One project led the Metaphor Language Research Center to develop a card game using metaphoric illustrations to represent players’opinions:

Zingers logo

A card game for 4 to 6 adults, 30-90 minutes

With Zingers, talking politics with your friends is fun and you won’t ruin the evening.  It’s visual, light-hearted and makes you put words into the mouths of politicians and pundits.    You tell the truth as you see it through a cartoon vocabulary.  That’s how you  can speak your mind without offending anyone.

 

BACKSTORY

You are all reporters and rotate the job of editor for this newspaper-with-an-attitude.  Each political story ends with a cartoon zinger that tells the Reporter’s view of the truth.  Right now, you’re holding a planning meeting to decide the content of tomorrow’s edition.  The Editor selects a newsworthy subject, asks Reporters for story proposals and selects the best.  The winner has the most stories published.

Zinger newsroom - for web site 6-8

CARD DECKS

SUBJECTS

Zinger Subject cards - 4 for web site

STORYLINES

Zinger Storyline cards - 4 for web site

CARTOONS

Zinger Cartoon cards - image of 8 for web

THE GAME

There are two modes of play:

ZINGER mode is for cub reporters, first time players, or those looking for light fun.

  1. Each Reporter is dealt 10 cartoon cards
  2. The person chosen to be the first Editor draws a Subject card and a Storyline card and reads them to the Reporters
  3. Reporters submit a cartoon card they think the Editor will like, face down When all are submitted, the Editor reads each, shows it and places it face up on the table
  4. The Editor gives the Subject card to the Reporter with the best story. Reporters replenish their cartoon cards, the Editor role rotates and a new story is developed
  5. The winner is the Reporter with the most Subject cards at the end of play

DOUBLE ZINGER is for experienced reporters who compete for deep truth zingers.  Still fun, just more challenging

  1. Each reporter starts with 7 visual Cartoon cards and 3 text Story lines
    – Players hold the Cartoons in hand and place the Story lines face up on the table
  2. The first Editor takes the top Subject card, reads and shows it
  3. Reporters review their Storylines and combine one with a Cartoon
    –     Submissions go face down to the Editor
  4. When complete, the Editor:
    – Reads each aloud and holds up the cartoon for all to see
    – Places stories on the table with cartoon on top
  5. Editor decides the best and the subject card goes to that Reporter
  6. Reporters replenish their cards and the next takes over as Editor
    – A Reporter may swap a Story or Cartoon card they don’t like
  7. Continue until you’ve had enough truth-telling.  The winner has the most Subject cards

 

ZINGER SCIENCE

Types of Zingers

 

For more information, go to Political Zingers!