Note: this a return to what appears to have been my most successful attempt to breathe life into this (possibly futile) idea for a game, which I recognise may well sink like a stone. If it does, so be it!

A slight twist on this old schooldays word guessing game to gently tickle your grey cells. Here, the guessers start off by creating a nonsense anagram of the answer, because the setter will simply enter each correctly guessed letter (including any duplicates) into the first available space(s) in the outline, except for the first letter of each word which will be correctly placed. At some point, there will be enough letters to create scope for a guess at the answer by unscrambling them, or at least that is the general idea...

Please read the instructions carefully as these are not the usual rules of the traditional game. Hopefully everything is reasonably clear, but please do not hesitate to ask for help or clarification.

The rules

(i) The setter puts up the outline of a word or a short reasonably well-known expression in blank (so that all the other players know are the numbers of words and of letters in each word) together with an indication of the nature or category of the word/expression. An expression might be for example a book, play, film or music title or the name of a famous person or character, or perhaps a proverb or saying: it is entirely up to the setter, but please give enough of a hint to narrow the category.

(ii) Someone else posts at least two letters which he/she thinks might be in the word/expression.

(iii) The setter enters into the outline any correctly guessed letter, but only in its correct position if it is the first letter of a word: otherwise the letter and any repetition of it will simply be placed in the first available empty space (which might entirely coincidentally be its correct position).

(iv) Meanwhile the setter also starts to add the hanged person to the gallows with one step for each incorrectly guessed letter or position of letter. Seven steps are needed to complete the victim (head, body, right leg, left leg, right arm, left arm, face).

(v) Someone posts another two (or more) letter guesses and/or a guess at the correct position in the outline of at least one of the already posted letters, and so on. There is nothing to prevent the same person from posting consecutive guesses, or even hogging an entire game.

(vi) Players are allowed to try to guess individual words of an answer consisting of more than one word. However, such a guess will be treated as separate letter or position guesses for each blank space in the word (which could therefore prove expensive if the guess is wrong).

(vii) At any stage anyone can try to guess the whole word/expression, and a wrong word/expression guess results in two steps towards the completion of the picture, but without any indication of whether any of the individual letters or words guessed are correct.

(viii) Any letter appearing in its correct position (whether coincidentally or as a result of a correct position guess, or because it is the first letter of a word) will be shown in bold italic.

(ix) Apostrophes will not be shown, and any s following an apostrophe will be counted as part of the word which it follows (so that for instance Wayne's World would be two words 6,5).

(x) The setter wins if the picture of the hanged person is completed: otherwise the person to correctly guess the word/expression is the winner, and hopefully then sets the next word/expression. Don't be afraid to have a go: there is plenty of help available if you have any difficulty, and you can always edit your way out of any errors.

Note for setters on creating the picture of the gallows and hanged person

The picture steps (kindly contributed by Pandora) are in a photobucket album on the internet which are accessed by using one of the urls (web addresses) below, and here's how you do it:

In the full reply screen one of the option buttons across the top is "enter an image" which then offers you a choice of various image positions to insert followed by a dialogue box for a url.

You just copy and paste the url you need, deleting and replacing (using the edit process) as you go through the game and want to change the picture.

[I have been using the position "non-floating image"]

The urls

The gallows, in place at the start of the game
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/G4.gif

Step one, the head of the condemned person
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H1.gif

Step two, the body
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H2.gif

Step three, the right leg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H3.gif

Step four, the left leg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H4.gif

Step five, the right arm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H5.gif

Step six, the left arm
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H6.gif

Step seven, the face of death http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v60/PandoraSD/Hangman/H10.gif


Go on, release your inner child and make a fool of yourself!

Imported from the previous thread but applying these rules, the title of a film from a book in two words 8,8:

Nicholas Nickleby (guessed by Manxman)

Wrong guesses: TRDG
Steps remaining: 3

C K

Nicholas Nickleby

Two correct BobH and spot on MxM!

Thank you Lex.

_ _ _ _ _ * _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ * _ _ _ _ (3 word full name of a TV and Film character 5,8,4)

wrong guesses:
steps left: 7

James Tiberius Kirk

Just saw the new Star Trek Movie so it was in my mind.

Too good BobH I'm on my way out to see it this afternoon with my sons as a Fathers Day activity.
I also thought Pandora would appreciate the reference (another photo op )

Thanks Manxman. I think you will like the movie. I had a great time. It was non-stop action. I was fully prepared to not like the "reboot" but I have to admit they are handling it pretty well.

Here we go...


M A R Y * P O P P I N S (Movie Title, 4, 7)


wrong guesses: E T D L
steps left: 3

That was quite a snatch Bob, and this one obviously isn't Into Darkness!

E and T.

Thanks Lex.

Sorry, two misses.

Well let's go with A and R.

Two hits!

I and N.

You're on a roll now! Both good.

O and S.

Two more hits.

D and L.

Two misses.

Time to start treading carefully...

Should the outline should actually be
_ A R I * _ N O S _ _ _ (as in this version, first letters are left blank in the outline unless guessed)?

M, P

Loved the new movie!

Yes, you are exactly right Manxman. I had forgotten how to set the letters if they weren't the beginning letters. Clearly you overcame that little problem.

Two good guesses. All that's left is to solve.

Mary Poppins

As expected Pandora The movie was great. Action packed.

Interesting that a scene from the Wrath of Khan with Spock and Kirk was reversed in this movie.

You got it Manxman.