Keep reading for step by step instructions on how to play Dixit. This amazing party game is a lively and creative use of the secret submit and judge mechanic similar to what you might find in Cards Against Humanity or Apples To Apples. Published in 2008 by Libellud, this aetherial game of storytelling is both smart and fun while also being a fantastic choice for a bigger group. For 3 – 6 players, games run about 30 minutes each.
FOR MORE: Dixit Page | Dixit Review | Games Like Dixit | Buy Dixit on Amazon
HOW TO PLAY DIXIT – WHAT IS IT?
A picture is worth a thousand words! Dixit is a lovingly illustrated game of creative guesswork, where your imagination unlocks the tale. Going around the circle of players, the role of the “storyteller” is rotated from player to player. Everyone was a hand filled with cards containing obscure pictures.
The storyteller says a word, phrase or story and then secretly turns down a card from their hand to match it. All other players then submit a card from their hand they think best matches the phrase or word that was spoken. These are mixed up and everyone votes. Scoring is complex, but basically, as a storyteller you want at least one person to vote for yours but not everyone. As you learn how to play Dixit, you will see how crafty it is.
HOW TO PLAY DIXIT – STEP BY STEP
Time Needed: Approximately 30 minutes.
This is a step by step guide for how to play Dixit the popular secret submit and judge party board game. Additional notions and special rules can be found below the list. These will be referenced for your convenience.
1. SETUP | Put out Gameboard
To kick off this how to play Dixit process, unfold the rectangular game board and put it in the center of everyone.
2. SETUP | Determine Color and Give Pieces
Everyone chooses a color, puts their corresponding rabbit piece on the “0” spot of the gameboard to represent score and takes the colored scoring tiles for how many players there are.
3. SETUP | Deal Cards
The final step in how to play Dixit setup is to shuffle the oversized cards and deal out everyone 6 cards to start. Put the remaining cards facedown in a stack where everyone can access throughout the game.
4. GAMEPLAY | Active Player Card Selection
The starting player is the “storyteller”, a role that moves from player to player each round. They choose one of the 6 cards in their hands and says a word or phrase to represent it. They put that card face down.
5. GAMEPLAY | Submit Cards
Every non storyteller player then chooses one of their 6 cards to represent the spoken word or phrase and also puts that down. They want to match it as best they can to fool other players.
6. GAMEPLAY | Secret Vote
The cards are flipped up and placed into the number slots on the gameboard. This is to represent a number for each card for players to vote on. All non storyteller players use their number tiles and put the number of the card they think the storyteller put down face down in front of them.
7. GAMEPLAY | Reveal and Score
Once everyone has voted, everyone flips over their tile to reveal their vote. The storyteller then reveals the correct answer. The most complex part of how to play Dixit is the scoring. Depending on how everyone votes, scoring happens. The storyteller wants everyone but one person to vote for them and non storytellers want to guess the storyteller. See a full breakdown in Scoring Explained below.
8. GAMEPLAY | Draw to Refill Hand
Everyone draws cards until they are back up to 6 again to start the next turn.
9. GAMEPLAY | Pass Active Player and Repeat
After a complete round, the “storyteller” role moves clockwise around the circle and you repeat. This continues until someone reaches the prerequisite point total to end the game.
10. WINNING | First to 30 Points
Once a player reaches 30 points, that triggers the last round in the game. The winner is the player with the most points. See, learning how to play Dixit is easy.
HOW TO PLAY DIXIT – KEY INFORMATION
SCORING EXPLAINED
ALL PLAYERS FIND THE ACTIVE PLAYER’S CARD
- Active Player: 0 Points
- Other Players: 2 Points
NO PLAYERS FIND THE ACTIVE PLAYER’S CARD
- Active Player: 0 Points
- Other Players: 2 Points
- +1 Bonus Point Per Vote For Their Card
AT LEAST ONE PLAYER, BUT NOT ALL PLAYERS HAVE FOUND THE ACTIVE PLAYER’S CARD
- Active Player: 3 Points
- Players Who Have Found The Card: 3 Points
- +1 Bonus Point Per Vote For Their Card
CHANGES FOR 3 PLAYERS
- Players have 7 cards in their hand instead of 6
- Each player takes 5 voting tokens numbered 1 – 5
- Once the active player has created their clue, the other 2 players hand the active player 2 cards (instead of 1) from their hands.
- Voting and scoring does not change. At the end, players draw back up to 7 cards.
GAME CONTENTS
- 84x Image Cards
- 1x Scoreboard
- 6x Wooden Rabbits
- 36x Voting Tokens
- 1x Rulebook
HOW TO PLAY DIXIT – IN CLOSING
We hope you can now say you know how to play Dixit. This family-friendly secret submit and judge party game is great fun and sparks wonderful creativity. This is a unique game of storytelling that has mastered a way to force you to have to give a very masterful clue. Very smart and satisfying for a group of any kind of game player. If this sounds like it is up your alley, please give Dixit a shot, you will not be disappointed.
