An Anti-Substance Use Game
Created by Bob Stahn, Well Spring Counseling, Idaho Falls, ID
“Say What?” is a fun word puzzle game for teenagers and adults. As
you play it your awareness of the negative impact of using harmful
substances grows and you learn of many healthy activities that do not
involve substance use.
In this word puzzle game it is not what you read that counts, but how
you hear it. So listen carefully, and have fun!
Number of people needed to play: Five or more players.
Material needed to play: The Player’s List of word puzzles, the Judge’s
List of word puzzle solutions and a watch with a second hand.
Object of the game: Be the first team to get 50 points.
How to play: Select a time keeper and a judge. The time keeper starts
and stops each 30-second turn. The judge determines if a puzzle has been
correctly solved within the allotted time using the “Judge’s List.”
The rest of the participants divide into two teams. The guessing team
chooses a category of “Negative Impacts” or “Healthy Activities.” To start the
play, the judge one time picks a number between one and 200. Starting with
that puzzle number the guessing team will read consecutive puzzles from the
one-columned “Player’s List” of their chosen category. When the guessing
team’s turn has ended, the opposing team chooses a category but starts with
the puzzle number where the guessing team stopped. (After puzzle number
200 is read, reading starts with puzzle number one of the same category.)
The teams take turns trying to solve as many word puzzles as they can
in 30 seconds. One team member may be chosen for one or more turns to
read the puzzles while the rest of the team listens and tries to solve them.
Each member of the guessing team may shout out possible solutions as soon
as he or she thinks of them. The team is not penalized for incorrect guesses.
If the team is having difficulty solving a particular puzzle, the team may pass
on it.
Scoring: One point is awarded for every correctly solved puzzle within a
turn. A point may be gained by the opposing team (after the guessing team’s
turn has ended) by correctly solving any puzzle that has just been passed
over. The opposing team has but one chance to correctly solve each passed
over puzzle.
Negative Impacts—Judge’s List
Healthy Activities—Judge’s List
Negative Impacts—Player’s List
Healthy Activities—Player’s List
