to play FLUSTER. In this version, the more revealing your answers are, the juicier the questions you get to ask, so don’t hold back on those succulent details!

1. Everyone picks up 5 question cards and a reaction card.
2. One person starts by asking someone else a question. Start with one that has a single !. (Pick up a new card after you ask a question, so you always have 5.)
3. That person gives their answer, and everyone else holds up a reaction card to signal how strongly the answer resonated with them (!, !!, or !!!), based on honesty, humour, vulnerability, or whatever is important to you.
4. The answerer then gets to ask someone a question with the same number of !’s (or fewer) as the average reaction they received.
5. That’s it! No score, no winners and losers. Play as long as you want!

Special Cards

Play on any question except ones you ask.

FLUSTER: Turn the question back to the asker.

Around the Horn: Everyone answers the question. The asker then picks their favourite answer and that person goes next.

More Ways to Play FLUSTER

Hot Seat

In a high-energy setting like a noisy party? Cut through the noise and prove that quantity can be just as fun as quality!

1. Set a timer for one minute.
2. Pull questions from the stack and ask them rapid-fire to one person.
3. That person answers as many as they can before the minute is up (skipping is allowed).
4. Move on to the next person and see who can answer the most questions.

Doubles

In a group made up of couples, BFFs, or other pairs that know each other really well? Put that knowledge to the test!

1. Break into teams of two.
2. Pick a team to start and ask one person on that team a question (we’ll call them Partner 1). 
3. Before Partner 1 answers, Partner 2 writes down what they think their partner’s answer will be on a scrap of paper. 
4. Once Partner 2 is done writing, Partner 1 gives their answer to the question. 
5. Partner 2 then reveals what they wrote, and the other teams then give a score from 1-3, based on how well the answers matched up. 
6. Play to a predetermined score.

Throwdown

Like to keep score? Add a bit of competition to your conversations!

1. Pick someone to go first. They draw a card from the deck and everyone else gives their answer. 
2. The person who drew the card decides which answer they liked best, and that person gets a point. 
3. The next person in the group draws a card, and the process repeats until someone reaches 5 points, or whatever score you agreed upon (people might have to work in the morning). 
4. If you turn up a FLUSTER card, hang onto it. You can use it to block another player from giving an answer to a future question.

Common Ground

At a team-building event or connecting with new people? Challenge yourselves to find how much you have in common!

1. Form a group of 4-10 people.
2. Someone starts by picking a card from the deck and answering that question.
3. Then, everyone who feels like they have some common ground with that answer gives a brief story or reaction about what they related to, such as a similar experience or shared feeling. 
4. The first player keeps answering questions until they have found common ground with the remaining people in the group.
5. Then a different player picks up a question and the process repeats until everyone has taken a turn. 

For even more ways to play, in all kinds of settings, go to www.flustergame.com/play If you play FLUSTER a different way, let us know!