Outburst is a trademark of Parker Brothers and Get-Together Games.
Based on the Parker Brothers game of the same name.

Now a major 'net game! Click here for the 'Net Outburst home page!

Object: To guess as many of 10 "Target Words" as possible before time runs out.

Teams: 2 teams of 5.

Theme: Go, by Bob Cobert.

Each team has 60 seconds to come up with as many of the 10 words that accompany a category as possible.

If, for any reason, the team does not like the category, it may elect to pass and get the next category. The opposing team gets to play the passed category. Each team can only pass three times.

One word per round is worth bonus points. This word is determined by generating a random number between 1 and 10. (One corresponds to the first answer, 10 to the tenth.) The number of the word that is selected is worth from one to three points, again to be determined at random.

*NEW!* A rule added to the 'net game version of Outburst that will apply here is the ten-out-of-ten bonus. If any team gets a perfect 10-of-10 score, that team scores all ten points, whatever bonus points that were in play, PLUS $500 and five bonus points.

*NEW!* Also added to the 'net game version is an increasing point scale--that is, scores are worth one point in Round 1, two points in Round 2, and three points in Round 3 and any other necessary rounds. Bonuses also increase, from a possible 1-2-3 points in Round 1 to 2-4-6 in subsequent rounds. This rule will also apply to the TV version.

Teams continue to play categories until the score of 60 points is reached, or, if one team goes over 60 during the course of a question, the 60 seconds runs out. (This rule is similar to the Pyramid rule that allowed teams to go for the 7-out-of-7 bonus even if they only needed 5 to win.) The winning team receives $10 per point, making a 60-point win worth $600. Any points over 60 are counted, making the winning team’s take a potential maximum of $720 (59 points to start, then getting all 10 with a three-point bonus).

The bonus round consists of the five team members playing a final category, with a chance at $25,000. The players play the round as all others, but no bonus points are in play. If the team gets all 10 words, they win the jackpot; otherwise they win $200 per word they do get. The team again has 60 seconds in order to do this.

Teams are retired when they either win the $25,000 or are on for five consecutive shows.

The whole concept of Outburst as a game show seems to be a good idea, since it can be played faithfully by the rules of the board game and still work--see my successful 'net game for evidence of that. As a matter of fact, it go so bad on my dorm floor at UConn that we did play Outburst like a game show, but without the bonus round and the money. That is, we don’t anymore. We started playing Family Feud and Pyramid instead.

2nd, right after You Don't Know Jack. After that would be Mall Madness, The $25,000 Guess My Name, and The All-New Break the Bank.

(c) 1998 Ryan Bugaj.

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