The Catechism Game

Introduction

Children and adults play and learn together in this catechism game for the whole family. Players race to the finish, answering questions from an age-appropriate catechism along the way. The game board follows the biblical narrative, from creation and the fall to the incarnation and Pentecost. 

Instructions

1. Each player is assigned an age-appropriate catechism. Recommended:

• Ages 2–5: The Kids’ Catechism
• Ages 6–12: The Young Disciples’ Catechism (coming soon)
• Ages 13+: The Whole Counsel of God: A Protestant Catechism and Discipleship Handbook

2. Each player chooses a starting question in their catechism. This is usually the first question that the player has not already memorized. For example, if the player has memorized Questions 1–7, then their starting question is usually Question 8.

3. Each player chooses a pawn and places it on START. Since each pawn features a great saint from church history, players may take a moment to look up and learn more about their saint.  

4. The youngest player rolls the die first.

5. When a player lands on a “Q” space, they are asked their starting question by another player. If they give a word-perfect answer, they may go three additional spaces (ignoring any instructions on that space; instructions are only followed if a player lands on a space by rolling a die). Players continue to be asked the same question on subsequent “Q” spaces until they give a word-perfect answer.

When a player lands on any space other than a “Q” space, they simply follow the instructions (e.g., “Lose a Turn”).

If a player lands on the “Fall” space, they go back to START. This can only happen to each player once. If a player goes back to START, then lads on the “Fall” space again, they simply end their turn. 

If a player lands on a gold-outlined space and is able to say the Apostles’ Creed or Nicene Creed, Lord’s Prayer, or Ten Commandments from memory, they may go six additional spaces.

6. When it is a player’s turn and they end their movement on the same space as another player (e.g., by rolling a die and/or moving additional spaces), they bump that player back one space. For example, if Player 1 rolls a “5” on the die and lands on the same space as Player 2, they bump Player 2’s pawn back one space. If the space that Player 1 landed on was a “Q” space, they answer the question correctly, go three additional spaces, and land on the same space as Player 3, they also bump Player 3 back one space.

7. The first player to reach END wins. For a shorter game, there is an optional “END” space after the Old Testament portion of the board.