Review: Are You the Traitor?

It’s been some time (read: ages) since I wrote a review, so it’s time to remedy that with a review of Looney Labs’ Are You the Traitor?


I’m a big fan of Werewolf, and I particularly enjoy moderating games. Of course, being a moderator means not participating in the game as a “player”, so it’s good to be one of the villagers every now and then.

One of the other “issues” with Werewolf is that once you’re night time fodder for the werewolves, or a victim of the noose during a day phase, your participation in the game is over and you have to watch the rest of the game play out from the sidelines (although this can have its own voyeuristic fun).

If you are one of those people who doesn’t like that aspect of Werewolf, then Are You the Traitor? could be the game for you. It features similar secret roles and a good team and an evil team, but everyone plays at all times, and everyone can change roles multiple times throughout the game. It does, however, max out at 10 players, but can be played with as few as 4.

OK, that’s enough of the lycanthropic comparisons for now. Here’s what you get in a game of Are You The Traitor?: 56 cards.

Well, 56 cards and a rule sheet.

The cards themselves come in three types: Character, Wizard Alignment, and Treasure cards.


At the start of each round, the character cards are shuffled and each player receives one card face-down. You can end up as one of four characters: The Key Holder, a Guard, a Wizard, or the eponymous Traitor (insert evil organ music here).

The number of each type of character is determined by the number of players. For example with four players, there will be one of each character, but with 10 players, the split is: 1 Key Holder (there is only ever 1 Key Holder), 2 Traitors (double the trouble), 3 Wizards (triple the wizardry¹), and 4 Guards (quadruple the, er, guardiness).

The Key Holder and Guards are on the side of goodness while the Traitor is, as one would suspect, captain of the evil team (note: there are no actual captains, but given the title of the game, anyone playing a Traitor has a right to a certain degree of cockiness).

That leaves the Wizards. These guys can be good or evil. That’s where the Wizard Alignment cards come in.


Anyone who is a Wizard must reveal his or her Character card. They are then given an Alignment card which must be kept secret. In any game with two Wizards, one will be good and one will be evil. Things get more interesting in a 9 or 10 player game when there are three Wizards. At least one is Good and one is Evil, but no one knows what the actual Good/Evil split is.

Now the Key Holder, while quite an important role, doesn’t get to remain as secret as he or she may wish. If there at least 6 players, then everyone except the Wizards gets to know who the Key Holder is. So it’s ye-olde-close-yon-eyes-thou-casters-of-magic-while-yonder-Key-Holder-makes-it-known-the-Evil-Magic-Key-is-in-his-or-her-possession time.

The last reveal belongs to the Traitors. If there are two Traitors (as there are in 8-10 player games) then everyone must close their eyes and allow time for the Traitors to open their eyes and identify each other.

After that it’s a free-for-all with unstructured conversation between all players. Everyone tries to figure out who everyone else is with suspicions flying left, right and centre. Who looks shifty? Which of the Wizards is good and which is evil? Who are the dastardly Traitors?

This can go on for some time or be over very quickly. The round ends when one player points to another player and cries “Stop!”

Why would they do this? Well, the thing is each player has a job to do. Everyone except the Traitor(s) has a target they are trying to identify:

The Evil Wizard, who wants the Evil Magic Key for his or her cunning and evil plans, is trying to find the Key Holder.

The Key Holder wants the Evil Magic Key to be destroyed and so wants to give the Key to the Good Wizard.

The Good Wizard and the Guards, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a Traitor.

The Traitor doesn’t have a target player so his or her job is to lie low and try to help the Evil Wizard.

If any player thinks they have identified their target, that’s when the finger pointing and “Stop!” calling come in. The round ends immediately and everyone reveals their cards. If the player who called “Stop!” has correctly identified his or her target, then everyone on that team (good or evil) wins the round and receives a Treasure card. If the person is wrong, then the members of the other team each get a Treasure card.


The Treasures are valued from 0 to 5 points, and the idea is to collect at least 10 points worth of the shiny stuff in order to win the game. This can be aided using the 1 Point Magic Rings which you can trade in in order to steal a random Treasure card from one opponent. You’d better hope that person doesn’t have a worthless Gilded Statue, as you have to take that card if the person has one.

Once the loot has been divided, all the Character and Wizard Alignment cards are shuffled and re-dealt, and the next round begins. You may very well find yourself on the opposite side of the Good/Evil divide and gunning for the Key Holder instead of trying to protect him or her.

This keeps going, round by round, until one person reaches the 10 point threshold. At that point, everyone else curses their misfortune (read: inability to bluff well) and quite possibly voices the desire to play again.

And that’s the game. From a fairly simple premise, the game can get quite clever with players learning how to play in their best interests. If you are the Good Wizard, you not only want to find a Traitor, which can be difficult, but you can also appeal to the Key Holder to give the Key to you.

Similarly if you are the Evil Wizard, you probably want people to think you are the Good Wizard. If you can convince the Key Holder to point to you, then you win. Of course, you don’t necessarily want everyone to think you’re good, as you also win if a Traitor, who knows the identity of the Key Holder, can surreptitiously point out the Key Holder to you.

And that’s just the start of the strategies. Usually at last once in games we play, the Traitor just comes right out and shouts “Key Holder!” while pointing at that player. It then becomes a race between the Evil Wizard on one side (who now knows who the Key Holder is) and the Good Wizard and Guards on the other (who have just had the Traitor revealed to them) to point at their respective targets. It usually comes down to whoever is most on the ball. And in the race to point to someone, players can often point to the wrong player!

There is even more room for cunningness with the maximum number of players. With fewer players, and only two Wizards, it is in the Evil Wizard’s best interest to claim that he or she is the Good Wizard. Christine tried the truth once when she was the Evil Wizard. No one targets the Evil Wizard, so Christine’s plan was to announce herself as the Evil Wizard so the Traitor would then point out the Key Holder to her. Unfortunately it backfired when the Key Holder (me) immediately pointed to the other Wizard and shouted “Stop!”

With three Wizards in play however, there is an incentive for an Evil Wizard to claim he or she is evil. As the Key Holder can’t be sure if one or both of the remaining Wizards is good, the Traitors have time to secretly signal the Evil Wizard. Then again, there’s nothing to stop a Guard pretending to be a Traitor and signal secretly to the Evil Wizard and point him or her to the wrong target...

And so it goes. On most occasions I’ve played this we played more than one game. It’s quick, easy to learn, and a lot of fun. There’s just something about secret role games that tickles people’s fancy. It’s the thrill of having your own little secret and being able to keep that secret or, even better, convince the other team you’re on their side.

On the down side, whether you win or lose a round is often outside your control, and whether you win or lose the game can come down to the luck of the Treasure card draw. But hey, if you get screwed by the Treasure cards, then that’s just an incentive to play again.

If you’ve never played one of these secret role party games, or if you can’t muster the numbers of players needed for a decent game of Werewolf, or you just want to try something new that’s not overly taxing on the grey matter, then give Are You the Traitor? a try.


1. Back in my youth I used to play a Commodore 64 game called Wizardry. Not to be confused with the RPG of the same name, this one was an isometric “graphical adventure” game in which you walked round a dungeon trying to find hidden objects and shoot spells at monsters and walls. I seem to recall it was incredibly fickle. If you didn’t line up a spell precisely (usually by lining your character up on just the right crack on the floor) it wouldn’t hit its target and you pretty much had to start the game all over again (being the C64 you couldn't save your progress). Of course with the incredibly obscure puzzles, knowing exactly what to cast and where was nigh on impossible without the walkthrough that came with the game. Except the walkthrough was only for Level 1. I think I eventually trial-and-errored my way through Level 2 but didn’t get much further. I much preferred the isometric adventuring of Head Over Heels, my all time favourite Commodore 64 game.

Bellamy Sports: Bellamy Bunny-Oon

If you thought the other Bellamy Sports were odd, then hold on to your hats folks - you ain't seen nothing yet!

What do you do when you're at someone's birthday party and you want to have a little fun? Easy. You play Bellamy Bunny-Oon.

Now what the *&^# is Bellamy Bunny-Oon you ask? You may come to regret asking that, but you're gonna have a lot of fun if you try it.

Bellamy Bunny-Oon came into existence in 2000 at Leah's birthday party. To celebrate ten years of Bunny-Oon, we played it again last Saturday at my birthday party.

For Bellamy Bunny-Oon, you need a few things: friends, seats/couches, and balloons. You can have a few drinks as well, but you'll want to keep them well clear of the play area.

This game is best played with plenty of balloons. About 50 balloons will do nicely, though most are for decoration (it is a party after all).

Players divide into two even teams. Three to five players per team is a good number, as long as you can accommodate that many people sitting side by side. If you have an uneven number of people who want to play, don't worry - as you'll see Bellamy Bunny-Oon caters for that eventuality too. In fact, this game is best if you do have an odd number of players.

The players sit in their two teams facing each other on couches, chairs or benches approximately 1½ metres apart. Each player holds a balloon in each hand. These are known as rabbits. Another balloon acts as the ball and is known as the oon. For best play, the oon should be a different colour to the rabbits. As you may now have gathered, the name Bunny-Oon is derived from these.

One other player (or two if you have an even number of participants) takes part. He or she is not a member of either team, but sits on the floor in between the two teams clutching a rabbit in each hand. This person is the Confusoid. The Confusoid is there to assist the oon to remain in play, and alternately hits the oon in one direction and then the other.

Play commences with an Oon-Up by the Confusoid. The Confusoid hits the oon into the air with one of his or her rabbits. While the Confusoid should not favour either team, it does not matter if the oon goes toward one particular team during the Oon-Up.

At the first Oon-Up, and any subsequent post-goal Oon-Ups, players must hold their rabbits to the top of their heads like big bunny ears until the Confusoid plays the oon. Players then try and whack the oon (this is known as doinking) as hard as they can with their rabbits in an attempt to get the oon to pass over the heads of their opponents and hit the floor or wall behind them, thus scoring a goal.

Players may not doink the oon twice in succession with the same rabbit (a double doink), though there is no limit to how long a player keeps possession by alternating rabbits.

Additionally, at no time may a player's buttocks leave their seat unless retrieving the oon from out of play.

There is no penalty if the oon comes to rest on the floor between the teams. This simply results in an Oon-Up (without the bunny-ears requirement). Should the oon land out of bounds (eg. on a side table) then the last team to touch the oon loses possession, but no penalty is incurred.

At certain times during the game, penalties will inevitably be incurred. If a penalty doink is awarded (read on for penalty doink situations), then the team who incurred the penalty must sit bunny-eared while the other team gets a free doink. The penalised team may not play the oon until it ceases its forward motion or comes into contact with any member of the penalised team or their rabbits (players may not move to make the oon hit them).

Should a team incur another penalty during a penalty doink, then the penalty doink is retaken for the opposing team by the Confusoid.

Should the oon burst (a burstation) then a replacement oon must be found and the last team to doink the oon concedes a penalty doink.

If a player's rabbit undergoes a burstation then not only do they concede a penalty doink, but they must continue playing with one rabbit until the next goal is scored. The rabbit may then be replaced. Should burstation occur to both rabbits before the next goal is scored, then that player must remain seated without taking any further part in the action.

The same rule applies to any player who is de-rabitted (ie. loses hold of one or both rabbits). That player may not recover his or her rabbit(s) until a goal is scored.

There is no penalty if the oon should come into contact with a rabbit-less player. However, should a player deliberately doink the oon with a hand that does not hold a rabbit, then that player not only concedes a penalty, but must also leave the play area until the next goal is scored.

Any deliberately induced burstations of either the oon or rabbits will also concede a penalty doink and result in the offending player's ejection from the play area until the next goal is scored. Any player who falls foul of a deliberate burstation by another player may immediately replace his or her rabbit.

If any penalty situation occurs due to the actions of the Confusoid, then, while no penalty is incurred, all players are free to leave their seats and doink the Confusoid soundly on the head with their rabbits.

A goal is scored when one team manages to doink the oon past their opponents, by hitting the floor or wall behind the opposing couch. It's best to have some space between the back of the couch or chairs and the wall to allow for swinging rabbits.

The first team to score five goals wins the round. The teams then switch positions and play again. The first team to win two rounds wins the game.

In summary, teams can incur a penalty doink if:

a player's buttocks leave their seat when doinking the oon; or

a player moves a rabbit out of the bunny-ear position before the Oon-Up; or

a player moves a rabbit out of the bunny-ear position while defending a penalty doink, and before the oon stops its forward movement; or

a player does a double doink; or

they were the last team to doink the oon before a burstation; or

a player's rabbit undergoes a burstation; or

a player doinks the oon with a rabbit-less hand; or

a player deliberately causes a burstation.

The final two penalties also result in the player being kindly asked to remove himself or herself from the play area until the next goal is scored.

Phew!! That's the general gist of Bellamy Bunny-Oon. As long as you remember your doinks, penalty doinks, oons, rabbits, burstations, bunny-ear positions, and Confusoid, you'll have a wow of a time. :-)
 

Christmas Hoard 2010

It's good to be a gamer at Christmas. You get what you want, and it makes it easier for people to find something for you. Unless of course, they know you are a gamer but not your game preferences and you end up with a bit of a dud. Of course, I cannot confirm or deny whether or not any games I received were duds. I'll let you be the judge, but I did pretty darn well.

We'll start with my wish list. Two months ago I posted about what was on my gaming radar as far as games I'd be happy to be the proud recipient of. I scored three out of the six games that were on that list, so that's a pretty impressive hit rate:

Martian Fluxx

Dice Town

Citadels

Additionally, my sisters chose to fuel my gaming habits with:

Killer Bunnies and the Quest for the Magic Carrot plus the Perfectly Pink Booster (this was a gift for both myself and The Giggling One)

and Big Brother (this one doesn't have an entry on Geekdō, so I've now submitted one :-) ).

Finally, there was my and the Giggling One's gift to ourselves: Magic: The Gathering (Magic 2010 edition).

We've already played Martian Fluxx, Dice Town, and Magic. I'll do my best to post reviews in the near (read "distant") future. With any luck, the other games on my wish list may come my way by my birthday in February (hint hint).
 

2008 Game of the Year

Here we are at the end of 2008. 12 short months ago, my goal was simply to play five new games in the coming year. It was a modest goal, but back then I didn't play board games very much.

I played the first new game of the year on January 18. The game was Kings Keep and the venue was Paul & Narelle's house. Joining us that evening was a friend of theirs by the name of Bernd. It turned out Bernd hosted regular games nights at his place. He called this little gathering HoGS - the Hobart Games Society.

Discovering HoGS changed everything. The Giggling One and I rocked up to our first HoGS night on February 1st. That night we played four new games, and my goal was achieved. Just like that.

A rethink was in order, and after a quick calculation, I reset the bar at 25.

I reached game 25 on October 18, and went on to play a further six new games, bringing the total to 31 for the year. Admittedly, three of the games I included on the list were expansions, so it's 28 if you don't count expansions as "new".

So looking at those 28 games, I figured I'd make a good old Top Ten list of my favourite games of 2008.

So here it is. It wasn't the easiest of lists as I enjoyed almost all of the games. And that was the key factor: enjoyment. These our the games I liked the most.

To simplify the task somewhat, I went through the list of games and short-listed those that I enjoyed the most. That short-list contained 11 games. Through a process of elimination (or inclusion) I settled on my top 10 before ranking them. Incidentally, the honourable mention for the unlucky 11th game goes to Wits & Wagers. On to the Top 10...


#10 - The Princes of Florence


What I said: [We] thoroughly enjoyed the game. I imagine having 5 players instead of 3 makes the Auction phase a whole new ball game.

Justify yourself: While deserving its place in the Top 10, having a deeper underlying strategy than it may first appear, The Princes of Florence wasn't quite engaging enough to rank higher. I'm not the greatest fan of auction mechanics in games, but it was made easier with only three of us playing. The design-your-own-principality aspect of the game was fun - a sort of game within a game. Planning and modifying your strategy to maximise your points is the key to winning, and with multiple ways of earning points limited by the seven game turns, the result is a pleasing strategic mix.


#9 - Ca$h 'n Gun$


What I said: I have to say that I've never had so much fun pointing a foam gun at someone else's head.

Justify yourself: Foam guns are where it's at. This game is all about the fun you get from pointing orange guns at other people, and the ensuing laughter when someone discovers that everyone else has chosen to target them. A deeply strategic game this is not. There is a little strategy but ultimately Ca$h 'n Gun$ is a short, fun diversion that you have to play at least two or three times each time you pull it out.


#8 - Carcassonne


What I said: You know what? It wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I never expected Carcassonne to be so..simple.

Justify yourself: Carcassonne is known as a gateway game for a reason. It's very easy to pick up and is light on strategy. It's fun and clever, which is why it has spawned so many expansions. Discounting "The River" (which adds a few tiles but doesn't change the gameplay), the lone expansion I've played - "The Tower" - adds a level of vindictiveness to an otherwise friendly game, and the jury is out on that one. If light is your cup of tea, then Carcassonne is a worthy game.


#7 - Power Grid


What I said: 'Twas a good game...[I] came away with a positive view.

Justify yourself: Not particularly useful comments there, but as I said in my review, I was in two minds about Power Grid before playing it. From reviews that I have read, it tends to be a game you either love or hate. I wouldn't say I "love" it, but I'm definitely lying towards that end of the spectrum. The clever use of the resource market, coupled with the power plant auctions and map placements makes for a cunning game.


#6 - Zombie Fluxx


What I said: Groooooooaaaannnn!

Justify yourself: Well, I said that during a game. I haven't blogged about it yet, which is very slack of me. Zombie Fluxx is the highest rated "light and fun" game on my list. It ranks this high due to the sheer amount of fun to be found in the 99 card deck. I promise to review it next year, but all you need to know in the meantime is Zombies + Everchanging Rules = Max fun.


#5 - Tigris & Euphrates


What I said: [I thought] I wasn't going to enjoy it. It looked too chess like. I'm happy to report that I was wrong. I really enjoyed the game.

Justify yourself: T&E makes it all the way to #5 courtesy of the surprisingly enjoyable mechanics. After reading about the game, and finding out it involved placing tiles on a board, I was worried. I shouldn't have been. It is nothing like Chess or Othello. Instead T&E is its own breed of simple tile laying mixed with a complex underlying strategy that results in a beguiling and intriguing game.


#4 - Agricola


What I said: n/a

Justify yourself: I'm waiting until I play a game with 3 or more players before I blog about Agricola. I've mentioned more than once that it is the new number #1 on Board Game Geek, and from my lone play through I can see the attraction. With so many cards available, Agricola lends itself to a slightly different experience each time. The key is combing the cards you are dealt with the known actions available throughout the game. I must admit, the anticipation of playing Agricola, and the ensuing enjoyment of the two-player game is what shoots it to number 4 on my list. And that's without animeeples. Will it manage to stay this high on the list over the coming 12 months? I have a sneaking suspicion it might.


#3 - Puerto Rico


What I said: I almost feel like a real gamer now. Everyone really enjoyed the game. One more to add to the ever growing must-play-again list.

Justify yourself: No other game was as eagerly anticipated this year as Puerto Rico. It has been the benchmark for all other games for the last few years, and my gaming quest would never have been truly complete without playing it. Like Agricola, I've only played it once (a five player game), and all I can say is that the genius mechanics and player interaction make this a must-play for anyone who considers themselves a gamer.


#2 - Catan Card Game


What I said: If you're a Settlers fan and have that special someone who enjoys the game as well, then this is a worthy consideration of your hard earned moolah.

Justify yourself: I was surprised as anyone that a two player card game made it to #2. However, I couldn't deny it this position. While I still think it could make a fun three or four player game with a couple of tweaks, it is nonetheless a very enjoyable game with just two. The Giggling One and I played the Catan Card Game many times this year, and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Aided by the expansion sets, it is easy to learn, simple to set up, and allows for some cunning strategies. It's great for fans of the Catan series and newcomers alike, and is perfect for a lazy afternoon with that special someone.


#1 - The Pillars of the Earth


What I said: It was a joy to play a game that made reference to the events and characters within [the novel]. If you enjoy board games, then this is a great game to play. Easy enough for board game novices to understand and enjoy, and deep enough for veterans to have fun with as well. It rocks!

Justify yourself: No surprises here. "Pillars" was always going to be my game of the year. While I um'd and ah'd about the make up and order of this Top 10, it was only spots 2 to 10 that I debated. Pillars has a great balance of strategy accompanied by a dabble of luck. Despite only lasting six rounds, what it packs into those rounds is fun, exciting, and sometimes frustrating. Never frustrating enough to break the game mind you - just to curse your opponents. Awesome mechanics and a fantastically illustrated board set Pillars well above any other game I played this year. The expansion added that little bit extra to share the cathedral-building love with another two players, and there's nothing better than sharing this game with as many gamers as you can. Read the novel and play the game. Then read the sequel. You won't regret it.
 

Ca$h 'n Gun$

Purchase number two on our mini shopping spree in Melbourne was Ca$h 'n Gun$. Note the humorous use of the dollar signs that may come across as a little tacky, but does actually suit the simple nature of the game.


I totally have The Spiel to blame for my purchase of this game. They had a great time with it in their 24 hour game marathon (now there's another idea I'll have to implement one day, along with the 40 beers in 40 hours challenge I've been considering for a long while (though undertaking both at the same time might be a little counter-productive)) and convinced me it was worth getting.

So, get it I did, and I have to say that I've never had so much fun pointing a foam gun at someone else's head.

While in Melbourne, The Giggling One and I were put up under two different roofs, so we utilised both our hosts in playing a few games of this baby.

That's one of the beauties of this game - it's nice and fast, and everyone has fun so you can play it multiple times in one sitting.

I think we played the game half a dozen times with Sandi and Danny (The Giggling One's sister and brother-in-law). Both of them are non-gamers but we figured they'd get a kick out of it. After winning every game between them on the first night, and most of the games on the second night (The Giggling One and I did manage to win once each), they had a (foam) blast.

Our last two nights in Melbourne were at the residence of our friend Jason. Two other friends - Mel & Tim - came around as well, so with 5 players, we gave the "Cop in the Mafia" variant a go.

This one features one player as an undercover cop, and unfortunately for Jason and The Giggling One, who were the cops in the two games we played, both were outted and died in a veritable hail of bullets before they could ring for reinforcements.

Of all the games we played, we probably had more fun just adding the Super Powers. They liven things up, and while the game isn't high on the strategy front (hey, I only won once all weekend), some of the Super Powers do add a little thinking to the mix.

Take, for example, The Insane. This player has a grenade. If they get hit by a bullet, the grenade explodes, and everyone still standing takes a wound as well. The player with this card will usually play it when there is a lot of cash at stake. This will normally happen when there is already cash on the table that couldn't be split last round, and a heap of $20,000 notes are then added.

The idea of the Grenade here is that it is a disincentive for people to shoot you, especially if they already have a couple of wounds. If no one shoots you, you stay uninjured and take a share of the nice big bundle of loot. And that's what usually happens.

However, let's say another cunning player (let's call him...Jeremy) happens to have the It does not even hurt! Super Power. This card allows you to take a share of the loot even if you've backed down or taken a wound that round. So...if this gangster takes a pot shot at The Insane, and in their smugness the insane one thinks the threat of a grenade will protect them and therefore he or she doesn't back down, then the grenade goes boom! Everyone is now either lying on the floor in shame or in blood. Instead of all the loot carrying over to the next round, the sneaky player plays the It does not even hurt! card and takes all the money.

Of course, you're then a marked man. A shame marker or two may be a wise move in the rounds that follow.

While we played with the Super Powers a lot, after the first few times we decided that The Kid and The Cunning, being ongoing powers, were too much of an advantage and took away a little from the game, so we ditched those two cards in later games.

It occurs to me I haven't really described the game play. So now I will. It works like this: 5 random banknotes go on the table; players play a bullet card face down in front of them; players aim guns at each other simultaneously; players either back down (and take a shame marker for doing so (each will cost you $5,000 at the end of the game - if you're still alive)) or stay standing; players who are still standing reveal their bullet cards; if the bullet card shows Bang! Bang! Bang! then the target is wounded and they can't shoot back (each player starts with just 1 of these cards); if the bullet card shows Bang! then the target takes a wound but can still shoot the player they were aiming at (each player starts with 2 of these cards); if the bullet card shows Click! then there was no bullet in the chamber and the target remains unwounded (there are 5 of these per player).

Those players still standing (ie. who didn't back down and were not wounded) split the loot evenly. Any part that can't be split stays for the next round when 5 new notes will be added. Once a player takes 3 wounds (and it's possible to take multiple wounds in the same round) they die. The rules say a dead player's money is discarded, but we thought it made more sense to divvy up the cash equally between the remaining players, with any remainder going into the pot for the next round.

After 8 rounds, the richest player still alive wins. Most players survive until the end, but having the most cash is the tricky bit. We found that the key to winning is to be a nice, innocent, naive girl. No wonder I kept dying.
 

Wits & Wagers

A good, fun family game wrapped up the march HoGS gaming night.

Wits & Wagers involves trivia and betting. It's not a likely combo but it works and it's great fun.

The thing is, you don't actually need to know any trivia. It's probably more fun if you don't know the answers. I was hopeless at the questions and still had a lot of fun, even though I lost all my chips both games we played.

The idea is that every team (up to 7 teams of however many you like can play - for our two games we had teams of 1) writes down an answer to a trivia question, reveals that answer, and then teams bet on who they think has the closest answer.

All answers are numbers, but can be anything from measurements, to ages to years. Some of the questions we got included the number of SUVs sold in a particular year in the US (over 2 million), or the year the sound barrier was first broken in a plane.

When the answers are revealed, they are placed in numerical order on the table and everyone places bets on the answer they think is the closest without going over (Price is Right style).

The correct answer is then read out and whoever bet on the closest answer wins chips. The team who wrote down the closest answer also win 3 chips for obtaining that honour.

The amounts that are paid to the bet winners vary for each answer, which is a cool mechanic. The lowest answer pays 5-1 if it is right, the second lowest 4-1, then 3-1, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1 and 5-1 respectively up to the highest answer. If any teams give the same answer, the identical answers shuffle down to the same space on the board.

There's also a 6-1 option teams can bet on if they think all of the answers are too high.

All teams start with two chips and you can never lose these. These starting chips are in the colours of each team to help keep track of the betting.

As you have two chips in your team colours, you are allowed to bet on up to two answers. Even if you ar correct and win more chips (the chips you win are red or blue (blue chips are worth five)) you can still only bet on a maximum of two answers (though you can plonk down as many of your chips as you like on those two answers), and in fact it is generally better to do so.

If you're feeling confident, you may still place all your chips on one answer. If you lose all the chips you've won, you still get to keep the two you started with.

The game ends once 7 questions have been answered.

We found that 3 or 4 of the 7 players finished each game with only the two chips they started with, and that included me both times. The thing is, it's easy to fall behind if you don't bet on the right answers, so you throw all your chips in to try and catch up.

Even though I came equal last both times, I still had fun. With only 7 questions, the game is over very quickly, and I think it could benefit from having more questions to lengthen the game and give players who drop behind early (ie. me) more chances to catch up.

As I said, it's a good, fun family game. If you can muster up at least 7 players, you're going to get the most out of it. Even those stick-in-the-muds who hate trivia games will enjoy themselves, and that's got to be a good game.