So Clover!
COOPERATIVE PARTY WORD ASSOCIATION game (François Romain, 2021) — each player places 4 WORD CARDS around a CLOVER-SHAPED holder (4 quadrants); player writes 4 CLUE WORDS that link ADJACENT quadrants' words (each clue links 2 words). Other players work TOGETHER to REORDER the SHUFFLED word cards to match original arrangement, using only clue words. Award-winning + easy-teach (5-min learn), light + fun; comparable to CODENAMES DUET but no adversary. NOMINEE for 2022 SPIEL DES JAHRES + won 2022 ORIGINES award.
Quick facts
Category
Party Games
Type
Team sport
Players
3–6
Duration
~30 min
Where played
both
Country of origin
🇫🇷 France
Estimated origin
Designed 2021 by FRANÇOIS ROMAIN; published by REPOS PRODUCTION (BE, publisher of 7 Wonders + Concept); NOMINEE 2022 SPIEL DES JAHRES (Germany); won 2022 As d'Or ORIGINES (France); considered breakthrough coop party game blending Codenames-style associations with jigsaw-puzzle reveal.
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
REORDER SHUFFLED word cards on each clover to MATCH ORIGINAL arrangement using only clue words written by clover's owner.
Rules
Basic rules
SETUP: each player takes a CLOVER HOLDER + draws WORD CARDS to fill 4 QUADRANTS
Signature 4-quadrant setup.
WRITE CLUES: player secretly WRITES 4 CLUE WORDS (1 per quadrant edge) — each clue must associate WITH BOTH ADJACENT quadrant words (e.g., between 'BEACH' + 'HAT' write 'SUN')
Signature 4-clue adjacency writing.
ADD DECOY: player adds 1 DECOY WORD CARD to their 4 (5 total) + SHUFFLES
Signature +1 decoy shuffle.
GUESS PHASE: OTHER PLAYERS as team look at owner's 5 shuffled words + 4 written clues; must REORDER 4 correct words in correct 4 quadrant slots (identifying + discarding decoy)
Signature reorder-guess with decoy.
REVEAL: owner reveals original arrangement; team scores based on how many quadrants correctly placed
Signature reveal + score.
SCORING: 3-4 correct = victory, 2 = partial, 0-1 = failure; move around table until all players' clovers done
Signature 3-tier per-clover scoring.
Scoring
Team scores per clover: 4 correct = 4 pts, 3 = 2 pts, 2 = 1 pt, 0-1 = 0 pt.
Win condition · Cooperative — try to maximize combined table score.
Equipment
CLOVER-SHAPED HOLDERS (4-leaf clover with 4 quadrant slots per player)
Signature 4-quadrant clover holder.
MANY DOUBLE-SIDED WORD CARDS (~300 cards, 600+ words)
Signature 300-word cards deck.
WHITEBOARD MARKERS + WIPEABLE CLUE STRIPS (4 per player)
Signature clue-writing strips.
TIMER (optional; adjustable difficulty)
Standard game timer.
Terminology
- Clover
- 4-quadrant word holder — sport's namesake.
- Clue word
- Single word linking 2 adjacent quadrant words.
- Decoy
- Extra fake word added before shuffle to confuse guessers.
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Repos Production (publisher + rights)
Founded 2005 · Brussels, Belgium
Sources & provenance
- BoardGameGeek — So Clover!— BoardGameGeek
- Repos Production— Repos Production