Rhetoric & Ruin
What Is Rhetoric & Ruin?
It’s a duel of minds, not fists—a high-stakes parlor game for thinkers, charmers, and troublemakers. In each round, one player must defend a given statement, no matter how absurd or controversial. The other must deconstruct it thoroughly—but without ever rejecting it outright.
This is not about shouting, mocking, or brute logic. It’s about intellectual finesse. You must wear your opponent’s best idea like silk—then slowly unravel it thread by thread.
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The Objective
There are two roles:
• The Rhetor defends the statement with conviction and logic.
• The Ruiner challenges and unravels the defense—without scorning the premise.
The round ends when:
• One player clearly triumphs by overwhelming the other with clarity, style, or wit.
• The group or a neutral judge declares a winner.
• One player concedes.
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Game Setup
1. Choose a Statement
Pick or generate a bold, strange, or philosophical statement. It can be profound, ridiculous, unpopular, or poetic.
Examples:
• “All nostalgia is propaganda.”
• “Snails are the true philosophers of nature.”
• “Laziness is just time-management without guilt.”
Custom decks of pre-written statements can be made in advance for party play—or players may improvise.
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2. Assign Roles
Flip a coin or alternate roles each round.
• Rhetor will speak first, defending the statement.
• Ruiner will speak second, attacking the logic or implications without dismissing the premise.
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Rules of Engagement
Turn Structure
Each player takes turns speaking. Each turn is limited to:
• 30 seconds or 3 sentences maximum.
• Total of 5 rounds per player (10 exchanges), or until one concedes.
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Core Constraints
For the Rhetor:
• Speak sincerely, no sarcasm allowed.
• Use logic, analogy, metaphor, or historical precedent to strengthen your case.
• Embellish, reframe, or stretch—but never break character.
For the Ruiner:
• You must accept the premise.
• Undermine the argument through nuance, internal contradiction, or clever reversal.
• No mockery, “that’s dumb,” or straight denial allowed.
• You’re not here to laugh—you’re here to win.
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Victory Conditions
A point or round is won when:
• The Rhetor makes a statement the Ruiner cannot counter effectively.
• The Ruiner dismantles the Rhetor’s logic without rejecting the premise.
• The audience or judge declares one player’s argument more clever, subtle, or complete.
In a Best of 3 Rounds format, the first to win two is crowned the Master of Rhetoric—or Ruin.
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Optional Variants
Double Bluff
Neither player knows if the other truly believes the statement. Watch for genuine persuasion.
Silent Swap
Halfway through the round, players secretly switch sides and try to carry the argument fluidly.
Time Bomb
Players have only 10 seconds per turn. Pausing too long equals automatic concession.
The Oracle’s Table
Three players. One moderates as “The Oracle.” Their rulings are final, their standards unknowable.
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Tips for Mastery
• Use metaphor like a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.
• Reframe rather than rebut.
• Let silence speak when needed. A pause that lands is often deadlier than a rant.
• A ruin well-constructed can outshine the rhetoric it buries.
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Example Round:
Statement: “Happiness is just chemical privilege.”
Rhetor: “It’s not about willpower—it’s neurochemistry. Some people get serotonin like rain. Others have to build aqueducts just to feel okay.”
Ruiner: “But chemical privilege assumes stability. Even the rain runs dry. If happiness is privilege, then it’s also temporary—so what’s left to defend?”
Rhetor: “Exactly. That’s why it must be protected. Recognizing its fragility is part of its value.”
Ruiner: “Or maybe it’s not privilege. Maybe it’s volatility. And you’re defending a thunderstorm like it’s a castle.”
→ Audience murmurs. Round continues.
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Final Word
Rhetoric & Ruin isn’t about winning arguments—it’s about performing them with elegance, twisting meaning without snapping it, and walking the tightrope between belief and demolition.
Can you defend the indefensible? Can you unravel truth without mocking it?
Welcome to the arena.
Invented by:
Keaffa Moon & Danu Marche
Boner And Biscuits LLC, copyright 1993
