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From the clever folks over at Big Potato Games, Sounds Fishy is a family-friendly party game packed full of strange questions and even stranger answers. So, get to your muster station and let’s set sail and learn how to play.
Set Up
Pretty much every element of this game is simple and set up is no exception.
First, players decide who will be the starting guesser. They then take the dispenser with the question cards in, making sure the side with the blue answer on is facing down. Then, the guesser will randomly dish out one fish to each player, keeping them face down. All of these fish should be Red Herrings except for one: the True Blue Kipper.
Players will take a look at their fish without letting the guesser know who they are. Just like that the game is set and you’re ready to move onto gameplay.
Gameplay
In Sounds Fishy, each turn the guesser will draw a question card, reading it aloud and holding it up with the side with the blue answer on facing away so that the other players can see it. When everyone has seen the question, they have 15 seconds to answer it. This is where some strategy comes in. The Red Herrings must each come up with a lie that is convincing enough to try and trick the guesser into thinking theirs is the correct one.
However, the True Blue Kipper must give the answer shown on the back of the question card while making it sounds thoroughly unbelievable. The guesser then has the difficult job of trying to sort the fact from the fiction. Going round the group they eliminate who they think are Red Herrings, flipping over their fish, while avoiding the True Blue Kipper. If they can eliminate all of the Red Herrings then it’ll be smooth sailing.
However, if they get it wrong and fall victim to the True Blue Kipper’s deception then they’ll spring a leak and lose all their points for that turn. If the guesser is really stuck for a choice, they can choose to bank (but where’s the fun in that?). This means they stop guessing, collect the points they’ve won that turn, and gameplay continues. The card dispenser is passed clockwise, and play continues as before.
Scoring
Scoring in Sounds Fishy varies for each of the three roles. When playing as the guesser, players will score a point for every correctly guessed Red Herring. They’ll also win a bonus if they correctly identify everyone, without falling prey to the True Blue Kipper. But be warned, if the guesser calls the Kipper out as a Red Herring, they lose everything. Red Herrings will score one point for every flipped fish on the table, including the Kipper.
However, if a Red Herring gets flipped it’s game over and they get nul points. The True Blue Kipper works in the opposite way to the Red Herrings. They want to be flipped first and so score one point for every unflipped fish on the table.
You’ll come to realise how quick and simple this game is to play as soon as it hits the table. Following the rules play should only last one or two rounds, with everyone getting a turn at guessing. But if you want to carry on past that then go for it.
And just like that you’ve learnt how to play Sounds Fishy!