Impossum

[Text by the publisher:] 3 card games about very strange names of animals, such as "blood-striped blenny", "bobolink", "spectacled warbler" and "brown egg frog" (these are eqivalents of the names in English - by now the game ist available only with German names). You try to get rid of your cards. Each card shows six incredible names of animals, each of them belonging to one of these species: mammals, reptiles, fish, birds, butterflies, and impossums. Only the first five species are "regular" species. The impossums are fake animals (impossible animals). Their sole purpose is to provide suggestions for bluffing. Bluffing is important for winning - and for having fun! One game is about guessing to what species an animal belongs. As the animal names must be read aloud, it is good exercice for kids to read and pronounce. The other two games are different in depth and demand. There are alphabetical and morphemic rules for putting down cards. For example: You can put down a card only if - either it shows the name of an animal of the particular category that fits alphabetically (= starting with the same letter as the reference animal or with its first letter following or coming before that letter), or if - a part of the name of an animal is identical with a part of the name of the reference animal (example: "blue-and-gold-fusilier", a fish, thus matches with "blue-crowned motmot", a bird). If it belongs to the same species, you can put down a further card, if it belongs to another category you just switch the species. If both is not possible, you can try some bluffing. The cards are played face down. You must pronounce the name of the animal when putting your card down. Each card put down can be controlled. When your bluffing is detected, you get malus points. When you habe put your cards down "regularly", however, the one who has controlled gets malus points. Chances are good not to be detected when bluffing: all animal names (more than 1250) are very strange indeed, so its not obvious, when you invent a name on your own or use an impossum. Unless you blush... [end of publisher's text]