Hangman is a quick and easy game for at least two people, requiring only paper, pen and the ability to spell words. One of the players thinks of a secret word, while the other tries to guess it by asking what letters it is made of. However, with each wrong attempt he approaches defeat. Hangman can be customized and thus become an easier, difficult or educational game; if you wish, there are applications and websites that allow you to play over the internet.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Play the Classic Hangman Version
Step 1. Choose a person who will think the hidden word
The other players will have to try to guess it.
This person must be able to spell correctly or no one will be able to win
Step 2. If you have to choose the word, think of a secret term
Other players will have to guess it letter by letter, so don't pick one that's too easy. More difficult words contain uncommon letters, such as "z" or "q", and only a few vowels.
To lengthen the game, you can also choose a phrase
Step 3. Draw a blank line for each letter of the word
For example, if you chose the word "zecchino", draw eight blanks, one for each letter (_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _). Do not reveal the word to anyone.
Step 4. If you are one of the players, start guessing the letters
Once the term has been chosen and everyone knows how many letters it is made up of, you can start guessing the letters it contains. For example, you can ask "Is there an A in the word?".
Usually, it is best to start with the most common letters, such as vowels, "s", "t" and "r"
Step 5. If the players have guessed a letter, fill in the corresponding blank
For example, if the word is "zecchino" and one of the players asks if it contains an E, the person who thought the word must fill in the second space with an "e": (_ and _ _ _ _ _ _).
If the players guess a letter that repeats itself in the secret word, you have to type it several times. In our example, if they match the "c", you have to mark them both: _ _ c c _ _ _ _
Step 6. Draw a part of the "hanged man" when the players get it wrong
Whenever one of the players tries to guess a letter that is not present in the secret word, everyone approaches defeat. To represent it graphically, draw a stylized drawing of a man being hanged, adding a new part to each mistake. This system also allows you to easily change the difficulty of the game; the more parts needed to complete the drawing, the more mistakes players have. The order classic And:
- First mistake: draw an inverted "L". This is the pole that holds the hanged man.
- Second mistake: draw a small circle for the "head" below the horizontal line of the "L".
- Third mistake: draw a vertical line under the head for the "body".
- Fourth mistake: draw an arm from the center of the body to represent the "arm".
- Fifth mistake: draw the other arm.
- Sixth mistake: draw a diagonal line from the lower body for the first "leg".
- Seventh mistake: draw the other leg.
- Eighth mistake: connect the head to the pole with a "noose". Once the rope is drawn, the players have lost.
Step 7. Players win if they guess the correct word
To do this, they must discover all the letters of the word before making eight mistakes, or try to guess the whole word instead of a letter. In the latter case, the wrong attempts count as a mistake.
To make the game more difficult, you can add the rule that players can only attempt to guess the secret word once before losing
Step 8. Play on the internet or with a solo practice app
Thanks to its simplicity, there are many online games inspired by hangman, which you will find with the search "hanged man online". Many use web dictionaries to choose words and allow you to improve your vocabulary as you play. With some apps you can even challenge opponents from all over the world.
- Try "Hangman" and "Hangman free" in the Google and Apple App Stores; are online variants of the classic game.
- Are you looking for a challenge? Search for "hanged of cheaters" or lists of specific terms, such as "hanged movie quotes".
Method 2 of 2: Hangman Variations
Step 1. Turn the "hanged man" into a snowman, if you are playing with small children
If you'd rather not expose small children to images that might be considered violent, you can draw a snowman instead of a man dangling from a rope. Start with three circles for the body, then add eyes, nose and buttons for each wrong answer. The rest of the rules remain the same.
Step 2. Make the challenge more challenging with the "In & Out" version of the hanged man
This game is more suited to long words or sentences. The rules are the same, with one important difference: players must alternate attempts to guess letters in the word (the "in" round) with letters not present (the "out" round) until the end of the game.
- If one of the players guesses a letter in the word, you must write it regardless of which round is in effect. However, you must also score a mistake if it was the "out" round.
- To make the game easier, those who thought the word can write all the letters of the alphabet and tick them once they are deleted.
- You can play "In & Out" by yourself on the internet.
Step 3. Use vocabulary words to turn "hanged" into a game for the whole class
This pastime is a great tool for teachers who want to teach students new words. However, to make it truly effective, add one more rule: when a pupil guesses the secret word, he must know the definition to win.
To speed up the game, write down the list of possible answers
Advice
- Whoever thought the word should give the players a clue or a category, such as animals, vegetables, or movie stars, to make the game easier.
- Start with the vowels, considering that "U" is the least used.
- First start with the vowels, so as to eliminate many possible errors.
