HOW TO PLAY
SYNK! only takes 2 minutes to learn. Follow our step by step guide:
STEP 1: DRAW A CARD
SYNK! begins with a single player picking a card.
They reveal to the room the FIRST letter of the secret word (in this example, the letter A).
STEP 2: THINK FAST:
Everyone else scrambles to come up with a word that starts with that letter.
A place, a celebrity, a weird hobby, your cat’s name—anything goes.
Got one? Shout “I’VE GOT ONE!” like your life depends on it.
Describe your word to the group without actually saying it.
Don’t stress about guessing the secret word yet! Early on, just be quick and focus on getting your words out. The letters of the secret word will reveal themselves gradually as you SYNK! with others.
STEP 3: SHOUT SYNK!
Once a player has described their word, anyone who thinks they know it shouts “SYNK!”.
Count down 3… 2… 1…
At the end of the countdown, only three people say their words:
The player who described the word
The guesser who shouted SYNK!
The cardholder, if they want to catch
MATCH: The guesser’s word matches the described word → success!
The cardholder reveals the SECOND letter of the secret word (in this case, the letter N).
Now you have to think of a new word that starts with the FIRST AND SECOND letter of the word on the card (in this case, AN).
MISS / CAUGHT: If the guesser’s word doesn’t match, or the cardholder says it → tough luck, the next letter stays hidden. Back to Step 2, try again!
STEP 4: KEEP BUILDING
With each new letter, finding matching words gets tougher—and more exciting—as the secret word grows.
The secret word is built cumulatively, and your words must start with all letters revealed so far.
Early rounds are about speed and fun—don’t worry about guessing the full word until several letters are revealed.
STEP 5: WIN THE ROUND
First player to describe and match the secret word with another player wins the card.
If no one succeeds - or if the secret word is said but no one successfully matches it - the cardholder claims the card in victory.
Collect 3 cards and you’re the champ! Or keep playing forever, we’re not your boss.
Few Final Points:
No repeats: Once a word is played, it’s dead for that round.
Don’t hog it: No “I’VE GOT ONE!” more than twice in a row.
Close enough counts: (“run” vs “running”). Don’t be that guy.
Stuck? The cardholder reveals the definition, and everyone gets exactly one final guess to shout the word—no describing, no matching, just one shot! The first player to shout the correct word wins the card; if no one gets it, the cardholder keeps it.
