Zayac game rules
These are the full Zayac rules. The short beginner path is on How to play. Below is everything you need to run a round without arguments.
What you need
Each player needs their own smartphone with internet and the Zayac app. You don’t need cards, paper, or a host with a deck. The group sits together: associations are spoken out loud. There is no in-app chat.
How many players
Minimum 3, maximum 12. Every round has exactly one Hare. Everyone else is a regular player who knows the secret word.
How to create a game
Sign in with Apple or Google. On the home screen tap Create game. You become the room host: pick the language, number of rounds, and optionally a discussion timer. Until the match starts you can invite players and kick people from the lobby.
How to join
Others tap Join, scan the QR on the host screen, or type the short code. An invite link also works. If the app is already installed, the system may open it immediately. Don’t flash the code at strangers in a public place unless you want extra players.
What a regular player sees
The round theme, a grid of 16 words, and the highlighted secret word. Plus a reminder not to show the screen. Memorise the word, tap ready, and don’t leave your phone face-up on the table.
What the Hare sees
The same theme and all 16 words, but no word is highlighted. The Hare must infer the word from associations without sounding lost. If the group finds them, they pick a word from the list.
How to give associations
The host starts discussion when everyone is ready. The app shows who speaks first. Then go around the table, short and out loud. A good association proves you know the word without naming it. A bad one is either empty or so precise that the Hare guesses immediately.
You barely need the phone in this phase: watch people, not a chat.
What you must not say
- the secret word itself in any language;
- an obvious translation or calque;
- word fragments that rebuild it instantly;
- direct hints like “it’s the one highlighted on the screen”.
If someone blurts the word, the group can stop the round by agreement and start the next one. The app does not auto-punish this — people at the table decide.
How voting works
After discussion the host ends the phase. Everyone picks a suspect on their phone. You can’t vote for yourself. When all votes are in, the app shows the result. If two or more people share the highest count, a revote runs between the leaders.
If the Hare is found
If the majority pointed at the real Hare, they don’t just sit out: the guess screen opens. The group waits while the Hare picks a word from the list.
How the Hare guesses the word
The Hare sees the same grid and chooses one option. A correct guess still scores points after being caught. A miss gives points to every other player.
How scoring works
| Round result | Who scores |
|---|---|
| Hare not found | Hare +2 |
| Hare found and guessed the word | Hare +1 |
| Hare found and missed the word | Each other player +1 |
The player with the most points across all rounds wins. Equal totals share a place.
How the game ends
The host starts the next round or finishes after the agreed number of rounds. The final screen shows places and scores. You can leave to the lobby and start a new game with the same people.
A full round example
Theme: Animals. Secret word: Giraffe.
Maria, Oleg, and Sofia see “giraffe” highlighted. Andriy is the Hare: he sees “lion, cat, giraffe, penguin…” but not which word is secret.
Maria says “tall”. Oleg: “spots”. Sofia: “long neck”. Andriy carefully: “africa” — plausible, but too broad, and people look at him harder.
They vote. Three pick Andriy. The Hare is found. He hesitates between “elephant” and “giraffe”, picks “giraffe”, and scores +1. If he had picked “elephant”, Maria, Oleg, and Sofia would each get +1.
Tips for regular players
- Don’t fire the first association that pops up — the Hare expects that too.
- Watch who echoes other people’s images with no extra meaning.
- Don’t stare at your phone during discussion.
- If the word is obscure, a household association beats an encyclopaedia.
Tips for the Hare
- Listen to the first circle: the theme narrows faster than it seems.
- Match the group’s tone instead of inventing a “clever” association from nowhere.
- Don’t ask “what exactly do you mean?” — it sounds unsure.
- When guessing, drop words that contradict associations already said.
Common disputed situations
- Someone showed their screen. Replay the round. Keep phones closer next time.
- Someone said the secret word by accident. Agree: either the Hare guesses immediately, or you void the round.
- A player dropped offline. Wait for the short reconnect window. If they don’t return, the host decides whether to wait or finish.
- A tie after a revote. Accept the app result or restart the round — just use the same house rule for everyone.
- An association in two languages. Fine, unless it is a direct translation of the secret word.
- Someone doesn’t know a list word. Give a short everyday hint without naming it.