‘Compliments are a Double-Edged Sword’

What is Facade? 

Facade is a socially oriented party game for 4-8 players where compliments act as strategy and petals serve as currency. Each round, players have a choice of admiring themselves or others, flipping the conventions of compliments forcing humour and creativity. Through this, players are forced to weigh up morality and strategy to become the most adored in the room. 

(and there’s nothing wrong with a little self admiration…)

Breaking the Facade:

Before getting into how to play, it is important to bear in mind: this is a game! Facade is designed to be a light-hearted social game made for laughs and creativity, where discomfort and hostility are not welcome. 

Players are expected to engage respectfully, always ensuring that those playing with you are comfortable. If any compliments or actions considered inappropriate, backhanded or in bad taste, the group may collectively agree to nullify the compliment. In this case, the compliment is treated as if it were never played. 

Simply put: treat others at the table with the respect you’d like to receive.  

Key Terms: 

Petals: Petals are points. Throughout the game, these are accumulated or lost based on who compliments who. The player with the most Petals is the winner. 

Petal Pool: The Petal Pool is a shared pile of Petals placed in the centre of the table. Players never take Petals directly from one another. Any Petals lost are placed into the Petal Pool and any gains are taken from the Petal Pool. 

Reflection Cards: Reflection cards introduce a temporary constraint on a player’s next compliment (For example: ‘Write your next compliment as if it were a news headline’). Constraints range from how the compliment is written to adding a performative element or explaining reasoning behind the compliment. Topic Cards: Topic Cards set the theme of the round, each round, the compliment must match the Topic Card through free and creative interpretation from the player. 

Defended / Defenceless: When a player chooses to Compliment themselves, they become ‘Defended’ for the turn, otherwise they are ‘Defenceless’

Set-up:

To start playing, the game must be prepared: 

• Each player needs a whiteboard and pen
• Shuffle the Topic Deck and place face down in the middle of the table
• Shuffle the Reflection Deck and place face down in the middle of the table
• Place Petals in the centre of the table to create the Petal Pool
• Set a round timer (1 minute is recommended)

Writing Phase:

At the start of every round is the writing phase: 

• Each player takes 2 Petals
• A Topic Card is drawn from the top of the deck and placed in the middle of the table
• Start the round timer
• Players must write a compliment on their whiteboard based on the topic
• Players write on their whiteboard whether they are complimenting themselves or another player 
• Compliments must be written before the timer ends

Complimenting Yourself: 

• Protects your petals from being lost for the duration of the round
• Whenever a player compliments themselves and is not targeted by any player this turn, they draw 1 Reflection Card.
• If a player is targeted while Defended, the player attempting to steal from them loses 1 Petal and the Defending player does not draw a Reflection Card

Complimenting Others: 

• Allows you to attempt to steal Petals
• If your target has chosen to compliment themselves, draw 1 Reflection Card
• If your target hasn’t complimented themselves, gain a number of Petals equal to that stated in the ‘Stealing Petals’ section

Stealing Petals:

Stealing is resolved solely through the Petal Pool in the middle of the table, players never directly exchange Petals. 

• If a Defenceless player is targeted by 1 player:
  • The target places 2 Petals into the Petal Pool 
  • The stealing player takes 2 Petals from the Petal Pool
• If a Defenceless player is targeted by 2 players: 
  • The target places 2 Petals into the Petal Pool 
  • Each stealing player takes 1 Petal from the Petal Pool
• If a Defenceless player is targeted by 3 or more players: 
  • No Petals are moved
  • Each stealing player draws 1 Reflection Card

• If a player attempts to Compliment a Defended player: 
  • That player places 1 Petal into the Petal Pool

Resolving the Round: 

When all players have finished writing, all compliments are revealed and read aloud, starting with the player who set up the game.

• Resolve the round in the following order: 
  • Self-Compliments (Protection) 
  • Complimenting Others (Stating Targets)
  • Petal Resolution

Petal Resolution:

• All players who lose Petals place the required amount in the Petal Pool
• After this, players who gain Petals take them from the Petal Pool

Winning the Game:

• The game continues for 6 rounds
• The player with the most Petals at the end of the game wins

In the case of a Tie:  

• A final round is started where only tied players participate
• Each Tied Player: Draws 1 Reflection Card
• A Topic Card is Revealed and a shorter timer is started (Recommended 45 seconds).
• One final reveal where normal stealing and protection rules apply.
• The player with the most Petals after this round is the winner.