The Headlines Game

About this board game

The Headlines Game is a party game for 2–12 players that takes about 45 minutes. Players race to create as many newspaper headlines as possible from four letters, using the letters in their given order and matching a selected theme.

Each round begins with a theme and four letter cards. Players have approximately three minutes to write their ideas, whether the theme is Sports, Society, Politics, or another regular subject. When time runs out, everyone presents their headlines to the group.

One player serves as the Editor and chooses the best headline, considering both its suitability for the theme and its originality. The winner receives a token and becomes the Editor for the next round. The first player to collect five tokens wins.

Accuracy matters as much as creativity. A headline with incorrect letters or the wrong order is a mistake, and a player who submits no headline or makes an error is disqualified from the following round.

• Regular Themes: Subjects such as sports, society, and politics.
• Prefixes: Complete prompts such as “Every 9 out of 10…”
• Tongue Twisters: Use one provided letter to begin all four words.
• Editor’s Choice: The Editor selects the theme.

Optional rules add variety, including five-word headlines, a two-player race played to ten points, and team play. The box includes 55 theme cards, 55 letter cards, a card support, a three-minute sand clock, four note pads, tokens, and rules presented as a small four-page newspaper. The Headlines Game was released in 1989.