Detect. Deduce. Decode. And a 15% Discount (see below)!
What does this intriguing game have to do with Leonardo Da Vinci? Absolutely nothing. But don't hold that against it. This game has a sophisticated look and mode of play that gets kids excited, but is both educational and simple enough so as not to frustrate younger players. That said, adults will find it sufficiently challenging and far from "too easy".
So, How do you play it?
1. One player is the Encoder, the other player is the Decoder. The Encoder must think of a three or four letter word after drawing two cards to determine the ‘Word Type’ and ‘Spelling Condition’ of the secret word to be formed. When choosing a secret word to encode, the Encoder must choose a word that obeys both the 'Word Type' and 'Spelling Condition' put forth by the cards drawn.
Examples:
Word Type~"The Word must be a living thing."
Spelling Condition ~ "The Word must contain two vowels."
Thus, the Encoder could choose words such as "Bee", "Mole" or "Boar". All of these words meet the conditions put forth by the cards...but so do many, many others.
2. The Encoder uses the red chips to form a secret word of his or her choosing by placing the chips in the correct sequence into the Code Machine.The Encoder then covers the secret word by closing all of the windows. Optionally, the Encoder may announce the number of letters used in the word, so as not to totally vex the Decoder.
3. The Decoder cracks the secret word with as few windows opened as possible. In each round, the Decoder opens one small window at any position and attempts to name the secret word. In each game, the Decoder has a total of three chances to ask the Encoder a question for a yes-or-no answer as a hint. The questions can be used all at once or separately. When the secret word is correctly cracked, count and record the total number of windows opened. Open all windows to confirm the code is correct.
4. Players switch sides and repeat Steps 1 to 3. The player (decoder) that requires the fewest windows opened is the winner.
There's even an option for 3 Players:
One player is the Encoder and the other two players are the competing Decoders. The set-up procedure is the same as the 2-Player game. The two Decoders take turns to open a window and attempt to crack the secret word. Each Decoder has a total of three chances to ask the Encoder a question for a yes-or-no answer as a hint. The Decoder who successfully cracks the secret word first is the winner.
It's sort of like "Mastermind" meets "Wheel of Fortune"...and it'll hook you quickly. I recommend keeping a pencil handy, not to keep score, but to assist in opening the windows; they're a bit small, and adult fingers sometimes have a bit of trouble opening them.
The Da Vinci Machine is available at the Pow!Science! Online store, and blog readers can get an additional 15% Off using Coupon Code 'bloggerfan' during checkout, now through June 30th,2010. Click here to visit the Pow!Science! Store.
Do you own The Da Vinci Machine? Write a Review!
1. One player is the Encoder, the other player is the Decoder. The Encoder must think of a three or four letter word after drawing two cards to determine the ‘Word Type’ and ‘Spelling Condition’ of the secret word to be formed. When choosing a secret word to encode, the Encoder must choose a word that obeys both the 'Word Type' and 'Spelling Condition' put forth by the cards drawn.
Examples:
Word Type~"The Word must be a living thing."
Spelling Condition ~ "The Word must contain two vowels."
Thus, the Encoder could choose words such as "Bee", "Mole" or "Boar". All of these words meet the conditions put forth by the cards...but so do many, many others.
2. The Encoder uses the red chips to form a secret word of his or her choosing by placing the chips in the correct sequence into the Code Machine.The Encoder then covers the secret word by closing all of the windows. Optionally, the Encoder may announce the number of letters used in the word, so as not to totally vex the Decoder.
3. The Decoder cracks the secret word with as few windows opened as possible. In each round, the Decoder opens one small window at any position and attempts to name the secret word. In each game, the Decoder has a total of three chances to ask the Encoder a question for a yes-or-no answer as a hint. The questions can be used all at once or separately. When the secret word is correctly cracked, count and record the total number of windows opened. Open all windows to confirm the code is correct.
4. Players switch sides and repeat Steps 1 to 3. The player (decoder) that requires the fewest windows opened is the winner.
There's even an option for 3 Players:
One player is the Encoder and the other two players are the competing Decoders. The set-up procedure is the same as the 2-Player game. The two Decoders take turns to open a window and attempt to crack the secret word. Each Decoder has a total of three chances to ask the Encoder a question for a yes-or-no answer as a hint. The Decoder who successfully cracks the secret word first is the winner.
It's sort of like "Mastermind" meets "Wheel of Fortune"...and it'll hook you quickly. I recommend keeping a pencil handy, not to keep score, but to assist in opening the windows; they're a bit small, and adult fingers sometimes have a bit of trouble opening them.
The Da Vinci Machine is available at the Pow!Science! Online store, and blog readers can get an additional 15% Off using Coupon Code 'bloggerfan' during checkout, now through June 30th,2010. Click here to visit the Pow!Science! Store.
Do you own The Da Vinci Machine? Write a Review!
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