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Free game guide · TABLE Method™

Decrypto

Clear and careful communication in teams

Buy the guide, $7 See the TABLE plan

Decrypto TABLE Method™ Game Guide cover

What the game is

Two teams each have four secret keywords. Each round, one player on each team gives three clues pointing to a secret three-digit code, so their team can decode it while the other team tries to intercept it. Clues must be clear to friends and confusing to rivals.

Why it works at a table

Decrypto makes the gap between what I mean and what you hear visible on paper. Every clue has to fit two audiences at once, so players practice taking another person's point of view. The rule against private references is a natural prompt about shared language, and the rotating Encryptor role means everyone gets a turn to be heard without one voice dominating.

Try one variation

Partner Encryptor (BGT house rule, not an official rule). The Encryptor may choose one teammate as a clue-writing partner. Both privately view the code and write the three clues together. Neither joins the team's decoding discussion or gives hints after the clues are read. The other teammates decode normally. For small teams, consider Single team instead.

  • Targets: Support and inclusion
  • Suits: Younger players and those less confident with words
  • Watch for: Make sure the helper does not take over.
  • Debrief prompt: “What did working in a pair add?”

The TABLE Method™, applied

A short excerpt from the full guide's TABLE plan. Anyone can pass, pause, or stop at any time.

  1. Target

    Notice how team members negotiate meaning, how the Encryptor handles a miscommunication, and whether quieter players get airtime in team discussion.

  2. Assess

    Check the player count, the time, and whether the game serves today's goal.

    • Can everyone read and write short words? Offer a scribe partner if needed.

  3. Build

    • Seat teams across the table so screens face inward.
    • Agree that team discussion is whispered and kind.

  4. Lead

    • Run one open demonstration round with the whole group as one team.
    • Use the optional timer only when it supports the group.

  5. Extract and Extend

    Debrief in order: Board, Self, Us, Life or Work, Extension. Ask what participants make of the game. Do not tell them.

Game not included; play by the rulebook in your box. Decrypto is not named in the BGT book; the guide applies the book's TABLE Method to it as a companion title. Independent companion. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Le Scorpion Masqué. Decrypto is a trademark of its owner and is named only to identify the game. Board Game Therapy is not inherently psychotherapy. Copyright 2026 Solid State Strategies, LLC.

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