HCASC Game Format
The fast-paced game is played in categories. There are four new categories in each round. The new format features four player teams, but in each game only three play. There will be four rounds in each game.
Rounds 1, 2 and 3
There are Face-Off and Bonus questions. In each round, a different player from each team handles Face-Offs, which means only s/he may answer. Face-Offs are worth 10 points. If a player answers a Face-Off correctly, the team gets a bonus. Answer it wrong and the question is turned over to the other team. Face-Offs may not be interrupted. Players must wait until the end of the question to signal. Bonuses are all worth 20 points and the team confers on its answer(s), but may not interrupt the reading of a Bonus part. The last player to correctly answer a Face-Off picks the category for the next Face-Off. Rounds 1, 2 and 3 are each 4 minutes in length.
Round 4
The last round is called the Ultimate Challenge. Each team can earn up to 250 points in this rapid-fire round. The team that is behind at the end of Round 3 goes first. From 4 new categories, they select one to play. They have 60 seconds to answer up to 10 questions worth 50 points apiece. Whether a team gives a right or wrong answer or “passes” on a question, the moderator keeps moving to the next question. As long as there is time left on the 60 second clock, the moderator will go back to questions that were missed for additional tries. Next the opposing team picks from the remaining 3 categories and again, has 60 seconds to answer up to 10 questions at 50 points apiece. The team with the most points at the end of the Ultimate Challenge is the winner. Ties are broken by the play of Face-Off questions until one team answers a Face-Off correctly. Teams playing a tie-breaker select which player is in the center position to play the Face-Off(s).
How Games are Distributed
Games are distributed in a downloadable Game Play Database. The game is played using a laptop computer and large monitor for the players to see the questions as they are read. You must supply a laptop computer (Windows 8, 8.1 or 10 operating system) and a secondary monitor. No software is required.
About the Questions
This format is exciting to watch and fun to play. The questions maintain the HCASC focus on core academic topics, general knowledge and African American-centric material. In our new question style, the categories serve as clues, enabling us to write shorter playable questions and to have more questions played in each game.
Before each game, the teams are given the categories titles (and descriptions) for each round. This enables the coach to determine which player should play the Face-Offs in Rounds 1, 2 and 3, pairing their knowledge base with the categories.
Note that of the four members of your team, only three play in each game.
For more information on the game consult these pages: