Is Who's Got Game? a Game For You?

Neil Strauss is known for his books instructing men how to become a pick-up artist and player. Now, he can also be known for a party game.Who's Got Game? is a card driven game with questions and activities that earn you points.
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Who's Got Game? photos: Cathe Post

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Overview: Neil Strauss is known for his books instructing men how to become a pick-up artist and player. Now, he can also be known for a party game.Who's Got Game? is a card driven game with questions and activities that earn you points. It is not a family game. I will make that clear up front. The game is labeled for over the age of 18, which stands to reason with some of the cards included in the game.

Players: 4+ (Ages 18 and over)

Playing Time: About an hour

What's in the box?:

  • 1 rule sheet
  • 270 script cards
  • 6 notepads
  • 6 pencils
  • 1 scorepad
  • 1 sand timer

The script cards fall into several categories:

  • DHV cards: These cards feature handwriting analysis among other skills.
  • Connection cards: These cards are designed to find out how well the people playing know each other.
  • Rapport cards: The cards in this category are designed to illustrate how other players think or feel.
  • Secret cards: The player who draws a secret card holds onto it and keeps it a secret until they complete the goal.
  • Social Intelligence cards: These are designed to test people-skills and morality.
  • Conspiracy cards: These cards encourage you to work with your partner to complete a goal.
  • Storytelling Cards: Most of these cards are pantomime challenges. This is also where you will find your cards that fall into the over age 18 rating (such things as acting out shaving pubic hair or putting on a prophylactic).
  • NEG: The leader chooses a player to subtract points from based on the outcome of the challenge (for example, who is the worst singer).
  • Kino: Described on the box as physical challenge cards, the one I ran across in game play involved the leader closing his eyes and figuring out who's-hand-was-who's based on touch.
  • Cold reading cards: When the leader reads the question, your answer gives the other players insight into your character.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhGWfDoHFgE[/youtube]How it is played?: For 4-6 players, twelve rounds are played. Players match up (I found it easier to match up with my husband than with a friend) before the start of the game. Each player comes up with a nickname to call their partner for the duration of the game, then each player takes turns being the leader. The leader draws a script card and reads the it to the rest of the players. All of the players take turns being the leader until after the twelfth script card is finished, and then all players compete in the final round, which is remembering something that each person said during the game.

During a game I played, 3 Cold Reading cards, 3 D.H.V. cards, 3 Secret cards, 2 NEG cards, 2 Storytelling cards, 1 Kino, and 1 Connection Card were played. The outcomes of the challenges were interesting and different enough from other party games to make it unique. Even with "physical challenges" the players were able to sit around the table and play the game. You can see an example of a Storytelling card being played in the video above.

A turn of note was a reading of a Cold Reading card that involved putting four animals in order. One of the animals was a tiger and we all discussed where we put tiger in our animal lineup. Putting a sheep, horse, pig, and tiger in order was supposed to be a representation of how each of the players value love, money, family, and pride. When it came to the final round where we had to write down something each player said, our winner wrote down that we each said the word "tiger." It was a face-palm moment for me, I was disappointed I hadn't come up with that answer.

There is something to keep in mind with Who's Got Game?: it's supposed to be fun. If a card makes you feel uncomfortable, put it back and pick a different one (even though it isn't in the rules). There are enough cards that are fun and different in the Script Cards to have that option. It is also important to notice the creators of the game have put a disclaimer on the rule card relaying to the game players that this game is meant for entertainment; it is not necessarily factual information in the game, it is opinion.

Who will like it: Adults who are single, young adult couples who don't have kids, older couples who have parties and have their kids otherwise occupied...

Hey, where can I buy this game?: Who's Got Game? can be purchased for around $30.

GeekMom approved?: Yes - conditionally. I wouldn't play this while the kids are up, and I don't know that I would feel comfortable playing it with people I had never played board games with before. But, it is fun.Though I would probably not read any of his books by choice, Neil Strauss' Who's Got Game? is a game I would choose to play again.

****I received a copy of this game for review purposes****