how to play
about the game Gestures is a kit that aims to help hearing parents raise their deaf child as well as improve how they communicate with each other. It contains 1) a booklet with information about deafness and its psychological implications, child development, myths and misconceptions about the deaf, methods of communication, and contact information of communities and support groups, and 2) an interactive language and communication game for the family to enjoy and bond over.
The Cards There are a total of 100 cards: 40 easy cards (red), 35 average cards (yellow), and 25 difficult cards (purple). Each level is divided into different categories depending on their difficulty.
Wild cards There are 4 wild cards. When a wild card is chosen, the player has the freedom to choose any word he wants the other players to guess based on the category given. The wordsmith and interpreter who gets it right merits 5 points.
The dice The game has two six-sided dice: 1 for the wordsmith, and the other for the interpreter. The dice determines what method of communication the players will use. The die of the wordsmith only has lipreading, sign language, and body gestures. The die of the interpreter, on the other hand, has lipreading, sign language, body gestures, writing, and “Choose 2!” which means to choose two methods and use it to guess what the wordsmith is trying saying. If the interpreter gets the same method as the wordsmith, he/she has to roll again. Lipreading Also known as speechreading, is a technique used to understand the movement of the lips, face, and tongue. Sign Language Sign language is very important for deaf people. It involves the hands and other parts of the body rather than the mouth. Body Gestures Also known as body language, is a type of non-verbal communication that heavily relies on body movement such as facial expressions, body posture, touch. Unlike sign language, body gestures does not have it’s own grammar. Writing It is another way of communicating that uses words and symbols in order to convey meaning, ideas, and thoughts.
The chips A chip is obtained when the wordsmith is able to act out the word for the first time. Meaning, the interpreters were able to guess the word he was trying to act. Each chip is equivalent to one point. However, if no one gets it right the first time, he will not get a chip. When the wordsmith is able to act out a wild card, he gets the chip that is worth 5 points. At the end of the game, the players must add the points of the chips to the number of cards and the player with the highest score wins.
regular card
wild card
Point system Whoever guesses the word gets 1 point and keeps the card. The wordsmith earns a chip if he is able to act it out properly the first time. If no one is able to get it right the first time, the wordsmith has to act it out again for 20 seconds. Whoever has the most number of cards (including the chips), wins the game.
Mechanics 1.
The most important rule in this game is to not speak.
2.
There should only be a maximum of 5 players that may join the game. The person who will act out the word is the wordsmith, while those who will guess are the interpreters.
3.
Get the deck of cards from the box and make sure they are faced down. All players must form a small circle and face each other.
4.
Start with the easy round which is the set of red cards.
5.
The first wordsmith must roll the die in order to determine what method of communication they will use then they draw a card.
6.
The wordsmith has 30 seconds to act it out while the interpreters try to guess.
7.
The interpreter who knows what the wordsmith is trying to say has to raise their hand, roll the other die to determine if they’ll need to do lip reading, sign language, body gestures, or write their answer on the small board using chalk.
8.
Whoever has the most number of points is the winner.