Let's Play That Again, Bob (Last Word)

The timer counts down, never revealing how much time you have left, but the ticking is still going.  Your mind races for something, anything to come up with.  Sweat glistens on your brow, and still the timer is going.  Suddenly, you shout "TETRIS!"  and the buzzer goes. The votes are tallied, and the announcement is made.  You have indeed gotten the Last Word.



GAME DESCRIPTION:  Last Word was published by Buffalo Games in 2005 for 2-8 players.  Each player attempts to get their word spoken before the buzzer goes off.

SET-UP:  Each player chooses 1 colored pawn, and is dealt 1 Subject card to be kept hidden.  Place the pawns on the start space of the scoreboard, and flip over the top Letter card.

SUBJECTS:  Each player tries to name something that matches the Subject card in their hand and starts with the current Letter card.  Once they name that thing, the subject is revealed.  Then, the timer is pressed.

TIMED:  Once the timer is hit, each player then tries to name a thing that matches the current Subject and starts with the current Letter. The last player who can successfully finish naming a real, matching word that hasn't been said before the timer goes off moves forward 1 space.  Then, flip the next Letter card.  The player who played their Subject card draws a new card.



HOT POTATO:  Hot Potato cards play similar to normal rounds.  The difference is that once a player names their word and plays their subject card, the next player sitting clockwise says the next word.

CHALLENGES:  Occasionally, someone will slip up and say something dubious or completely ridiculous, or even finishes their word just as the buzzer goes off.  In this case, all players vote on whether the word was acceptable.  If the challenged player wins, they get the point.  If not, the previous word is given to the player.

CONCLUSION:  This is another game published by Buffalo Games.  And just like the last one, it is incredibly simple, with the free-for-all being the thing that tips it from a generic game to something vaguely interesting. It's great for an ice breaker or for those groups that don't really play a lot of board games.  The difference here is that unlike the last one, there's a lot of energy going on through this game. It's a little more competitive, and becomes just that more compelling to play.  Now, I don't really like simplifying my reviews into numbers, but this definitely scores higher than Likewise, if only that its just a little more energetic.

What on Earth is a Pretty Candy?! (Likewise)

What's the first thing that comes to mind when I say "Weird Pizza Topping"?  Maybe anchovies?  How about pineapple or bacon?  What about corn?  Well, if you guessed any of these answers that were thought up, then you might feel Likewise.



GAME DESCRIPTION:  Likewise is a party game published by Buffalo Games for 3 to 6 players.  Players attempt to guess the most common choice everyone else would pick based on a set of clues.

SET-UP:  Each player takes a colored Paddle and marker.  Shuffle the red Subject cards and orange Description cards, and place them on the Scoreboard, and write each players name on the scoreboard in the name space of the color paddle they chose.  The player with the next birthday goes first

PLAY:  Roll the die to determine what "mode" is played, then flip 1 Subject and 1 Description card:

• Likewise:  Everyone writes a secret answer that matches the Subject and Description, and reveals their answer when everyone has chosen something.  The players with the most matches each score 1 point, marked on the scorecard.
• Doodle:  Instead of writing, draw something that matches the Subject and Description cards.
• Wiseguys: The player who rolled picks a player, and discusses the Subject and Description cards.  Then, they play as a team for this round, giving only 1 answer.

TIES:  If 2 different answers have the same amount of matches, then every player who guessed one of those answers gets a point.  If 2 or more players get to the Winner Circle on the scoreboard and have the same amount of points, keep playing until one player has the most points.  The winner is the player with the most amount of points once at least one player gets to the Winner Circle

CONCLUSION:  This is a quick, easy to play, little party game that has a some interesting ideas.  It's short, so don't expect too much in the way of actual in depth gameplay.  It's good for an ice-breaker, or just to kill time or your group wants to play something a little different.  The way the game is set up allows for a more relaxed way to play, which can hinder or help the mood of the game.  The Subject and Description cards add an interesting element to a pretty basic game.  It's good as a travel game to play in the car or down time at a convention, but like I said, at the core is a very basic party game.