How to Play Good Moon Bad Moon

This is an infamous game for parties or road trips. It is especially great for large groups of people. Good Moon Bad Moon works best with creative and inquisitive players. This is also a chance to see how perceptive and patient your friends are! Remember, though, that it's not kind to torment them too long if they can't figure out the solution.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Make a "moon" to start each round of play by saying either “My moon...” or “Um, my moon...” Continue, describing it any way you'd like. If you started with a subtle “um” first, then your moon is good. All others are bad. Example: "My moon is invisible and likes this game." That would be a bad moon.

2. Ask the other players if you just made a good moon or a bad moon. Everyone tries to answer the question correctly each round. If it is legal to do so, you can make this a drinking game: players who give a wrong answer have to take a drink.

3. Make Good Moon Bad Moon harder by keeping “ums” sounding as natural as possible. You can also add red herrings (pretend to count the number of words in the description, dart your eyes around the room in tricky patterns, or add “ums” to bad moons anywhere but at the beginning so they won't count).

4. Speed up Good Moon Bad Moon if a player is getting too frustrated by making your “ums” more obvious. You might let the player request which kind of moon you will make next.

5. Present “moons” until every player can tell the good from the bad. If they know the secret, it should be obvious. You can ask them to make their own good moon to demonstrate they have solved the game. Console the last person to figure it out by pointing out that they were probably thinking deeper than the game deserved.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make the game fresh again by changing what makes a Moon good: a small cough, for example.
• Be careful whom you pick to play this game. Stubborn or inward thinkers tend to get more frustrated. Don't let a game end a friendship!

[scottmitzi]

on 12/28/2008 I remember this from when I was a kid. Thanks