Cinephile: A Card Game is the ultimate game for movie geeks, film nerds and cinephiles. One deck. 150 cards. Multiple ways to play.
The five games featured here have been sorted into three levels of difficulty: Movie Geek (Easy), Film Nerd (Intermediate), and Cinephile (Expert), so whether you’re a novice or a nerd, there’s a game for you.
Movie Geek (Easy) The object of the game is to name more films by one actor than your opponents. Actors with longer filmographies (e.g. Samuel L. Jackson) will mean longer rounds while actors with fewer screen appearances (e.g. David Bowie) will naturally be shorter rounds.
One player draws one card from the deck and reads the name of the actor and the film on the card.
Taking turns, each subsequent player must name another film in which that actor appeared.
When a player can’t name another film or repeats a film that has already been named, the next player will have a chance to steal. If that player names an Eligible Film*, the previous player is out and play continues.
Continue taking turns until two players remain.
When one of the remaining two players can’t name another film, the other player must name a film to win the round. If they can, that player receives one point and keeps the card. If they can’t, neither player receives any points.
The next player draws a card from the deck to begin a new round.
The player with the highest score (after as many rounds as you can stand) is the winner.
* Pro-Tip: The most strategic way to play is to name more obvious films first and hold onto the more obscure ones for later in the round. For example, you can count on most people remembering Tom Cruise was in Mission: Impossible but how many will remember his Goldmember cameo? #neverforget
*Eligible Films are narrative films in which the actor appears that have been released. Cameos count but animated films and voiceover appearances do not. For example: with Alec Baldwin, Boss Baby and The Royal Tenenbaums would not be eligible, but The Adventures of Pluto Nash would be. If you would like to create your own definition of Eligible Films, just be sure to agree on your definition before gameplay begins.
Movie Geek (Easy) The object of the game is to correctly guess more actors (or films) in 60 seconds than your opponents can. Before you play, decide if you want to guess the actor or the film listed on the card.
One player draws a card from the deck. Without looking at it, that player holds the card face out against their forehead.
With a timer set for 60 seconds (hint: there’s a timer on your phone), the other players shout out clues without using the actor’s name or any words from the film title.
If the player guesses correctly, they draw another card and continue guessing until the timer is up.
The player receives one point for each actor or film correctly identified.
If the player needs to pass, they may draw another card but must subtract one point from their score.
The player with the highest score (after as many rounds as you can stand) is the winner.
Film Nerd (Intermediate) The object of the game is to be the last player standing.
One player draws a card from the deck and reads the movie on the card.
The next player must name an actor from that movie. (They may but do not have to choose the actor from the card.)
Pro-Tip: Name a more obscure movie or lesser-known actor to knock out another player.
The following player must name another movie that actor has been in, the next player names another actor from that movie, and so on. No repeats allowed.
Once a player is stumped, they’re out of the game. The next player draws a card from the deck to begin a new round and play continues with the remaining players.
The last player standing after everyone else has been knocked out of the game is the winner.
Film Nerd (Intermediate) The object of the game is to be the first player to shed your entire hand of cards.
Each player is dealt six cards. Turn over a card from the remaining pile to begin the round.
One at a time, each player must try to put down one of their cards, and using the rules of Six Degrees (see Game 5) to explain the connection to the drawn card. For each degree, the player receives one point (the fewer number of points the better).
If a player cannot make a connection, they do not receive any points and must take another card from the draw pile. Game play moves to the next player.
If a player wants to swap out one of the cards in their hand, they may put it at the bottom of the draw pile but must take two cards from the deck to replace it.
The first player who sheds their entire hand wins.
If two or more players shed their hand in the same round, the player with the lowest score wins.
Cinephile (Expert) The object of the game is to connect two actors through the films in which they’ve appeared. Players must connect the two actors in six films or less, but the lower the number of degrees the better.
For example:
Joaquin Phoenix and Winona Ryder.
Phoenix was in The Village with Sigourney Weaver.
Weaver was in Alien: Resurrection with Winona.
Each film connection counts as one degree so this play of Joaquin to Winona is two degrees.
You can choose to play Social (with teams of two or more players) or Solo (where each player acts as a team of one).
Optional Beast Mode: If, after reading your connection(s), another team can connect the actors in fewer degrees than your connection, you don’t get a point and the opposing team receives two points for stealing the round.
To begin a round, each team draws two cards from the deck and places them face up. Set a timer for three minutes.
Each team must collaborate to connect the two actors on their cards in six degrees or less in the time allotted. They may but do not have to use the movies featured on the cards in their answer.
Once a team has found a way to connect their actors, they draw two more cards and try to connect those actors in six degrees or less.
You can only draw more cards once you have completed your connection. Continue to connect pairs of actors until the timer has run out.
When the timer is up, each team shares how they made their connection(s). Each pair of successfully connected actors—in six degrees or less—earns your team one point. Teams who fail to connect their actors receive zero points.
The team with the highest score (after as many rounds as you can stand) wins.
To begin a round, draw two cards from the deck and place them face up.
The first person to find a way to connect the actors in six degrees or less, must state their connection aloud.
If two people find a connection at the same time, whoever has the shorter connection wins the round and receives one point.
If no one is able to connect the actors in six degrees or less, no points are given out. Draw two more cards to begin a new round.
The player with the highest score (after as many rounds as you can stand) is the winner.
Part of the fun of Cinephile is the freedom to remix the rules or even make up your own. Find more ways to play or submit your own here.
