Wait, a new one? You haven’t finished that other one you keep talking about…

Yeah, I know, but the ideas burst forth when they do (usually in the shower). I figured I’d write down the idea, then thought I could put together a quick prototype (which I did), and then maybe have a couple people try it to see if it was worth pursuing, putting aside for later, or dropping altogether.

Well, here’s what happened: I took it to Dicey Business last Friday and played it with Bill and our friends Monika and Isaac. It went well! It was fun, there was laughing, and some great ideas for improvement that are easy to implement.

Then we met some people sitting near us (as you do at a fun and friendly place like Dicey Business), and they said they were interested in trying it, so I pulled it out again and we played. Once again, there was very positive feedback! Thank you Thomas, Emily, and Sandun for sharing your time and playing my game!

Even later that evening, we were approached by another group to ask about early business stuff, who then also expressed interest in trying it out. So we had another game, and more fun and hilarity ensued! Thank you Alex, Gwyn, and Jesse!

So what is this game you’re so excited about, you’re probably wondering… It’s a word game! I love words.

Anyway, a player acts as judge and rolls dice to determine which category of card to take (the dice faces are painted to match the colours of the cards). They then use those cards to create a phrase or sentence. The other players choose a situation from their hand of card that they feel best matches that phrase, and the judge decides which of the players’ choices is best.

I had decided previously that I wasn’t going to make a game that relies on this mechanic just because it is a popular style of game right now, but the theme came to me, and this way of play fits best. The difference is that by rolling dice to determine which category of cards the judge chooses, there is a huge level of replayability, because the chance of ever getting the same phrase twice is infinitesimal!

Along with the regular set, I’m putting together card ideas for a Junior set for kids, as well and a NSFW Adult version. Using the Junior set will also have educational value, as building a sentence requires them to think creatively about syntax and sentence structure. I played it today with a couple of grade 6 classes, and they liked it too, even with the Hemingway and Isandlwana references they didn’t get.

I’m thinking about “Say What, Now?” as a title. Any feedback on that?

We’re going to be at 3Brewers Heartland on Thursday February 21st, so come by and ask to try it if you’re interested.