
- BGG rank
- BGG #3,313
- BGG rating
- 6.6
Funemployed
- 3–20 players
- 30 min
- Complexity 1.2/5
- 2013

1989
Rules assistance for The Headlines Game
Plain-language explanations of turns, card effects and disputed situations, with official source references and saved question history.
For 2 players

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Answers come from the official rulebook, with the page to check.
The Headlines Game is a board game released in 1989 for 2–12 players, 45 minutes per game, and ages 12 and up. Its main mechanics are Open Drafting.
In this party game, players try to create headlines for a newspaper. They are given 4 letters, a theme and about 3 minutes to make as many headlines as they want. The words in the headlines need to start with the 4 given letters in the given order and the headline needs to fit into the given theme. Example: Letters: S, B, N, R Theme: Society Headlines created by the participants: Suegra Busca Nuera Rica Submarinista Bucea Nueve Rios Sin Botella Ni Ron After the 3 minutes, the game is stopped and every player shares his/her headlines with the rest. Every round, one player is the 'Editor' and chooses the best headline and awards this player one token. The Editor must take into account the adequacy of the headline to the theme and its originality. The winning player receives a token and becomes the next turn's Editor. The player that reaches first 5 tokens, wins the game. If a player didn't present any headline or makes a mistake (e.g. wrong order, wrong letters), he or she is disqualified from the next round. The theme cards are divided into 4 categories: Regular Theme: Sports, Society, Politics, etc. Prefixes: Players need to complete a given sentence, such as "Every 9 out of 10...", or "The majority of women prefer...", etc. Tongue Twisters: Only one letter is given and all 4 words of the headline need to start with this letter. Editor's Choice: The Editor chooses the theme as he likes. There are some variations given in the rules: 5 Word Headlines: choose 1 more letter card. 2 Players: First one to find a headline in the theme wins. Play to 10 points instead of 5. Team Play: Players work in teams to create the best headlines. The content of the box: 55 theme cards 55 letter cards card support (to show the 4 letter cards and the theme card) sand clock (3 minutes) 4 note pads tokens rules in the form of a small 4 page newspaper
The Headlines Game supports 2–12 players according to the catalogue. This range comes from the publisher’s listed player count, so the game can be set up for any group size within it. Some setups, rules and scoring details may still vary by player count, so check your edition’s rulebook for the exact configuration.
The listed playing time for The Headlines Game is 45 minutes. This is the publisher’s estimate for a full game. The actual duration depends on the group, the player count and familiarity with the rules: first sessions usually run longer, while experienced groups often finish faster. Setup and teaching time are not included in this estimate.
The catalogue lists The Headlines Game for ages 12 and up. This is the publisher’s recommendation and reflects reading demands, rule complexity and small components rather than theme alone. Younger players can often join with help from an adult, so check the age guidance on your edition and consider your group’s experience with board games.
The Headlines Game has a complexity rating of 1.0 out of 5 from BoardGameGeek players, which makes it a light game. The rating reflects how much rules knowledge, planning and decision-making a typical game demands. Expect a longer first teach for heavier games, and use a preparation guide before game night.
The Headlines Game belongs to these categories: Humor, Word Game, and Party Game. Its main mechanics are Open Drafting. Categories describe the theme and setting of a game, while mechanics describe what players actually do on their turns. Each mechanic links to a catalogue hub with similar games, which helps when you want something comparable.
The catalogue lists The Headlines Game as a base game. It can be played on its own with the components in the box and does not require any other title. Expansions, if any exist, add new content or rules on top of it and are listed separately in the catalogue with a link back to this base game.