In this game, players will attempt to bluff their way to the winner’s circle by balancing truth with fiction, creating an evergrowing possibility that their little lies and cheats will blow up in their faces. Telling the truth is always best, but it won’t grant you victory. What will is keeping a straight face and not sweating when the heat is cranked up via the competition. Continue reading
It’s not personal. It’s business. Yeah, you may break a rule or two, even several laws. And, sure, you sometimes have to flex a bit of muscle when you smile, but it’s never personal. It’s about the money and the power and the respect. If you want your crew to be recognized before the Old Don, you must show you can earn. Take the jobs and cash in, but be careful. Greed has a way of making friends into enemies. Just keep telling yourself it’s only business. But if you need to, make it personal. Continue reading
American musician, best known as the co-founder, bassist, and primary songwriter of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe, Nikki Sixx said, “If you don’t deal with your demons, they will deal with you, and it’s gonna hurt.” In this game, you will be possessed by mischievous demons or one of the many innocents who bump into trouble. However, in this game of hidden identities and switching roles, your effort to clear the way for the “good guys” could be an effort for the wrong party. Continue reading
Two-time World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event champion, a Poker Hall of Fame inductee, and the author of several books on Poker, Doyle Brunson, said, “Poker is War. People pretend it is a game.” Poker is a game (most certainly not war) played around the world at homes and casinos. People play the game for fun and a living. In this game, the rules of Poker are used to build an attack against your opponent who must defend it or lose their Poker chips. Adding to the mix are different factions, ensuring that every hand you play is much more than your standard Poker game and really much more like a fight. Huh… Doyle was right. Continue reading
American former computer intelligence consultant who leaked highly classified information from the National Security Agency, Edward Snowden, said, “Every person remembers some moment in their life where they witnessed some injustice, big or small, and looked away because the consequences of intervening seemed too intimidating. But there’s a limit to the amount of incivility and inequality, and inhumanity that each individual can tolerate. I crossed that line. And I’m no longer alone.” Whether you believe that Mr. Snowden is a hero or a criminal is irrelevant. What is relevant is that we’ve all been in situations where we know that something is off and are compelled to act out to correct it. That’s a hard mental place to be and a lonely one, at that. Going against the established “norm” feels wrong to everyone else who doesn’t see what you see. In this game, you’ll be taking on the role of such an individual, but you aren’t alone. There is another who also wants things to change. The trick is to find them without outing yourself. Continue reading
American biologist and professor of Integrative Biology, Tyrone Hayes, said: “The secret to a happy, successful life of paranoia is to keep careful track of your persecutors.” In this game, players will need to defend themselves from a persecuting mob while trying to root out murderous werewolves or be the very thing that is causing the chaos and hide among the villagers. This is a classic game of social deduction, bluffing, and survival. So sit down with your friends, open this box of cards, and get ready to create great memories and damage a few relationships along the way. Continue reading
The Italian-born gangster who operated mainly in the United States, Lucky Luciano, said, “There’s no such thing as good money or bad money. There’s just money.” This game is about getting the cash you feel is rightfully yours using whatever methods you believe are right or wrong. This is an exercise in bribes and bluffs, making quick friends and bitter enemies. In the end, it’s all about getting paid, but how much are you willing to pay? Continue reading
English actor, Benedict Cumberbatch, said “I’ve always wanted to play a spy because it’s the ultimate acting exercise. You are never what you seem.” In this game, it’s self-evident who everyone is: spies and backstabbers all. The goal is espionage, bluffing, and sabotaging. Players must be ruthless but never lose their cool or wit. Play your cards right, and you’ll win. It’s all about balance in a game that is intended to unnerve you. Continue reading
Some parties are doomed to fail right from the start. Case in point, Dracula’s latest bash at the castle. First, he had uninvited guests crashing his delightful get-together. Then, just when he thought he had that under control, an ominous knock at the door echoed throughout the castle halls. It looks like Dracula has more unexpected visitors, but this time, these unexpected additions to the party are here to stay. Continue reading
American novelist, newspaper, and magazine editor in the late 19th and early 20th centuries known for his sharp wit, E. W. Howe, said, “To be an ideal guest, stay at home.” Dracula is holding the biggest party of the year, but not everyone attending was invited. Now Dracula is less than pleased and is threatening to throw everyone out, but if you can unmask the unwanted guests before you are shown the door, the party can continue. The problem is, you might be the unwanted guest, and no one wants the party to end. Continue reading
To call someone a “snake” is to suggest they are underhanded and being deceitful. A person who is a “snake in the grass” is even worse. Not only are they deceitful, but they are doing so with the intent of harming you in some way. In this game, the grass is high, and there be snakes hidden at your ankles. But worry not, as a helpful mongoose has your back. The trick, however, is knowing a friend from foe. Trust who you will, but never doubt that some have forked tongues. Continue reading
American novelist Tom Robbins, reportedly said “The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.” In this game, Tom is absolutely correct. Plant your beets and hope you get them before your neighbors. But be careful! In the fields are also bombs intended to make quick work of would-be beet thieves! Pick your plants wisely. Continue reading
