Ever been forced to choose between two genuinely terrible options and somehow had to justify it out loud? Introducing Pick Your Poison! Prepare to be a loudmouth, a debater, and perhaps an oversharer in this fast-paced and hilarious party game that brings out the conversationalist in you if you aren’t already one.
Each round, each player steps up as the Judge who will decide on the two most disturbing which-would-you-rather scenarios for the table to vote on.
There will be loads of heated discussions so be prepared to yap in varying volumes.
Setting Up
Grab at least 3 or up to a max of 10 players to start with 6 Poison cards, 2 Pick cards (A and B) and a Double Down card. Apparently, the player with the most recent birthday is the first Judge! (If this is a birthday party, look no further!). The other players are the Picking player for the round and will be the next Judge in a clockwise order.
Gameplay
The Judge starts by choosing a Poison card from their hand to be placed face up on the game mat where the A spot is. All the Pickers will then pick a Poison card from their hand that is comparably worse than card A and submit it to the Judge.
The Judge is supposed to read aloud all submitted cards before selecting one for the B spot. Personally, the suspense is more elevated when the Judge reads to themselves instead because when card B gets revealed, it gets the room roaring with a mix of laughter, disgust and flabbers being gasted.
Before voting commences, the Pickers can ask clarifying questions about both Poison cards and the Judge can elaborate and fabricate each scenario however they please, making the choice difficult for the Pickers to ‘live through’ either one. Judges stand your ground; arguments will enter the chat.
There will be more uproar when the Pickers finally throw down their Pick card to vote, exposing where they stand. Here you’ll discover if you are part of the Majority or the Minority gang. If you feel strongly about your Pick, add a Double Down card.
At the end of a round, Poison cards are discarded and vote cards return to their Pickers.
Scoring
A Score Pad is provided in the box to tally everyone’s scores:
· +1 for the Picker who submitted the B card selected for the game mat.
· +1 for the Picker with Double Down card on the winning vote.
· +1 for all Pickers in a Unanimous vote, and -2 for the Judge /
· +1 for the Majority vote, and zero for the Minority /
· +3 for the Judge if the vote comes to a Tie, and zero for Pickers.
· -2 for any Picker who want to discard their hand and pick new ones.
The first player with a total of 15 points can shout “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!” or whatever cheer you fancy. I don’t know. Celebrate.
Replayability
Pick Your Poison is packed with over 300 cards from the base game and another 100 cards with the expansion. Since the game moves fast, you’ll find a first winner pretty quick if you opt for the 15-point rule and this will barely make a dent on the whole Poison deck so your party will definitely demand for another go. Give the crowd what they want.
After a winner is crowned, keep the momentum going by playing through the remaining deck and gathering more winners. With a lively group, you can burn through cards at a surprising speed, so ranking the winners as they emerge adds a fun layer to the chaos.
Not into scoring? Play through the entire Poison deck purely for the dilemma discussions and the intense choice-shaming moments. The debates alone are pure entertainment as it exposes everyone’s messed up preferences and potentially split sides.
Beyond the cards themselves, the biggest replayability driver is the people around the table. New players bring fresh reactions, unexpected elaborations, and completely different energy to the same Poison cards, which makes every session hit differently. The Pick Your Poison Family Edition broadens the table even further, making it accessible to all ages. Depending on how long-winded the arguments and laughs run, expect sessions to last anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes but sometimes "just one more round" has a way of stretching that.
Final Thoughts
I think at its core, Pick Your Poison forces us to confront our choices, reveal our thought process and defend our reasoning to the room. Once in a while, we just need to shed just a bit of the armour of seriousness we carry on our shoulders and what better excuse than a good ‘ol what-would-you-rather game, right?
Whether it’s an icebreaker, a casual gathering or a game night, Pick Your Poison fits right in. It is built for these occasions as it is easy to learn plus impossible to play quietly, that’s for sure! With 300+ unhinged scenarios, there’s always something to put your morals out in the open for other people to judge.
Lastly, quick question, would you rather (a) Eat the contents of the nearest garbage can, or (b) Have your clothes start to disappear after one hour of wearing them? Asking for a friend.
