Ages 10 Years +
For 2 – 4 Players or Teams
RULES OF PLAY
CONTENTS
4 x Pencils
1 x Answer Sheets pad
338 Questions
1 Pointless cardboard stand-up trophy
9 Head to Head tokens
27 Pointless Trophy tokens
3 x Question card holders
1 x Scoreboard playing board
8 x Playing pieces
1 x Rules of Play
1 x Quick-Start instructions
OBJECT OF THE GAME
Just as in the TV show, players must guess the least
obvious answers from a series of surveyed questions.
For example, everybody knows that Reneé Zellweger
starred in the Bridget Jones’ movies but few people
would know she was also in a ‘Texas Chainsaw
Massacre’ sequel.
All the questions in Pointless have previously been
asked to a panel of 100 people, who were given 100
seconds to give as many correct answers as possible.
The question cards display all of the answers from
the panel (or a selection of them in Round 2) and
also a score based on the popularity of each answer.
The object of the the game is to score the least
number of points by giving a correct answer that you
think fewest of the 100 people would have given.
The best possible answer is one that none of the
panel gave, earning you a Pointless answer and
scoring zero points.
WINNING THE GAME
The winner of the game is the player or team that
achieves the lowest score in the final round – ‘The
End Game’.
To give you the best chance of doing this, you need
to win as many Pointless Trophy tokens as you can
throughout the game.
SET UP AND HOW TO PLAY
Pointless can be played as individual players or as
teams of two.
Each player is given a sheet from the answer sheet
pad and a pencil.
The board is laid flat and each player chooses a
colour for their playing piece. Each player has two
playing pieces of their chosen colour. One of the
two is placed on the appropriate colour at the Start
position on the board.
Pointless Trophy tokens and Head to Head tokens
should be placed in a central position accessible to all
players.
The question cards are placed in their separate piles
– Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4. Keep the cards away from
prying eyes as the answers on the uppermost card
will be visible.
Determine which player or team will initially act as
Question Master.
Every player or team will take it in turn to be
Question Master, swapping after each question, so
that everyone can enjoy the fun and answer the
same number of questions.
Throughout, any answers can only be given once,
so players or teams cannot repeat any answers
previously given to a question.
If at any time during the game, any player or team
gives an incorrect answer, that player or team scores
a maximum 100 points.
ROUND 1
The number of questions asked in Round 1 is
dependent on how many players or teams are in the
game (the Question Master should be counted as a
Player). To make sure all players are asked the same
amount of questions the following applies:
3 Players or Teams = Each player or team is asked
two questions.
4 Players or Teams = Each player or team is asked
three questions.
If there are only two players or teams then please see
the separate section for two player game on the last
page.
Remember – the player or team acting as Question
Master must change after every question and every
player or team must take their turn as Question
Master.
The Question Master slots a Round 1 question card
into the Round 1 Card Holder, then asks the question
from the front side of the card to all players or teams
at once.
The question is prefaced by: “This is the category…
and the topic is...”
For example “This Category is Movies and the topic
is The Oscars”. “Give me the name of a film that has
won a Best Film Oscar”.
The Question Master then asks each player or team
in turn to provide an answer - starting with the
youngest. Remember, to score the lowest number of
points, the idea is always to choose an answer that
you believe to be the least obvious.
Each player only gives one answer. If playing as a
team, only one member of the team should provide
an answer at this point (with no conferring), the
other team member will get a chance to provide
their answer later.
When providing an answer a player should say it out
loud and then also write it on their answer sheet.
The Question Master then discreetly lifts the question
card out of the holder to check how many points are
awarded for the answer given.
The score is revealed by the Question Master by
dramatically moving the player or team’s playing
piece to the appropriate score on the playing board
- this score also being recorded on the players’
answer sheet.
This is done in turn for each player or team, moving
in a clockwise direction.
If at any time a player or team provide a Pointless
answer, ie. an answer that scores zero, they may take
a Pointless Trophy token and put it on their Pointless
Trophy token spot on the playing board.
(using your answer sheets). The player or team
with the lowest accumulated score gets to go first in
Round 2 with the highest scoring going last.
scores and this will have the effect of bringing the
lower set of answers into the window.
If at any time a player or team provide an incorrect
answer, ie. an answer that is not on the question
card, that answer scores them a maximum 100
points.
ROUND 2
Players also mark their scores on their answer sheet.
As always, any Pointless scores are rewarded with a
Pointless Trophy token.
Remember - an answer can only be given once, so
another player or team cannot merely repeat an
already given answer.
Unlike in Round 1, in this round whoever’s turn it is
to act as Question Master also participates in writing
an answer down, he or she must be scrupulously ‘fair’
by not looking at the answer scores as the card is
inserted.
The Question Master then asks each player or team
in turn to give a second answer to the same question.
This is done in reverse order, moving back around
the players in an anti-clockwise direction ending with
the youngest player. If playing as a team, the player
who hasn’t yet provided an answer to this question
does so now (no conferring).
Again the Question Master reveals the scores one at
a time, as players give their answers out loud. This
time the Question Master moves the playing pieces
on the playing board by adding the second score
to that achieved on the first turn. For example, if a
player’s first answer score was 48 and their second
answer score is 22, their playing piece should be
moved to the ‘70’ mark.
If a player reaches 100 points they place their first
playing piece on the ‘100’ mark and introduce their
second playing piece onto the board on the number
over 100 that has been scored. For example, scores of
66 and 54 would mean a total score of 120 so the first
playing piece would be positioned on the ‘100’ mark
and the second on the ‘20’.
A question is over once all players or teams (other
than the Question Master) have provided two
answers. The player or team that scored the lowest
total for that question gets a Pointless Trophy token.
These tokens become relevant in the final round of
the game so need to be accumulated on the player’s
Pointless Trophy token spot on the playing board.
Once a question has been completed the Question
Master places the used question card at the bottom
of the pile and all the playing pieces are replaced on
their start points ready for the next question.
For this next question a new player or team must act
as Question Master.
The process is repeated until each of the players or
teams have taken their turn as Question Master.
At the end of Round 1, compare each player or
team’s accumulated scores across all the questions
The number of questions in Round 2 is always two no matter how many players or teams are playing.
FROM HERE ON IN PLAYERS CAN CONTINUE
TO ALTERNATE AS QUESTION MASTER OR ONE
PLAYER CAN VOLUNTEER TO TAKE THE ROLE
FOR ROUNDS 2 AND 3.
The Question Master slots a Round 2 question card
into the Round 2 question card holder and then
reads out the category, topic and question from the
front side of the card to all players or teams at once.
The Question Master can then read out the list of
seven possible answers before laying the card holder
carefully down on the table so that players can read
the list of options for themselves from the ‘window
selection’.
Each question card has two ‘sets’ of answers and the
window in the Round 2 Card Holder will show the
upper set of seven answers.
VERY IMPORTANTLY, WITHIN THESE SEVEN
ANSWERS THE PLAYERS MUST BE INFORMED
THAT THERE WILL BE AT LEAST ONE POINTLESS
ANSWER AND AT LEAST ONE INCORRECT
ANSWER - THE PLAYERS MUST BE INFORMED OF
THIS.
The order of players or teams to answer is
determined by the scores from the first round ie. the
lowest scorer in Round 1 goes first and the highest
scorer in Round 1 goes last. One by one each player
must choose an answer from the list of seven in the
window.
If players are in pairs no conferring is allowed and
only one team member must choose an answer from
the window. The other team member will get to
choose their answer from the lower set of answers
(see below).
Once each player or team (including the Question
Master) has chosen their first answer and written it
down, the Question Master raises the card gently to
reveal the answer scores against these seven answers.
He should raise it only so far as to show the answer
The Question Master moves the playing pieces on the
playing board as in Round 1.
Take care to not pull the card up too far as this will
reveal the answer scores to the next set of answers.
The next set of seven answers (the second ‘window
selection’) to the same question will now be visible
in the window of the Round 2 card holder. Like in
Round 1, in reverse order, each player or team now
choose their second answer, writing them down on
their answer sheets, remembering that in Round 2
the Question Master also participates.
Once all players or teams have chosen answers, the
Question Master pulls out the card, gives the scores
and moves their playing pieces accordingly.
Whichever player has the lowest total score for that
question is awarded a Pointless Trophy token.
Playing pieces are replaced at the start point ready
for the next question.
The next player acting as Question Master then
repeats the process above for another Round 2
question with the two sets of answers in the Round 2
Card Holder.
After two questions have been asked and points
noted, the round is complete. The least scoring
player in Round 2 gets to go first in Round 3 - The
Head to Head and the highest scoring has to go last.
ROUND 3
THE ‘HEAD TO HEAD’ ROUND
In Round 3 the game is played until one player or
team wins three of the questions.
In Round 3 the Question Master participates so, as
in Round 2, he or she must place the cards into the
Head to Head/End Game question card holder with
the questions to be asked facing away from them so
as to prevent inadvertent cheating.
The question is asked to all players and the players
(including the Question Master) are asked in the turn
sequence outlined at the end of Round 2 instructions
above.
In this round, players or teams will be asked to
provide one answer to each question.
Players playing as a pair can confer and give just one
answer between them.
Players also write their answer down on their answer
sheet.
Once all players or teams have given a single answer
the Question Master can pull the card out and give
each player or team their scores and like in Rounds
1 and 2 positioning the playing pieces on the playing
board as he or she announces the players’ scores.
The lowest scoring player or team on each question,
‘wins’ that question and claims a Pointless Trophy
token. In addition they are also awarded a Head
to Head token. As soon as any player or team have
won three Head to Head tokens, the round is over.
Remember, throughout the game an incorrect
answer scores a maximum 100 points.
As in other rounds, any Pointless answers given are
rewarded with a Pointless Trophy token.
In the event of a tie for lowest score in any Head
To Head question, nobody ‘wins’ it and a further
question has to be asked.
ROUND 4
The player or team who has accumulated the third
fewest Pointless Trophy tokens only gets to give one
answer!
Players must give one answer at a time which is
also written down. If playing as a team, players can
confer. Players give answers in turn, with the player
who has earned the right to three answers giving an
answer first and then the player or team with two
answers giving the second and so on.
The Question Master reveals the score to each player
or team immediately after each answer is given.
The player or team with the lowest scoring answer
will win. In the event of a tie, those players or teams
then have to give a further answer to the same
question and the lowest scoring answer wins.
If the tied players or teams have achieved Pointless
scores then they clearly can do no better with
another answer, so it becomes sudden death!
Another question card is used and the players or
teams give one answer only – the lowest score wins!
The winner receives the coveted Pointless Trophy,
to be retained until the next game when someone
challenges them for the title of Pointless champion!
THE END GAME
This round sees the player who has so far
accumulated the least number of Pointless Trophy
tokens, eliminated from the game. In the event
of a tie in the number of Pointless Trophy tokens
then it will be determined by the accumulated
scores (Round 1 – Round 3 should be added up and
the highest scoring player or team loses out). This
elimitated player or team then acts as Question
Master for this final round. The End Game/Head to
Head question card holder is used - there are more
answers in this round so in many cases they are
printed on both sides of the card.
If only two players or teams are playing the rules are
different and no player or team is eliminated. Please
see the separate section for two player games.
The Question Master must ask the other players
a Round 4 question and like all other rounds the
players or teams must try to give an answer with
the lowest score. The difference in this round is that
the player or team who has accumulated the most
Pointless Trophy tokens throughout the game gets to
give three answers and the lowest score of their three
scores will be used.
The player or team accumulating the second highest
number of Pointless Trophy tokens gets to give two
answers and the lower score of the two is used.
DIFFERENCES FOR TWO PLAYER GAME
ROUND 1 When
there are only two players, the
Question Master must also answer the question they
ask. Players give their two answers in turn to the
question, also writing them down on the answer
sheet before the card is pulled out of the holder and
the points revealed.
To make a longer game players may want to use
three question cards in this round.
ROUND 2 and 3 Plays
the same as the main rules.
ROUND 4 In
a two player game both players go
through to the End Game and one has to act as
Question Master and has to be trusted not to sneak
a look at the scores prior to inserting the card into
the question card holder. As in Round 1 scores are not
revealed until the answers have been given by both
players.
©2010 University Games UK Ltd.
Pointless logo © Endemol UK plc 2009. Pointless is a registered trade mark of
Endemol UK plc. Pointless is produced by Remarkable (part of Endemol UK)
for the BBC.