Well, not yet
Gather around, little goth Deaths. Today you will take an exam to earn your Death License, so that you can become a fully-fledged Death! But there is only one Death License available (cost of not living and all that) so only the best Death will be successful.
Death character cards
Ready your test subjects
Line up five test subjects in front of you. Inflict enough pain – a mixture of psychological, physical, mental, existential and supernatural – and your subject will be eliminated. When I see a nice row of tombstones all lined up, I will know that you are finished. If I see any test subjects resurrected, I expect you to kill them off again if you expect to pass.
Eyes on your OWN subjects – and everyone else’s. Sabotaging your classmates is strictly ENCOURAGED. Add extra classmates to their list, switch theirs with yours or cause them to have detention, I don’t care. Just be the first to finish.
So many ways to inflict pain!
Ready…set…go!
Please explain
I am Death Now? is a cute and colourful competitive game for 2-5 players (or 2-6 with the Mythical Pain expansion). Players first choose a Death character – each with its own quirks and one-use special ability. On their turns, they play a mixture of different valued comedic pain cards against their unfortunate test subjects – no people were harmed in the playing of this game – until their subject’s pain threshold is reached.
An unsuspecting test subject
Test subjects have different combinations of pain types with different values (1-3), and the luck of the draw determines whether players will be able to inflict the right type of pain to the right amount. If your subject’s best pal is also in the line-up, they both become harder to kill. All have a single card that they are immune to.
Players can also draw cheat cards that advantage them or disadvantage opponents. The original test subject list can grow and some subjects just won’t stay dead.
Mythical pain?
The Mythical Pain expansion provides enough cards for an additional player. It includes half value pain cards that can be used to inflict any type of pain. There are also new cheat cards, two new test subjects, and two new Death character cards to choose from.
Mythical Pain adds extra twists and fun, but if you accidentally overlook the instruction to remove a couple of cheat cards for when you play with six people, the game might never end! Whilst the half-value cards are easy to identify as part of the expansion, once shuffled in, the other new cards are difficult to separate out. The addition of a symbol to the expansion cards would have been useful.
I do like that the expansion fits nicely into the existing box.
Mythical pain adds a new classmate to the exam
Summary
I am Death Now? is a quirky game, full of humour. It’s simple to learn and can be quick to play. It can also take time, and sometimes it is worth invoking a ‘just stay dead’ house rule, if patience begins to wane.
Subject cards are fun and are clear in which types and value of pain must be achieved, who a subject’s other half is, and what they are immune to. Use of symbols on these cards and throughout are a good addition, particularly as the pink and orange cards can be difficult to distinguish between for some players.
Humour is used throughout, whether on character, subject, or pain cards, making Am I Death Now? a very light game. The tombstones on the reverse of subject cards are a nice touch.
Rules are few and fairly clear, with plentiful visuals and jokes throughout.
The artwork is cute, with characters and test subjects having fun quirks. The subtle repeating skull in the card backgrounds and embossed onto the box are also really nice.
Cute little tombstones to signify your subjects’ demise
Are you Death Now?
So if you are an aspiring Death, here is your opportunity. You can even print off your very own Death certificate if you win. (Disclaimer: does not entitle you to go on a real-life killing spree. Don’t. Not cool.)
