This Christmas I decided, in preparation for the big day, to branch out from my mid-euro-slightly-too-complex-games to something everyone could enjoy. A few years back, at the end of the pandemic, my family and I went into the app version of Wavelength, and we played it to death. Literally, I feel like we saw every card possible in the free version.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Wavelength is a great game. A wonderful way of getting to know others better. Or even surprised at those you know best. You’ll have quotes that will live on into eternity long after the plastic wheel has faded. But this year I was determined to improve on the matching games you can buy for a fiver in your supermarket of choice.
Welcome to the Pasture
You are in a new territory now where the grass is greener, the daisies grow higher, and pink cows prowl in the distance. Meet the game: Herd Mentality. Meet the players: Mother-in-Law (who loves to laugh out loud), Brother-in-Law (gold dust at every game he touches), Myself (the hobbyist who likes to teach others Ark Nova), and my Wife (the scientifically minded one).
So now you have met the herd, let’s quickly gloss over the rules if you are unfamiliar:
The question master asks a question such as “Name a famous Jennifer”, then players write on their pads a famous Jennifer, of course, Aniston from Friends is the one you’re currently screaming, right? NO! In my group, the mother-in-law went off base and said Lopez, an equally famous lady. But that deemed her not of the herd and in return, she received the pink cow of shame. This pink means you can collect points as normal for being in the majority, but you cannot win the game. The winner, by the way, is the first person to eight points.
Be With The “In Crowd”
Like many party games, Herd Mentality is a game where you want to answer like everyone else. There is no board involved and no real tactics; it’s just a proof of how well you know your family and friends. These types of games are great; they are easy and super addictive to play and play again.
Just One, for example, has you describing something with “Just One” words. A simple concept that seems to unravel even the most intelligent of players. And it is for these moments we live for. The memories and the laughter prevail once the box is tidied away.
Match Me If You Can is a quiz show-style game with a twist: there are no correct answers. All your group has to do is think what others might write. Questions can include “We Asked 100 Worms their favourite apple,” you then have the choice of Pink Lady, Jazz, Gala, and all the rest to choose from. It’s a fun difference to this style of game, seeing where the groups’ thinking goes.
Muffin Time is another chaotic game which brings a smile to even the grumpiest uncle at festive times. Muffin Time is a set collection game where you want ten cards in your hand by the time your turn comes around again. Sounds simple, but other players can steal, trap, and counter your cards to snatch victory from under your feet!
Back to Herd Mentality and the genius that it is. Put simply the games I played over the Christmas period were my favourite of any game in December. We are talking about competing with the likes of Wingspan and Ark Nova being played. But this simple game had heart.
Games are snappy and hilarious with moments of dwelling and discussing crazy choices. And other questions that simply have a unanimous vote of confidence. With over 100 cards in the most recent update and only around 15-20 questions per game this one certainly will have a long shelf life.
It’s Not About Winning…
We all have those we know that are overly competitive. You know the type that goes off in a huff if they lose. Well, with Herd Mentality is even in defeat for all but one lucky person, winning or losing isn’t the aim. If you are part of the herd then you feel great that you can think like everyone else. But if you’re the outlier then it is equally fun to justify your choices.
Another great mechanic is the system of hurrying other players along. If someone is taking too long or has analysis paralysis, you can shout “moo” at them until they write something down. A fun little system to get some early giggles before the main events of the big reveal!
I can see Herd Mentality scaling well with over 15 players present, but even with our small game of four players, it still threw some big swings of satisfaction. Since playing it on Christmas Day, I was invited to bring it round on Boxing Day too. Just shows the power of a simple concept, well-made and well executed, can bring so much joy to the hearts of many.
One final story from the many games we played to finish:
During the course of a game, the question of “name a drink beginning with C” came into play. Well, the obvious answer is Cola, Coke, Coke Cola. Ah, but again, someone went off-piece and decided to go for coffee. And while I drink more coffee than fizzy drinks, I could not believe this answer. It is about being on the same page as everyone else. But that is the beauty of humanness summed up right there. We all have different minds.
The pink cow of shame, squishy and pleasing to throw, isn’t a mantle of shame. But of honesty, hilarity, and heartfelt heroics.
