Zener Whot!
This is Zener Whot!, our version of Storey's celebrated game of Whot!
This version has its origin in the similarity between the original Whot! version and the classic 1930s Zener/Rhine ESP cards. By replacing the Triangle symbol with the Water symbol, we can make a Whot! pack that doubles as an ESP tester, and more.
We call them Green Star, Gold Ring, Red Cross, Black Square. The WWhot! symbol us all five symbols. For numbering and layout, we have otherwise kept as close as possible to the original Whot! cards.
For a game of Whot! with a diference you can order a pack printed on demand at Make Playing Cards here. Now read on for other uses the pack can be put to.
Zener Testing
By making a subselection of the first 25 cards (1,2,3,5,7) we get a Zener test set of 5 by 5 cards:
For which you can run mind-reading tests.
Zener Ken
But we thought an additional game might be interesting based on another similarity. We can adapt this deck to play out Wuxing Ken card game with these Zener subset.
ZENER KEN
The game of Elemental Ken (Wuxing Ken) can be adapted to the 25-card Zener subset if we make the following equivalence
Green Star — Wood (木)
Red Cross — Fire (火)
Black Square — Earth (土)
Gold Ring — Metal (金)
Blue Waves — Water (水)
To recap the rules, each sign can overcome another, and transcend another (these are wins) and each sign can be overcome by another and generate another.
This is a diagram of the game rules (note please that the inner arrows shown with dotted shafts point in the opposite direction of the conventional Wuxing diagram)
Green Star defeats Blue Waves and Black Square
Red Cross defeats Green Star and Gold Ring
Black Square defeats Red Cross and Blue Waves
Gold Ring defeats Black Square and Green Star
Blue Waves defeats Gold Ring and Red Cross
The rules:
Players: 2 Players.
Deal: Shuffle the 25 cards and deal 10 cards face-down to each player. Set the remaining 5 cards aside face-down as the unplayed Vault (cards in the Vault are out of play for the game).
Gameplay Structure
A complete game consists of 2 Rounds (using 5 cards per round from each player's 10-card hand).
1. The Row Layout (Face-Down)
In each round, both players select 5 cards from their 10-card hand and lay them face-down in a horizontal row facing their opponent:
2. The Resolution Phase (Bouts 1 through 5)
Cards are revealed simultaneously paired by position, moving sequentially from Slot 1 to Slot 5. Each bout resolves instantly:
If the two revealed cards are from different signs, check the Overcoming relationship. The sign that overcomes wins the bout regardless of card ranks.
(Optional) If both revealed cards feature the same sign, the card with the higher numerical rank wins the bout. This removes the possibility of a draw bout, which changes the probability space of the game
Scoring & Victory
Bout Points: The winner of each bout takes both revealed cards into their victory pile (1 Point per bout won).
Conquest Streak Bonus (+2 Points): If a player wins 3 bouts in a row within the same 5-card row layout, they earn an instant +2 Point Momentum Bonus.
Round 2 & Final Winner: After Slot 5 resolves, players take their remaining 5 hand cards and lay out their second row for Round 2. Once all 10 bouts across both rounds have resolved, the player with the highest total score wins the game.
Zener Nine-and-Twenty
This is a different kind of game using the same rules as Zener Ken, based on games like Noddy, Costly Colours and One-and-Thirty, which were precursors to Cribbage.
Components & Setup
Deck: 49 cards total (Zener Whot! deck minus the 5 Whot! wildcards).
Players: 2 Players (or 4 Players in 2 Partnerships).
Parity Division:
Cut the pack for dealer, highest cardvalue wins (rank and suit by Zener Ken rules)
One player/team represents ODDS.
The opposing player/team represents EVENS.
Deal: Deal 12 cards face-down to each player. Set the remaining 29 cards face-down as the Kitty.
Gameplay & Play-Pile Tally
Leading: The player to the dealer's left plays any card from their hand to start the central play-pile, stating its value as the opening Tally.
Sequential Play: Players alternate playing one card face-up onto the central pile. Each played card must follow the elemental constraint (Same Suit or Overcoming Suit) relative to the card directly beneath it. The card's rank is added to the running Tally.
Drawing from the Kitty: If a player cannot (or chooses not to) make a legal play, they must draw 1 card from the Kitty and pass their turn.
Breaking Twenty-Nine:
The moment a card causes the running Tally to exceed 29 (reaching 30 or higher), the trick instantly resolves.
Even Tally means EVENS wins the trick.
Odd Tally means ODDS wins the trick.
Resetting: The winner of the trick collects all cards in the central pile into their scoring stack. The Tally resets to zero, and the trick winner plays the lead card for the next trick.
Finishing: Play continues until all cards in hands and the Kitty are exhausted. If the last play doesn't reach 29, the cards are given to the winner of the previous trick.
Scoring & Winning
Players count the total number of individual cards captured in their scoring stacks:
Basic Trick Cards: Each captured card is worth 1 Point.
High-Index Bonus: The player or team holding the highest total sum of index numbers across their captured trick cards earns a +5 Point Bonus.
The side with the highest score at the end of the deal wins the round.
Of course, you can play either of these games with a regular Whot! pack if you set up the rules for the circular winning mechanism.
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