How to play Why'd You Say That?

The idea

Every round, the whole table gets the same public topic to argue about, something like "Is a hot dog a sandwich?". Each player also gets a secret agenda that only they can see. Some examples from the game:

• "Make someone ask if you are being serious."
• "Defend someone's answer until somebody comments on your alliance."
• "Plant a phrase, then get someone else to repeat it."

Your job is to steer the conversation so your agenda actually happens, without being so obvious that everyone spots it. Afterwards, everyone matches agendas to players and votes on whether each one really happened.

Starting a game

1. Pick a codename and create a room.You get a four-letter room code and an invite link to send your friends.
2. Friends join.They type the code into "Join" or open your link. A game needs at least 3 players and takes up to 11. Anyone who arrives mid-round watches, then gets an agenda next round.
3. Everyone joins the voice chat.The game checks each player's mic and sound before it starts (see Room Voice below).
4. The host starts.The first-game setting plays two rounds with a guided introduction. The host can choose more rounds, topic packs (like Couples, Coworker-safe or After Dark), custom topics and harder agendas.

No friends online? The Practice table lets you play a text-only game against three computer players, and Public tables lists rooms whose hosts have opened them to anyone.

A round, step by step

• 1. Operation briefRead the topic and your secret agenda, then write a one-line opening take and lock it in.
• 2. Roll callPlayers take turns, in a shuffled order, with their opening take read out. One person has the floor at a time; press Done when you've said your piece.
• 3. The SpotlightOne player answers a question out loud while the table reacts: Suspicious, Dodged it, Changed story, Clear answer, or Pin this.
• 4. Open floorFree talk, with more time at bigger tables. This is where most agendas get done.
• 5. Match the agendasPin a different agenda to every other player. Yours is never among the choices.
• 6. DeclassificationOne player at a time: they make their case, everyone votes Yes, No or Not sure on whether their agenda happened, and the verdict comes in.

Then the case files are revealed, scores are added up, and the next round starts with a new topic and new agendas. After the last round, the leaderboard shows the winner, and "Run it back" starts another game with the same group.

Scoring

An agenda counts as completed when it gets more Yes votes than No. There's also a bonus point if every Yes or No you cast matched the final verdicts.

Room Voice

Games are played out loud over Room Voice, the game's own audio-only voice chat, so nobody needs a separate call. Your browser asks for the microphone only when you press "Join voice", you join muted, and a quick three-step check (allow the mic, say hello, check you can hear) makes sure everyone's set before the game starts.

• While someone else has the floor, your mic is closed. Use Raise hand to jump in.
• There's mute, hold-to-talk, and a button to silence the call audio. The host can mute or remove players.
• Voice isn't recorded or transcribed.
• If voice won't work for someone, the host can switch the room to text before starting.

Tips for your first game

1. Set up your agenda in your opening take.It's read out at roll call and remembered at the reveal, so use it to lay groundwork.
2. Make it happen clearly enough to defend.Hiding pays nothing unless the table agrees your agenda happened. Subtle is good; invisible isn't.
3. Argue your case when your file comes up.You can keep talking while everyone votes.
4. Don't vote No by reflex.An overruled No costs you a point. If you didn't see it, vote Not sure.
5. Guess by elimination.Your own agenda is never an option, and an agenda that names a player usually belongs to whoever kept talking to them.
6. Listen during roll call.Your mic is closed anyway. Pin anything suspicious or mark it "Challenge this later".
7. Stuck?"Get help & a line" suggests a way to work your agenda in.