Ex Libris: The Game of First Lines and Last Words is a party game 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) 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.
Contents
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, and each player then votes for which line he or she considers 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 and the British Library (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)".