Say What!?! Review by zombiemonkey
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I always find that certain people just don’t listen well. Actually, I’ll rephrase that: certain people seem to find my voice so dull when I’m explaining game rules that their eyes glaze over and all that they seem to be able to hear is the droning voice of an adult from Charlie Brown/Peanuts. No matter how simple the game, how easy to understand the mechanics – there are some people who can only learn by actually playing the game, so short are their attention spans.
Which makes a game like Say What!?! an absolute joy to describe. Basically, each of the cards contained within the set has either a word or an action printed on it, along with a point value based on the amount of times that the word or action is likely to be repeated. According to the instructions of the main game – which can be played while other activities are in full swing - as soon as someone either says a word on the word card, or does something that is printed on an action card, that person is handed the relevant card. The idea of the game is to be the person at the end of the game (usually a time agreed between players before the cards are looked at) with the fewest total points in their hand.
Say What!?! is designed so that it can even be played even during other games - which is great, because when played on its own it is the biggest conversation killer I have ever seen! Players, fearful of saying or doing something that will earn them a card, will more often than not sit absolutely still in silence until the agreed end of the game. Which, as I’m sure you can imagine, isn’t fun in the slightest. The best way to play is to hand out cards before or during the playing of a bigger, more complex game, with the playing of Say What!?! continuing near-invisibly in the background.
As a supplement to a games night, Say What!?! can be fantastic fun due to the fact that you can sometimes forget you are playing and be handed many cards all at once, and the ensuing laughter and finger pointing often results in a chain reaction of cards being passed around, but never, ever play it as a standalone game: it turns into a farcical, forced experience of players either keeping totally still and quiet, or trying to bully other players into saying very obvious words.
Summary
Presentation: Brightly coloured and appealing, in a compact box. Fairly sturdy cards too, which helps! 8.9/10
Clarity of Rules: A small sheet of easily understandable rules with a ‘word rummy’ variant to complement the main game. 9.4/10
Game Length: The game can be as long or as short as players wish: all players agree to play for a certain length of time or until a certain time (until 6 o’clock, for example) – so this category doesn’t really apply. n/a/10
Value: A reasonably priced game, but not one that will be played often unless players can comfortably and transparently play it during other games. 6.1/10
Overall: A unique but often frustrating game unless players are preoccupied with doing other things while they play! Acts as perfect filler if playing with someone who suffers from severe analysis paralysis – but stay away if you’re looking for a standalone game. 5.9/10 (not an average)
I always find that certain people just don’t listen well. Actually, I’ll rephrase that: certain people seem to find my voice so dull when I’m explaining game rules that their eyes glaze over and all that they seem to be able to hear is the droning voice of an adult from Charlie Brown/Peanuts. No matter how simple the game, how easy to understand the mechanics – there are some people who can only learn by actually playing the game, so short are their attention spans.
Which makes a game like Say What!?! an absolute joy to describe. Basically, each of the cards contained within the set has either a word or an action printed on it, along with a point value based on the amount of times that the word or action is likely to be repeated. According to the instructions of the main game – which can be played while other activities are in full swing - as soon as someone either says a word on the word card, or does something that is printed on an action card, that person is handed the relevant card. The idea of the game is to be the person at the end of the game (usually a time agreed between players before the cards are looked at) with the fewest total points in their hand.
Say What!?! is designed so that it can even be played even during other games - which is great, because when played on its own it is the biggest conversation killer I have ever seen! Players, fearful of saying or doing something that will earn them a card, will more often than not sit absolutely still in silence until the agreed end of the game. Which, as I’m sure you can imagine, isn’t fun in the slightest. The best way to play is to hand out cards before or during the playing of a bigger, more complex game, with the playing of Say What!?! continuing near-invisibly in the background.
As a supplement to a games night, Say What!?! can be fantastic fun due to the fact that you can sometimes forget you are playing and be handed many cards all at once, and the ensuing laughter and finger pointing often results in a chain reaction of cards being passed around, but never, ever play it as a standalone game: it turns into a farcical, forced experience of players either keeping totally still and quiet, or trying to bully other players into saying very obvious words.
Summary
Presentation: Brightly coloured and appealing, in a compact box. Fairly sturdy cards too, which helps! 8.9/10
Clarity of Rules: A small sheet of easily understandable rules with a ‘word rummy’ variant to complement the main game. 9.4/10
Game Length: The game can be as long or as short as players wish: all players agree to play for a certain length of time or until a certain time (until 6 o’clock, for example) – so this category doesn’t really apply. n/a/10
Value: A reasonably priced game, but not one that will be played often unless players can comfortably and transparently play it during other games. 6.1/10
Overall: A unique but often frustrating game unless players are preoccupied with doing other things while they play! Acts as perfect filler if playing with someone who suffers from severe analysis paralysis – but stay away if you’re looking for a standalone game. 5.9/10 (not an average)
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