Incohearent Card Game

Incohearent is a party card game where you decode gibberish by reading it out loud. Each card shows a string of words that looks like nonsense but sounds like a familiar phrase when you say it. The first player to name the hidden phrase wins the card. There is an adult original (17+), a Family Edition (12+), and two expansion packs.

One player is the judge. They start a 60-second timer and hold up a card, gibberish side out. Everyone else reads it aloud and calls out guesses, and the first correct guess wins the card. The round ends when three cards are solved or time runs out, then the next player becomes judge. Under the standard rules for the original game, the first player to collect 13 cards wins.

The current core game has 300 cards and instructions. The cards are split into three categories: Party, Spicy and Pop Culture. The gibberish is on the front, and the answer is on the back for the judge. It is rated 17+ for adult content. Not every edition includes a timer, so plan on using your phone.

Same game, different content. The original has adult humor and pop culture references for ages 17+. The Family Edition swaps those for PG phrases suitable for ages 12 and up. It also has 400 cards and a one-minute sand timer, compared with 300 cards in the current original. The Family Edition is a complete game on its own, not an expansion.

The original plays best with 3 to 8 people, though it works with two players or a bigger crowd. The Family Edition is made for 2 or more. In a small group, players take turns judging and guessing. At a big party, everyone can guess at once or you can split into teams. Everyone just needs to see the card and hear each other.

Usually 20 to 40 minutes, depending on how many people are playing and how fast they crack the cards. Each judging round lasts up to one minute and ends early if three cards are solved. For a shorter game, lower the winning target. For a longer one, play another match. The short rounds also make it easy to mix in with other party games.

The original is not. It is rated 17+ for mature language, suggestive humor and adult references. For kids, Incohearent Family Edition is the right pick: it is rated 12+ and leaves out the explicit content. In both editions, players need to read fluently and know everyday expressions, so younger readers may need some help sounding cards out.

There are two: Fresh Phrases and NSFW. Fresh Phrases adds 180 new gibberish cards for groups that want more variety after playing through the original deck. The NSFW pack also has 180 cards, built around explicit jokes and adult phrases. Both are rated 17+ and need the Incohearent core game. Neither is sold as a standalone game.

They are made to be added to the core game, so you need the original to play them as intended. Each pack has 180 extra cards that use the same rules, and you just shuffle them into your existing deck. Incohearent Family Edition is different: it is a complete game and does not need the core box.

Most editions cost between $12 and $20 in the US, depending on the edition and the store. The core game has been listed at about $15.99, the Family Edition at $19.99, Fresh Phrases at $12.99 and the NSFW pack at $11.99. Prices change with sales, and older printings can have different card counts, so check which edition you are getting.

Peter Levin and Javier Quinonez, the founders of Hunch Studios, a game studio in New York City. They came up with the sound-based guessing idea and worked with What Do You Meme? to bring it to market. Incohearent launched in 2019 and sold well enough to lead to a Family Edition and expansion packs. Hunch has also made First & Last and Tell Me Without Telling Me.

Hunch Studios developed the game, and What Do You Meme? released it. What Do You Meme? rebranded as Relatable in 2023 as its lineup grew past the original meme card game. Incohearent is still part of the Relatable collection, and the Hunch Studios team is credited with the game concept.

Incohearent started at Hunch Studios, an independent game studio in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. Its publishing partner, Relatable, distributes Incohearent and its other games through major retailers. The game is also sold outside the US, in stores and on online marketplaces.

It plays perfectly in a short video. Someone holds up a card, mangles the words a few times, and viewers try to beat them to the answer. You can play along just by listening, without owning the game or knowing the rules. Incohearent clips have pulled in hundreds of millions of views, which introduced the card game to a much wider audience.

Incohearent is sold online and at major US retailers like Target and Walmart, plus other stores that carry Relatable games. Not every store stocks every edition. Look for the Incohearent name with Relatable or What Do You Meme? branding. Older boxes may show the old company name or have a different card count than the current editions.