{{no footnotes, date=November 2010 ''Ex Libris: The Game of First Lines and Last Words'' is a

party game Party games are games that are played at social gatherings to facilitate interaction and provide entertainment and recreation. Categories include (explicit) icebreaker, parlour (indoor), picnic (outdoor), and large group games.Frankel, Lillian; ...

of literary bluff related to fictionary. First published in 1991 by the English board game company Oxford Games Ltd., ''Ex Libris'' was devised and compiled by Leslie Scott (the creator of ''

Jenga Jenga is a game of physical skill created by British board game designer and author Leslie Scott and marketed by Hasbro. Players take turns removing one block at a time from a tower constructed of 54 blocks. Each block removed is then placed on ...

'') and designed by Sara Finch. The game involves having to write fake, but plausible, opening (or closing) sentences of genuine books in an attempt to fool fellow players into believing your words are the authentic first (or last) lines of a given book.

Rules of play

The game comprises one hundred cards, each of which provides (on the one side) the title, author, and plot summary of a published book or short story; and on the flip side, the genuine first and last sentences of that book. At the start of each round, a different player takes on the role of ''reader'' and reads aloud the title, author and plot summary. The other players are then required to write plausible first or last sentences for the book, handing their efforts over to the ''reader'', who has meanwhile copied the correct line onto a similar piece of paper, which he/she shuffles amongst the 'fake' scripts. The ''reader'' then reads aloud all the sentences, taking care to disguise the genuine. Players vote for which line they consider to be the genuine first or last sentence. A player receives one point for each vote given his or her fake line. A player receives one point if he/she votes for the book's authentic first or last line. The ''reader'' receives one point if no one identifies the genuine line.

Reviews

Currently endorsed by Oxford University's

Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the sec ...

and the

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the Briti ...

(London), which both receive a royalty for each game sold, ''Ex Libris'' has been described as "fantastically tricky" and "boring-sounding (but actually extremely entertaining)". Myerson, Julie (22 November 2008)
"Go on, you know you want to ..."
''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...

''.

References

Word games