Playthings Support

Welcome friends!

This is the FAQ for Playthings. If you have a question about play, see below for more information if we have answered it before. Otherwise try to reach out to us via our contact page, social media, or post on BoardGameGeek. We can then update that information below.

Overall, remember that Playthings is fundamentally silly. Nearly all the preparations before night are meant to reveal only slivers of information that could help a group of astute players, but more importantly, provide cover for peeking. The real game is finding your toys consistently without the Night Terror figuring out how you know what you know, rather than trying to 'prove' or 'break' the game and be able to know everything for certain without peeking at all. Take a risk either way, and settle in for the peculiarity of the experience.

FAQ

  • Why do some cards have multiple symbols?

    Each card with multiple symbols is used multiple times, even split between players. For example, for Max's bells, you may have multiple players share in touching up to one hand per bell, making a mess or maze of arms and palms.

  • How crazy can we really get?

    The Night Terror must still be able to do what they need to do. They cannot be restrained or blocked completely from play. The players, unless allowed to, cannot be touching the mat itself. There has to be enough space on the mat, even in fewer than nine rooms, to place all the tokens face-down without them immediately flipping over (although if future movement would flip them, like the Night Terror bumping something, so be it). The players should respect the personal space of the Night Terror, and not mess with the Toychest tokens themselves directly, like tie the strings to them.

    In the end, the spirit and rule of play are the same: The Night Terror will hide nine toys for players to study and deduce. This must remain reasonably possible.

  • Can the Night Terror look at Guests to see if they peek?

    Absolutely. Although, a word of advice- peeking can be a moment, or constant, or through fingers, or however. IT is very challenging to catch the peeking, for sure, while watching Guests, while also trying to dodge strings and bells, place tokens in rooms, and so on. How guests behave will reveal much more.

  • What if we disagree on how to use a Friend card?

    Friend cards are, in general, not very good. That is part of the point; they make the game intersting for the Night Terror in placing things, and give only small amounts of information. They are also great 'smokescreens' for cheating. So, in the end, keep the game fair for the Night Terror to do what they need to do, and be flexible.

  • Does every Guest have to do something? Do you have to use every part of each Friend card?

    Not everyone has to be involved equally, and that can be planned around. A player can press their ear to the table, or listen extra closely for certain toys. If a Friend card element is not needed, it does not have to be used.
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Friend Cards

  • Ariana: "The Bedsheet"

    "One of you may hold a corner of the mat during the Nighttime."

    Ariana builds a pillow fort, seeing if the Night Terror disturbs her setup. Here are some examples:

    • Corners are held up to feel tokens being placed.
    • The mat, which is slightly stretchy, is pulled tight to make it vibrate more when touched.
    • The mat, with strings tied to the other corners, is lifted off the table.

  • Ben: "The Carpet"

    "One of you may have one finger under the mat during the nighttime, but no other parts of your hand."

    Ben puts toys under the carpet to see if it trips up the Night Terror, revealing where it has gone. Here are some examples:

    • Three different players each place one or two fingers under the mat, each touching parts of different rooms.
    • The hand is laid face-up, with the fingers poking upwards, to 'tent' the mat and change how it feels and works.
    • A player pinches a bell or string through the mat from underneath, as long as their palm doesn't go under the mat.

  • Jade: "The Jumpropes"

    "Use a string, with up to two hands touching it, including over or under the mat. You may tie the string or attach it to other components, including the mat."

    Jade stretches jumpropes across the hallways, seeing which ones tangle the Night Terror in its tracks. Here are some examples:

    • Strings zig-zag over the space for the Night Terror to accidentally bump into.
    • The strings are tied to parts of the mat to lift or move it.
    • The strings are tied to the invisible dog leash to have multiple players feel its movement.

  • Jasper: "The Superstition"

    "Draw an unused Toy card and move that Toychest here. When the Night Terror places this Toychest, they must knock on it three times loudly, if possible."

    Jasper knows to listen extra carefully to see if the Night Terror makes certain noises in the dark, like the stories used to say. Here are some examples:

    • Some rooms are made hard to reach, meaning the knocking is certain to result in bumping something else.
    • Hands are touching or under the mat, making the knocking a strong vibration or feeling rather than a sound.
    • The invisible dog leash helps make it very clear where the knocking is occurring.

  • Jenna: "The Toybox"

    "Use the game box, with up to one hand touching it. The box can be placed above or below the mat, and may be open or closed."

    Jenna drags the toychest in front of a door, blocking the Night Terror's way. Here are some examples:

    • The box covers multiple small rooms, forcing the last toychests to be placed to double up with others.
    • The mat lays over the box to make placing Toychests inconvenient and possibly allow them to fall over.
    • Strings are tied to the box to levitate it just above the mat, forcing the Night Terror to squeeze their hand underneath to place Toychests.

  • Jerry Jr.: "The Invisible Dog"

    "Place the bracelet of the invisible dog leash on the wrist the Night Terror is using. Hold the end of the string taut, and move as needed to keep it straight while the Night Terror moves around (but do not restrain or restrict them)."

    Jerry Jr. ties a string to some objects, seeing if the Night Terror drags it along its way. Here are some examples:

    • The player narrates out loud where they are feeling the hand of the Night Terror moving.
    • Bells are strung onto the leash to have it make more noise while moving.
    • The leash-holding hand is placed in front of the Night Terror on the table, to better feel how the their hand moves relative to their body.

  • Joseph: "The Fingerpaint"

    "One of you may touch the top of the mat with one finger during the Nighttime."

    Joseph smeared his fingerpaints everywhere to see if the Night Terror brushes through it, leaving a trail. Here are some examples:

    • The rest of the hand is splayed wide near, but not touching, the mat's surface to better feel for the Night Terror.
    • The string is used to tie around the finger while poking through the middle of the mat; it is held up slightly to 'tent' the mat, feeling vibrations in many directions.
    • The hand int he mat center also touches or holds strings and bells to feel more vibrations and movements

  • Max: "The Holiday Bells"

    "Use a bell, with up to one hand touching it. The bell can be placed above or below the mat, or attached to other components."

    Max pulls out the holiday decor, hoping to leave noisy objects for the Night Terror to bump into. Here are some examples:

    • Bells are evenly spaced in the smaller rooms to make sure the Night Terror bumps into them.
    • The bells are spaced out wide so that many hands and arms can touch them, making a maze for the Night Terror to reach through.
    • Strings are used to attached the bells to the invisible dog leash so they drag around the mat.

  • Nick: "The Plates"

    "Draw an unused Toy card and move that Toychest here. When the Night Terror places it, they must drop it instead, from a few inches above the table. It cannot be moved, flipped, or adjusted once dropped, even if it lands face-up."

    Nick balances breakable objects in the Night Terrors path, hoping it will make them crash in the night. Here are some examples:

    • The dropped tokens do not land cleanly inside rooms, and even land on a side that exposes information.
    • Objects on or under the mat cause dropped tokens to fall sideways.
    • The mat overlaps bells or other materials that adjust the sound of the drop.
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