This game has been popular at Mensa gatherings for years,[1] and has turned up at science fiction conventions as well.

The pointed-to player must continue the game by saying a title himself, which must connect to the previous title in some way, such as having a word in common (The Time Machine and Time Enough for Love), having a common creator (an author as with Hamlet and Macbeth or producer or director), or other linkages of a similar nature — different groups of Carnelli players can vary in exactly what kinds of links are permissible.

A notable regional variation is that in some gatherings, such as Chicago Area Mensa, a common actor is usually not an acceptable linkage; a link must be by the creator of the work, setting this game apart from many other association games and making it more challenging.

A common rule is to allow pun linkages as long as they draw sufficient groans from the other people present — the link from Tequila Sunrise to To Kill a Mockingbird (pronounced "Tequila Mockingbird" for effect) is a popular one.

[citation needed] Play proceeds around the circle, with each player naming a title that connects to the last one said.