That’s Not a Hat: Rules & How to Play
Learn how gift cards move, when to accept or challenge, who takes a penalty, what arrows mean, and the official two-player variant.
Forget the Gift? Bluff Your Way Out.
Remember the hidden objects, follow each card’s arrow and avoid being caught naming the wrong gift.
That’s Not a Hat (often written That’s not a Hat!) is a light memory-and-bluffing card game designed by Kasper Lapp and published by Ravensburger. Every player can see pictures of ordinary objects at first. Then the picture cards are turned over, sent as “gifts” around the table and named aloud. You can accept a claimed gift or challenge the claim. If a challenge reveals someone is wrong, that player takes the card as a penalty. When anyone collects three penalty cards, the game ends and the player with the fewest penalties wins.
This guide follows the official English Ravensburger instruction booklet for original item 20955. The publisher’s current product listing specifies 3–8 players, ages 8+ and around 10 minutes with 110 cards. The instructions additionally include an optional two-player variant. Do not confuse the original picture deck with the themed sequel decks; differences are discussed below.
How to play That’s Not a Hat: the quick rules
| Step | Action | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Deal gifts | Give everyone one face-up picture card and leave the remaining cards face up in the middle as the Gift Shop. | Everyone may study each starting object. |
| 2. Start the chain | The starting player draws a visible Gift Shop card, shows it, turns it face down and passes it as a named gift. | Follow the arrow printed on the card back. |
| 3. Accept or refuse | The recipient either says “thank you” and keeps the face-down card or says “That’s not a …” and reveals it. | You cannot peek before deciding. |
| 4. Pass the old gift | After accepting, place the new gift above the old one and pass the old card in its arrow direction. | Never pass the accepted new gift immediately. |
| 5. Resolve a challenge | If the giver named the card wrongly, the giver takes the penalty; if the giver was right, the challenger takes it. | The penalised player then immediately gives away a fresh shop card. |
| 6. Finish | Continue until someone has three penalty cards. Count everyone’s penalties. | Lowest total wins, not the player who triggered the end. |
Teach it in one breath: “You each have a known item. When you get another gift, put it on top and pass your oldest card in its arrow direction, saying what you think it is. The receiver can accept or call the bluff. The person who was wrong takes one penalty. Three penalties on anyone ends the game; fewest wins.”
Setup: cards, the Gift Shop and the starting player
- Shuffle the picture cards. Each card shows a simple object on its face and a directional arrow on the back.
- Deal one card face up to each player. Put the picture in front of its owner where everyone can see it. Try to remember not just your own item but other people’s starting objects.
- Create the Gift Shop. Put the remaining cards in a face-up draw pile in the centre of the table. The top picture is visible to everyone.
- Pick the starter. According to the printed rules, the person who most recently received a gift begins.
- Keep a space for penalties. Each person needs a personal pile of cards they’ve lost after a challenge. Those cards remain face up and count against them.
You do not need a timer, a score pad, colored player pieces or separate clue tokens for the standard game. The current Ravensburger box contains 110 gift cards and one instruction booklet. The pictures are deliberately simple: the mental work comes from tracking which gift moved where once the cards are hidden.
Is the Gift Shop pile face up or face down?
Face up. That may look counterintuitive in a memory game, but it is the official setup. The newly drawn object is publicly visible before it is turned face down and sent as a gift. Starting with an unseen shop deck would change the game.
What happens on the first turn?
The starting player takes the top, face-up card from the Gift Shop, shows the picture to everyone, turns the card face down and checks the arrow on the back. That arrow points either left or right, indicating the neighboring player who should receive it. The starter offers the card while saying what the gift is, such as “Here’s a lovely umbrella for you.”
This is a fresh shop card, so the starter passes that new card immediately. They do not need to get rid of the face-up card originally dealt to them during this opening action. The recipient then chooses between accepting the claim and refusing it, just as with every later gift.
Because everyone has just seen that first gift, it normally seems easy to accept. The challenge becomes harder as cards cycle repeatedly around the table and the same faces remain hidden. Remember that the gift cards themselves travel; players do not pass only the names or tokens for the gifts.
What if you accept a gift?
Accept when you believe the giver is correctly naming the picture on the hidden card, or when you’re not confident enough to challenge it. Say “thank you” and put the incoming card face down above the card already in front of you.
You now have two gifts in a short column:
| Position | Card | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Top / farthest from you | Newly accepted gift | Keep it in front of you. |
| Bottom / closest to you | Older gift | Pass this card to the neighbor shown by its arrow. |
When you pass that older card, first make sure its picture is hidden. If it was your original face-up starting gift, flip it to its arrow back. Follow the arrow printed on that particular card, then say what you believe its face shows. Your recipient must now make the same accept-or-challenge decision.
This creates the central chain: receive the new gift → keep it → pass the old gift. The order matters. If your group accidentally passes the card that has just arrived, the memory challenge and direction of play change dramatically.
Can I check my old card before I pass it?
No. Once the picture has been turned face down, the official rule says that no player can take a peek until a challenge triggers a reveal. You must remember it, infer its identity from previous announcements, or bluff.
What do the arrows mean in That’s Not a Hat?
The arrow on each card back determines which neighboring player receives that individual card. It may point left or right. You do not choose freely, and the whole game does not follow one fixed clockwise turn order.
For example, your old gift may point left, so you pass it to the player on your left. Their old card might point right, so it comes back to you. That is permitted; every card follows its own arrow. Do not mix up the image on the front, which identifies the gift, with the arrow on the back, which identifies its destination.
Arrows also have black and white color variations. Those colors become relevant to an optional harder mode, described later. In normal play, the key function of the arrow is simply to show where the card goes.
When and how do you challenge a gift?
When someone offers a card and calls it a named item, you can refuse by saying “That’s not a [claimed item]!” Reveal the picture to settle whether that statement is true. You do not have to say what you think the card really shows. A successful challenge depends on proving the announced item was wrong, not on supplying the correct alternative.
| Revealed result | Who was wrong? | Penalty |
|---|---|---|
| The gift is not the object claimed by the giver. | Giver was wrong. | Giver keeps the revealed card in their face-up penalty pile. |
| The gift is exactly what the giver claimed. | Recipient challenged incorrectly. | Recipient keeps the revealed card in their face-up penalty pile. |
Every penalty card counts for one point against the person who takes it. No one collects a positive scoring reward for catching a bluff. Instead, the challenge makes somebody keep the exposed card, giving that player a worse score.
What happens after a successful or failed challenge?
The player who has just received the penalty point takes the next face-up gift from the Gift Shop and shows it to the table. They then flip that card face down and give it away immediately according to its arrow, identifying the object aloud. This starts the next chain of accept-or-refuse decisions. The replacement card is never kept as the penalised person’s own new gift.
Importantly, the challenged gift has been removed from circulation as a penalty. The penalised player’s existing gift remains in place; drawing and immediately passing the shop card is how the action continues.
Two original examples: an accepted gift and a failed bluff
These are made-up training examples, not reproductions of Ravensburger cards. Assume the imagined objects and arrows shown below exist for the illustration.
Example A: accept the new card, pass the older one
| Moment | What the players see or say | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Before the gift | Alex has a face-up teapot in front of them. | Everyone can remember teapot. |
| Gift received | Bea offers a hidden card as a lantern. | Alex believes it and says “thank you.” |
| Old card leaves | Alex places the lantern card above the teapot, flips the teapot face down and follows the teapot card’s arrow. | Alex claims, “Here is a teapot for you.” |
| Next decision | The next recipient hears “teapot.” | They may accept or challenge Alex’s claim. |
Even if Alex accidentally believed Bea’s wrong identification, that error is not scored immediately. It matters only when someone later challenges a claim about that particular card and reveals the face.
Example B: a wrong claim is challenged
Dana offers a face-down card, announcing, “Here’s a lovely drum.” Eli doubts the claim and refuses it. The card is flipped and actually shows a key. Dana was the person who named the card incorrectly, so Dana takes one penalty point and puts the key face up in their penalty pile.
Dana then draws a new visible card from the Gift Shop — imagine it shows a kite. Dana announces “kite,” turns it face down and immediately passes it in its arrow direction. The next recipient accepts or challenges. If the card had really been a drum, Eli would have taken the penalty for challenging a truthful giver, and Eli would be responsible for starting the replacement gift.
That is the whole scoring mechanism: whoever is wrong after a challenge takes the disputed card. The giver does not lose a point merely for sounding uncertain, and the recipient does not lose a point merely for accepting an incorrect claim.
That’s Not a Hat penalties: who gets a point?
| Event | Penalty? | Official logic |
|---|---|---|
| Giver names the wrong object and recipient successfully refuses. | 1 to giver | The incorrect giver keeps the card. |
| Giver names the correct object and recipient wrongly refuses. | 1 to recipient | The incorrect challenger keeps the card. |
| Giver names the wrong object but recipient accepts. | No immediate penalty | No one has revealed and judged the card yet. |
| Recipient accepts a truthful gift. | No penalty | Pass the old gift and continue. |
| Person forgets what card they hold but nobody challenges. | No automatic penalty | Memory lapses are only exposed and penalised through a challenged claim. |
The unusual part is that penalty points are bad. This is not a race to collect cards. A visible penalty pile records errors; the player with the fewest accumulated penalty cards is the leader. There are no rewards for creating the most convincing bluff unless that bluff causes an incorrect challenge.
Quick score example: Alex has zero exposed penalty cards, Bea has one and Chris has three. Because Chris reached three, the game stops. Alex wins with zero, Bea finishes second with one, and Chris has three. If two players both had zero, the published booklet does not specify a tie-break; treat them as joint winners unless the group agreed on a house rule before starting.
When does That’s Not a Hat end?
Under the base game rules, the moment any player has three penalty cards, play ends. Every player counts the cards in their own face-up penalty pile. Each card counts as one penalty point. The winner is the person with the lowest total.
It does not matter who initiated the last challenge, who first received a card from the shop, how many objects are still in the Gift Shop, or who last passed a gift. There is no fixed number of passes or rounds in the short base game.
Can you play more than one game?
Yes. Ravensburger suggests agreeing before play to a series containing as many rounds as there are players. Record each player’s penalty total after every round, set up again, and at the end add the penalty points across all rounds. The player with the fewest overall wins the multi-round match.
This is an optional longer format, not a new rule that changes how a challenge works. It can help smooth out luck from a single unexpectedly risky gift.
Can you play That’s Not a Hat with two players?
Yes, with the rulebook’s special setup. Although the retail box lists 3–8 players, the official booklet includes a two-player variant: give each player two starting picture cards in a column, rather than one. Keep using all the normal accept, pass, refuse and penalty rules.
In this variant, newer gifts go on top, older gifts stay below, and the bottom card is always the one you pass when receiving an accepted gift. The extra starting item creates more information to remember and keeps the card chain interesting between just two people.
The rules also recommend the same two-card start for experienced groups who want a more difficult game, even when three or more are playing. Do not confuse this official hard-mode setup with a homemade alteration that introduces different scoring or allows peeking.
Hard mode: using only black- or white-arrow cards
The standard deck includes card backs with black and white arrow variations. The official booklet suggests a harder game by separating the cards into two groups by arrow color and playing with only one group.
Why does this make a difference? When all visible backs look more similar, there are fewer visual cues for distinguishing the gift you just received from another card you remember passing. You must depend more on the picture-memory and passing history.
You can combine this harder deck choice with the two-starting-gifts variant, provided everyone understands which version is being played. The normal penalty target remains three unless your group explicitly agrees to a different house rule.
Memory and bluffing strategy for beginners
- Remember the card in front of you first. Your old card is the one you will have to describe once a new gift arrives. Forgetting every other player’s gift is survivable; forgetting your own can force a bluff.
- Track distinctive objects. Mentally group unusual gifts by person or position. A quick mental picture of an umbrella beside a player is often easier to retain than a spoken list of ten objects.
- Repeat names clearly while passing. Everyone hears the claimed item. A steady, clear announcement helps the group track what was said, even though the speaker could be bluffing.
- Use the arrow to anticipate returns. If a card points back toward you from a neighbor, expect it to reappear. Try to remember its picture before the next pass.
- Do not challenge solely because someone hesitates. A cautious player may still be correct. The official designer tips even suggest intentionally sounding uncertain while holding a known object to entice an incorrect challenge.
- Bluff consistently when uncertain. If you genuinely forget, choose a plausible object and name it without revealing your uncertainty. The point of the game is not to confess every mistake; a bluff is legal until someone challenges it.
- Pay attention to exposed penalties. After a challenge, that gift leaves circulation. Update your mental map rather than remembering it as though it were still in front of someone.
- Challenge where your evidence is strongest. If you remember seeing the picture recently, you have more information than when you are merely suspicious of somebody’s tone.
These are editorial tips based on the rule mechanisms, not measured performance claims or a personal test session. A strong player does not necessarily have a perfect memory; they balance recall, bluffing and knowing when to risk a challenge.
Seven common That’s Not a Hat rule mistakes
| Mistake | Correct rule |
|---|---|
| Passing the gift you just accepted. | Keep the new card; pass your old card from the bottom. |
| Always passing clockwise. | Follow each card’s arrow, which may point left or right. |
| Putting the Gift Shop face down during setup. | The Gift Shop begins face up. |
| Taking the newly drawn replacement gift for yourself. | After a penalty, show that card and give it away immediately. |
| Requiring the challenger to name the real picture. | The recipient only needs to say the announced gift is wrong, then reveal it. |
| Giving the challenger a point for correctly spotting a bluff. | The wrong party takes a penalty card; there are no positive challenge points. |
| Ending when the Gift Shop runs low or after a set number of passes. | The base game ends when someone has three penalties. |
Most confusion starts with the first accept decision: because you now have two cards, it is tempting to pass the latest arrival back out. Resist that impulse. The underlying chain works only because each player holds their newest gift while moving their older one onwards.
Original That’s Not a Hat vs That’s Not a Hat 2 and 3
Original That’s Not a Hat (Ravensburger item 20955) uses the simple illustrated household-object gifts described throughout this guide. Ravensburger lists 3–8 players, 8+, approximately 10 minutes, and 110 cards. It is the version to use with the original official rules booklet.
That’s Not a Hat 2, also marketed as a Pop Culture edition, introduces objects associated with different decades. Ravensburger describes additional special cards and an extra professional or expert variant. Its UK listing still gives 3–8 players, 8+, approximately 10 minutes and 110 cards. Refer to the rules inside that box for the special-card effects.
That’s Not a Hat 3 has a different theme: players interpret portraits or other people-based illustrations, with multiple possible identities or descriptions. Ravensburger lists that edition for ages 12+, not the original game’s 8+. Do not assume its identity-specific twists are part of the 20955 rules.
The products are related but not interchangeable when explaining unusual cards or age recommendations. This article intentionally concentrates on the widely available original and flags variations rather than merging them into one unverified set of instructions.
Who will enjoy That’s Not a Hat?
The game suits families, travel groups and casual gatherings that want a quick, compact card game with simple language and low setup time. Younger players can understand the accept-or-challenge decision; more experienced groups may get extra mileage from the bluffing possibilities and optional harder setups. The official retail recommendation starts at age 8 for the original.
It may be less comfortable for people who dislike having their memory tested under social pressure. Fortunately, failing to recall a card is an expected part of the design, not a sign that the game has gone wrong. There is no need to give personal trivia or role-play a character: you name an illustrated object, offer it and decide whether to believe what you hear.
Similar games on Board Game Archive: Sounds Fishy is a verbal bluffing-and-guessing party game, while Anomia rewards rapid word recall. Blank Slate asks people to match word associations, and Wavelength is about judging how another person’s clue maps onto a hidden spectrum. That’s Not a Hat’s distinctive feature is the moving chain of hidden picture cards and a challenge that makes the wrong person collect a penalty.
That’s Not a Hat FAQ
How many players can play?
Ravensburger lists 3–8 players for the original retail game. The official instructions also explain how to play with two using two starting cards per person.
What is the minimum age?
Ravensburger recommends ages 8+ for the original. That’s Not a Hat 3 has a different recommendation of 12+.
How many cards are in the box?
The current original product listing states 110 cards, plus a manual.
How do you know who receives a gift?
The arrow printed on the back of the card being passed shows whether it goes to your left or right neighbor.
Do you give away the new card or the old card?
When accepting a gift, keep the new card and pass your old card. Fresh cards drawn from the Gift Shop are an exception: they are given away immediately.
Can you look at a face-down gift?
No. Once an object card is flipped face down, you cannot secretly check it before a challenge.
Do I have to correctly name an item to challenge it?
No. You simply refuse the claim and turn it over to show whether the giver was right or wrong.
What happens if my challenge is incorrect?
You take the revealed card as one penalty point, then draw a visible new gift from the shop and immediately pass it according to the arrow.
What if someone lies and nobody challenges?
Nothing is scored immediately. The recipient accepts the card and play continues; a future challenge may reveal a mistake.
How many penalty points end the game?
The game stops the moment any player reaches three penalty cards.
Does the player with three penalty points lose automatically?
That player triggers the end of the game; the winner is whoever has the fewest total penalty cards. A tied lowest score is not explicitly broken by the published base rules.
Can I play a longer game?
Yes. The booklet suggests as many rounds as there are players, then adds each person’s penalty totals. The lowest overall score wins.
Does That’s Not a Hat 2 use the exact same cards?
No. The second edition adds pop-culture objects and special variants. Check the separate rules for special-card handling.
Publisher rules, source references and editorial scope
- Ravensburger — That’s Not a Hat (article 20955): current box contents, player range, age recommendation, play time and game description.
- Ravensburger official English instructions (PDF): initial face-up gifts, Gift Shop, arrows, accept/refuse, penalties, the three-card ending, multi-round option and two-player setup.
- Alternate hosted 20955 instruction booklet (PDF): published rules layout and examples cross-reference.
- Ravensburger — That’s Not a Hat 2 and Ravensburger — That’s Not a Hat 3: themed follow-up editions and different product details.
Reviewed 25 October 2026. BoardGameArchive is an independent editorial reference, not a Ravensburger property or a claimed hands-on playtest. We paraphrase the game procedures and use original explanations, scenarios and tables instead of reproducing the game’s picture-card artwork. Refer to your own edition’s printed rulebook if a reprint differs. For corrections see our Contact & Corrections page and editorial policy.