Operation (game) - Gameplay

Gameplay

"Operation" includes two sets of cards: Doctor and Specialist cards. The Specialist cards are dealt out evenly amongst the players at the beginning of the game.

In the US Version of the game, Players take turns picking Doctor cards, which offer a cash payment for removing each particular ailment, using a pair of tweezers connected with wire to the board. Successfully removing the ailment is rewarded according to the dollar amount shown on the card. However, if the tweezers touch the metal edge of the opening (i.e., closing the circuit) during the attempt, a buzzer sounds, Sam's nose lights up red, and the player loses the turn. The player holding the Specialist card for that piece then has a try, getting double the fee if he or she succeeds.

The UK version of the game is played similarly, however there is no payment for successfully removing the pieces and score is kept based on the number of pieces each player has successfully removed.

Since there will be times when the player drawing a certain Doctor card also holds the matching Specialist card, that player can purposely botch the first attempt in order to succeed on the second try for double value.

In the US version of the game, the winner is the player with the most money after all the pieces have been extracted. In the UK version, the winner is the player with the most successfully extracted pieces.

The game can be difficult, due to the shapes of the plastic ailments and the fact the openings are barely larger than the pieces themselves.

• Adam's Apple: in the throat; The Adam's apple is a colloquial term referring to the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx that becomes more visually prominent during puberty. (100 points)
• Broken Heart: a heart shape with a crack through it on the right side of the chest. The phrase "broken heart" refers to an emotional feeling in which someone is very sad for a reason such as a breakup with a romantic partner. (100 points)
• Wrenched Ankle: a wrench in the right ankle. (100 points)
• Butterflies in the Stomach: a large butterfly in the middle of the torso. The name comes from the feeling in the stomach when nervous, excited or afraid. (100 points)
• Spare Ribs: two ribs fused together as one piece. "Spare Ribs" are a cut of meat or a dish prepared from that cut. (150 points)
• Water on the Knee: a pail of water in the knee; colloquialism for fluid accumulation around the knee joint. (150 points)
• Funny Bone: a play on the anatomical name for the upper arm bone (the humerus), and a reference to the colloquial name of the ulnar nerve. (200 points)
• Charley Horse: a small horse resting near the hip joint; a play on the real charley horse, which is a sudden cramp in the leg or foot that can be cured by massage or stretching. (200 points)
• Writer's Cramp: a pencil in the forearm; refers to the real writer's cramp, which is a soreness in the wrist that can be cured by resting it. (200 points)
• The Ankle Bone Connected to the Knee Bone: This is not a plastic piece, but rather a rubber band that must be stretched between two pegs at the left ankle and knee. The name is taken from the African American spiritual "Dem Bones." (200 points)
• Wish Bone: located on the left side of the chest. A wish bone is a chicken bone traditionally used by two people for making a wish. (300 points)
• Bread Basket: a very small slice of bread, with only a small notch taken out of the top for grip. The word "breadbasket" is slang for the stomach. (1,000 points)
• Brain Freeze: an ice-cream cone located in the brain; refers to the experience of "brain freeze", a headache felt after eating frozen desserts too quickly.

Brain Freeze was added in 2004, when Milton Bradley allowed fans a chance to vote on a new piece to be added to the original game during the previous year. Voters were given three choices and could make their selection via the company's official website or by phone for a chance to win a $5,000 shopping spree. The winning piece beat out tennis elbow and growling stomach.