Objective of the Game

Welcome to the wild world of A Fake Artist Goes to New York! In this game of cunning and creativity, your ultimate goal is to be the first player to accumulate 5 points. But here's the twist: how you earn those points depends entirely on your secret role! Will you be a master of disguise, a clever detective, or the puppet master pulling the strings? Get ready to draw, deduce, and deceive your way to victory!

Preparation (Setup)

Setting up A Fake Artist Goes to New York is quick and easy, getting you into the action in no time!

1. First, grab your game components: the Title Cards, 12 Color Pens, Point Chips (15 pieces each), a White Board Marker, and Drawing Paper.
2. Players decide who will be the Question Master (QM) for the first round.
3. The QM chooses a category (like Animals, Vehicles, Fruits, etc.) and announces it to the other players, who are now the Artists.
4. The QM then takes the same number of Title Cards as there are Artists.
5. On the back of these Title Cards, the QM writes an "X" on one card and the chosen title (based on the category) on the remaining cards. For example, if the category is "Animals," the QM might write "Lion" on most cards and an "X" on one.
6. The QM should remember the color of the card with the "X" – this is important!
7. The QM shuffles the Title Cards and places one in front of each Artist.
8. Each Artist turns over their card, but without revealing the subject to anyone else. The person who turns over the "X" is the Fake Artist!
9. Finally, Artists select a color marker. The Question Master decides who makes the first mark.

The Turn of Play

A round of A Fake Artist Goes to New York unfolds in a series of collaborative drawings and tense deductions.

1. Starting with the player chosen by the QM, and moving clockwise, each Artist makes one mark on the same piece of Drawing Paper.
2. This drawing continues for two rounds, with each Artist contributing a single mark per turn.
3. During this phase, the Fake Artist must draw without knowing the title, trying to blend in and act like they know the title ("Talk the talk").
4. The regular Artists, knowing the title, must draw something that hints at the subject without being too obvious, lest they reveal the title to the Fake Artist.
5. The QM cannot participate in drawing but observes everything.

After the Drawing Rounds

Once the two drawing rounds are complete, the real fun begins!

1. The QM will count down from 3: "3, 2, 1, point!"
2. At this moment, all Artists must simultaneously point to who they believe is the Fake Artist.
3. If the Fake Artist has been pointed to the most, they must reveal their identity.
4. After revealing, the Fake Artist must then state the correct title of the final artwork to earn points. They only get one chance to answer!

End of Game and Scoring

Points are awarded at the end of each round, and the game concludes when a player reaches the victory condition.

How to Determine Scores

• If the Fake Artist has NOT been caught out: (meaning they were not pointed to the most, or received the same number of votes as other artists)
  • The Fake Artist and the QM each earn 2 points.
• If the Fake Artist HAS been caught out: (meaning they were pointed to the most)
  • If the Fake Artist's answer is correct:
    • The Fake Artist and the QM each earn 2 points.
  • If the Fake Artist's answer is incorrect:
    • Only the Artists (who successfully identified the Fake Artist) earn 1 point each.

Continuing the Game

At the end of each round:

• Don't forget to name your masterpiece! You can even fold the title over and quiz your friends or tweet it!
• To begin the next round, the person to the left of the current QM becomes the new QM.
• The first player to earn 5 points is the winner!

Tips for Winning

Mastering A Fake Artist Goes to New York requires a blend of artistic subtlety and social deduction. Here are a few tips to help you come out on top:

1. For the QM: Choose Wisely! It's important to choose an easy title for the category. This helps the Fake Artist have a fighting chance to guess the title if caught, and also makes it easier for the regular Artists to draw without giving too much away. A title that's too obscure can make the game frustrating for everyone.
2. For the Fake Artist: Act Like You Know! Your biggest weapon is your confidence. "Talk the talk" – act as if you're completely in on the secret. When drawing, try to make marks that are vague or could fit many different interpretations. If you can make a mark that looks like it belongs, but doesn't actually reveal anything, you're doing great!
3. For the Artists: Be Subtle, Not Obvious! Your goal is to draw something that clearly points to the title for other Artists, but gives no clues to the Fake Artist. Avoid drawing the most defining characteristic of the subject too early. Think about less obvious but still relevant details. If you draw a full "Lion" mane in the first turn, the Fake Artist will know immediately!