CAMPHYREGather
Bring 4–10 players together. Give the game its own room and your full attention.
CAMPHYRE / At the table
Let’s be clear.
The game has intentions. It also has rules.
01 / Before you begin
Set the room.
Deal
Shuffle the Question Cards and Points Cards separately. Deal each player any four Question Cards and any four Points Cards, including gold Tricksters. Set all remaining cards aside. These eight cards are each player’s hand for the game.
Choose a moderator
Choose the first moderator. After every round, the player to the moderator’s left takes over.
02 / One round
Open the conversation.
Read
The moderator chooses one Question Card from their hand and reads it aloud.
Choose
The moderator selects at least two players to respond.
Answer
At the moderator’s cue, the selected players answer. The moderator decides who else may speak, who may interrupt, and how long the question continues.
Award
The moderator awards the Question Card, worth one point, to the response they feel is most deserving. The criterion is entirely subjective.
Pass
The round closes once the Question Card is awarded. The player to the moderator’s left starts the next round.
Points Cards are interventions during play, not a separate end-of-round phase. Follow the timing on each card.
03 / Keep score
It’s all subjective.
Except the arithmetic.
- Earn points through a Question Card awarded by the moderator or a Points Card awarded by another player.
- Templar cards award one point. Tyrant cards deduct one point. Tempest cards may award or deduct one point. Follow the specific effect on each card, including Veto effects.
- Keep awarded positive cards in a visible points pile in front of you.
- When a point is deducted, discard any +1 card from your pile along with the −1 card. Only positive point cards should remain in front of you.
- You cannot deduct a point from a player with zero points.
- You cannot award yourself points. Trickster transfers follow their own card instructions.
04 / The end
Four points.
Simple enough?
The first player to accumulate four points from any combination of awarded Question Cards and Points Cards wins.
If all the Question Cards are exhausted first, the player with the highest score wins. If there is a tie, a majority vote decides the winner.
The Game Ender offers a separate way to call for an early ending. Follow its vote and tie instructions in the card reference below.
05 / Question Cards
Four directions.
Individual
The things you carry.
Collective
The people in the room.
Cosmic
The world beyond it.
Dumb
The logic of letting go.
06 / Points Cards
The card reference.
Every distinct Points Card effect, with duplicate copies listed once.
Templar
Atmosphere
Award a point to anyone who has improved the mood or atmosphere of the game.
Interrupt
Award a point to anyone who redirects or interrupts the flow of a conversation for a positive reason.
Constructive Critic
Award a point to a player providing helpful critique or feedback.
Commitment
Award a point to anyone who has demonstrated sincere commitment to the game.
Holding Space
Award a point to anyone who made space or opportunity for another player to speak openly.
Clarity
Award a point to anyone who has brought more clarity and understanding to the conversation.
Affirm
Award a point to the winner of a Question Card round whose response you found especially compelling. Play it in the round the response was given.
Presence
Award a point to anyone being especially present.
Moderator
Award a point to a moderator who has performed their duties responsibly while maintaining the spirit of the game.
Change
Award a point to a player who has changed their mind, expressed openness to a new idea, or had the courage to share something they would not normally have shared.
Tyrant
Atmosphere
Deduct a point from anyone detracting from the atmosphere or mood of the game.
Interrupt
Deduct a point from anyone interrupting the flow of the game.
Say More
Deduct a point from anyone who did not give enough detail or depth to their answer.
Say Less
Deduct a point from anyone who hogged the spotlight or spoke for too long.
Commitment
Deduct a point from any player showing a lack of commitment to the game.
Critic
Deduct a point from anyone being overly critical or uncharitable.
Veto
Veto a winning answer from a Question Card round. Play it in the round the answer was given.
Taking Space
Deduct a point from anyone taking up too much conversational space or not providing enough room for others to share freely.
Absence
Deduct a point from anyone who seems distracted or not fully present.
Moderator
Deduct a point from anyone who has abused their moderator privileges or failed to fulfill their moderator duties.
Tempest
Atmosphere
Award a point to anyone adding to the mood and atmosphere, or deduct a point from anyone detracting from it.
Interrupt
Award a point to anyone who has positively interrupted the flow of the game, or deduct a point from anyone who has selfishly interrupted.
Moderator
Award a point to a good and fair moderator, or deduct a point from anyone who has failed to perform their moderator duties adequately.
Enough Said
Award a point to someone whose answer was succinct, or deduct a point from anyone who failed to provide enough depth.
Commitment
Award a point to anyone committed to the spirit of the game, or deduct a point from anyone who has not been as committed as they could have.
Presence
Award a point to anyone being especially present, or deduct a point from anyone who seems distracted or is not listening attentively.
Affirm / Veto
Award this card to a player whose answer you especially agree with, or use it to veto an answer from winning the round. Play it during the round.
Trickster
The Game Ender
Call a simple majority vote to end the game. If the majority is in favor, the point leader wins. If the majority is against ending, you forfeit a point. The cardholder decides a tie in the vote or a tie for point leader.
The Point Thief
Steal all the points of any player at any time of your choosing.
The Rule Master
Set a conversational rule for the game. It can be silly or serious. If someone breaks it, steal one point from their points pile. The point steal can be used only once.
The Change Up
Make a blind swap of any unplayed card from your hand with any unplayed card from another player’s hand. Either card may be a Question Card or a Points Card.
The Scapegoat
Direct any Question Card toward yourself or another player of your choosing.
07 / Clarifications
Before you argue.
Do I need one question from each category?
No. Deal any four Question Cards to each player. The deal does not require a category balance.
Must everyone moderate before someone can win?
No. The rules do not impose a full-table moderation requirement before a win.
Is the winning score lower for a larger group?
No. The target is four points for all group sizes.
Does Point Thief take just one point?
No. It steals all points from the chosen player.
Do we draw replacement cards?
No replacement draw is specified. Your initial hand of four Question Cards and four Points Cards is your hand for the game.
What about simultaneous cards or an unresolved dispute?
The rules do not specify priority for simultaneous card plays, or what to do if a majority vote cannot resolve an exhausted-deck tie. Agree on a table ruling before play. Any extra rule your group adopts is a house rule.
Are there alternate modes or a free-pass rule?
No alternate mode or free-pass mechanic is specified in these rules. If your group agrees to one, treat it as a house rule.