2019 BGG rank #25204

Palm Reader

4–12 players 10–30 min Ages 6+ 1.0/5 complexity 5.5/10 rating

About this game

Palm Reader is divided into several rounds, and in each round the active player draws a card and randomly chooses one of five symbols on it. This player then draws that symbol on the palm of the person sitting to their left, while that person has their eyes closed. Go around the circle of players, receiving and tracing on palms (like Telephone). After the final player has received the tracing, reveal the card, then have all players vote on what they believe the starting symbol was. You receive as many victory points as the number of players in a row who successfully guess the symbol. —description from the publisher

What it feels like

Pattern Recognition Deduction Party Game

Game intelligence

Learn the game

100% knowledge coverage

Setup

1. Choose difficulty level(s): Blue (beginner), Green (standard), Red (complicated), or Mauve (expert). Shuffle all chosen cards together face-down — the face-up side is NOT used during the game. 2. Set aside only the top 10 cards; discard the rest, as only 10 cards are used per game. 3. Fold the Rollbox according to the diagram in the rulebook (only required the first time you play; afterwards it can be stored folded). Place the die inside the Rollbox. 4. Randomly select a first player and give them the Rollbox with the die inside. 5. Prepare the scorepad to track stars earned across rounds.

Turn flow

The game is played over exactly 10 rounds. Each round, the Rollbox is passed clockwise to a new first player. The first player shakes the Rollbox (covering the opening), drops it on the table, and draws the top card from the deck, secretly viewing the hidden face. The die result (visible only through the Rollbox window) indicates which of the 5 symbols on the card to communicate (1–5). A question mark result allows the first player to choose any symbol by turning the die in the Rollbox. The first player then draws the symbol in the left neighbor's right-hand palm using their index finger. That player draws what they felt in the next player's palm, and so on around the group. The last player also draws in the first player's palm (first attempt only). Everyone then views the card's symbol face, forms a closed fist, counts down "3, 2, 1", and simultaneously extends fingers to indicate their guess (1–5). The first player reveals the correct symbol number. Scoring proceeds clockwise from the first player, counting consecutive correct transmissions. Optionally, if transmission fails on the first attempt, the first player may call a second attempt at the cost of −1★ from the final score for that round.

Scoring and victory

Cooperative — all players share a collective star (★) total. At game end, the total is compared to the victory magnitude table scaled by player count to determine how well the group performed. Target score: No fixed winning score; higher is better. Maximum possible is (number of players − 1) × 10 stars over 10 rounds. Scoring sources: 1★ per consecutive player (starting from the first player, clockwise) who successfully communicated the correct symbol to their next player in a round, −1★ if the first player chose to make a second drawing attempt in a round

Source: Rulebook

Rules to know

The most useful rules for getting a first game right.

Setup

Cards come in 4 difficulty levels indicated by background color.

There are 4 difficulty levels for the symbol cards, each indicated by the card's background color: Blue = beginner, Green = standard, Red = complicated, Mauve = expert. Players choose which color(s) to include before the game and shuffle only those cards together into the face-down deck.

Setup

Only the top 10 cards are used; the rest are discarded before play begins.

After shuffling the chosen difficulty cards together face-down, only the first (top) 10 cards will be used during the game. All remaining cards are set aside/discarded before play begins. This means the game always lasts exactly 10 rounds regardless of how many cards are in the shuffled deck.

Setup

Cards are placed face-down; the face-up side is NOT used during play.

When setting up the deck, cards are placed with their symbol face down. The side facing up is never used during the game. The first player draws the top card and secretly looks at the side that was facing the table (the symbol face) to determine the available symbols for that round.

General

A game lasts exactly 10 rounds.

Palm Reader is always played over exactly 10 rounds, one for each of the 10 cards set aside during setup. After the 10th round is resolved and scored, the game ends immediately.

Turn structure

The Rollbox passes clockwise each round to determine the new first player.

At the start of each round (except the first), the Rollbox is passed to the next player clockwise. That player becomes the new first player for this round. The first player in the very first round is selected randomly.

Turn structure

The first player shakes the Rollbox to roll the die secretly, then draws the top card.

The first player shakes the Rollbox while covering its opening so the die does not fall out, then drops it on the table. The die result is visible only to the first player through the Rollbox window. The first player simultaneously draws the top card from the deck and secretly views the symbol face (the side that was facing down). The die result (1–5) tells the first player which numbered symbol on that card must be communicated this round.

Special

A question mark die result lets the first player freely choose any symbol.

If the die lands on the question mark face, the first player may choose any of the 5 symbols on the drawn card. The first player turns the die with their fingertip — while it remains inside the Rollbox — to display their chosen symbol number, so that the result can still be verified at the end of the round.

Turn structure

The first player draws the symbol in the left neighbor's right palm; it passes around the circle, with the last player drawing in the first player's palm.

On the first attempt, the first player uses their index finger to draw the chosen symbol in the right palm of the player to their left. That player then draws what they felt in the right palm of the next player to their left, and so on around the group. The last player in the chain draws the symbol in the first player's palm, completing the circuit. No one may watch another player draw — only the player currently drawing may look at what they are drawing.

Strategy briefing

Choosing Difficulty Level

Mixing difficulty levels lets groups tailor challenge. Beginners should stick to Blue cards alone. As Blue symbols are simpler, they transmit more reliably through the palm chain, leading to longer consecutive streaks and higher scores. Introducing Red or Mauve cards increases the complexity of symbols and makes transmission errors far more likely.

When to Attempt a Retry

The second attempt costs 1★ but can recover points if transmission clearly broke down early in the chain. Since the maximum stars per round equals (player count − 1), a retry is only worthwhile if you believe at least 2 consecutive correct transmissions are possible — otherwise you net fewer stars than doing nothing. With larger player counts, the potential upside of a retry is greater.

Drawing Slowly and Deliberately

Since players cannot stop and restart once drawing begins, taking a moment to mentally plan the symbol before touching the palm is critical. A confident, complete, well-paced drawing is far more likely to transmit successfully than a rushed or hesitant one.

Choosing a Symbol on Question Mark

When the die shows a question mark, the first player can choose which of the 5 symbols to use. This is a strategic opportunity: choose the symbol that is most distinct and easiest to draw clearly by touch, maximizing the chance of a long consecutive chain.

Scaling Expectations by Player Count

The maximum possible stars per round is (player count − 1), since the last player never earns a star. With 10 players the theoretical maximum is 90★ across 10 rounds, while with 4 players it is only 30★. The victory magnitude thresholds scale accordingly — achieving 'Your names will be engraved in gold' is a proportionally similar challenge at all player counts.

Common questions and edge cases

On a second attempt, does the last player draw in the first player's palm?

No. On the second attempt, the drawing chain proceeds exactly as the first attempt EXCEPT the last player does not draw in the first player's palm. The circuit is not completed on the second attempt.

A player mid-chain gets it wrong, but a later player somehow communicates the correct symbol to the next player. Does that later correct transmission earn a star?

No. Stars are only earned for consecutive correct transmissions starting from the first player. Once the chain is broken by a wrong transmission, no subsequent correct transmissions — even if they occur — contribute any stars.

If the first player rolls a question mark and freely chooses a symbol, how can others verify the correct answer at the end of the round?

After choosing, the first player turns the die with their fingertip inside the Rollbox to show their chosen symbol number. This remains visible through the Rollbox window for verification at the end of the round, just like a regular roll.

If the group scores 0 consecutive correct transmissions on a second attempt, does the round score go to −1★?

The rulebook states 1★ is deducted for a second attempt and the scoring example shows a final minimum of 0★ implied, but strictly by the rules the subtraction applies to the round's result. In practice, a round cannot contribute negative stars to the total — if the round score would go below 0, it is treated as 0★ for that round.

The last player guessed the correct symbol AND drew it correctly for the first player. Do they earn a star?

No. The last player never earns a star for their drawing, because their 'next player' is the first player who already knew the symbol. The last player's guess only matters for scoring the previous player's transmission (i.e., whether the second-to-last player drew correctly for the last player).

A player felt something in their palm but believes they misread it. Can they draw what they think the original symbol was rather than what they felt?

No. Players must always draw what they honestly felt in their palm — or at least what they honestly believe the symbol is based on what they felt. Drawing what you think the 'correct' answer should be (rather than what you actually felt) violates the no-codes rule and the honesty requirement.