One card per guest, all different
If two guests hold the same board, they match at the same time, and the round ends the instant either one does. Give every guest a different card and the game runs until a single person fills a line. That is the difference between a real game and a false start.
- Count on one card per guest, plus a few spares
- Make each card different so the game runs to a real winner
- Festafetti builds up to 200 unique cards from one word list
Print a few spares
Guests arrive that you did not count, and cards get spilled on. Print five or ten more than your head count so a late arrival still gets to play. Because the pack prints two cards to a sheet, a few spares cost almost nothing.
Plan the words for the count
More guests do not need more words, they need a bigger word pool for variety. A 4x4 game for forty guests still works from sixteen words, but a few extra words make the forty cards feel more distinct. Add a handful if you have a big list.
The short version
Plan one card per guest, make them all different, and print a few spares. Festafetti builds up to 200 unique cards from a single word list, so a big party still plays to one real winner.