Game Review: Big Bang Theory Trivia Game – Fan Edition

Players: 2-8
Game Length: 60+
Recommended Ages: 12+

I’m always a little hesitant when I pick up a licensed game from a TV show. The reason? I’m hesitant that the game won’t capture the spirit of the show thus leading to disappointment and heartbreak. When I was told that there was a Big Bang Theory trivia game, I immediately pictured the characters from the show playing it and said – sure, I’ll give it a try.

Box for the game

The goal of the game is to collect 5 unique personas from the show by rolling a die and landing on a Fact or Fiction card. Each time you get a question correct, you get to draw from the persona deck. This means you may end up with multiples of the same character, but you can win if your trivia game is strong. Alternatively, if the trivia about the show is not your strong suit, you can steal existing cards by winning a game of Rock-Paper-Scissors-Lizard-Spock.

The game board is unique, but confusing

Going through the rules, the rules seem to make it sound like it’s about geeky things like comics, games, science, etc. I was seriously mislead when every single question was about minute trivia from the show. Further to that, it seems that the questions were written by fans (short for fanatics) of the show. For someone who has only seen a few episodes, it was not at all fun for me. This game is for superfans who can remember very small minutia from the show.

This was a miss for me, but perhaps you’re the superfan that needs to play this game. Check in with your local gaming venues to see how you can get your hands on a copy.

Game Review: Over|Under

# of Players: 2+
Age: 12+
Time: Approximately 30 minutes

While in Terra, the purpose of the game was to approximate using a series of scales and geography. Over-Under takes a different approach by simplifying down to whether a given number provided by a card is either over or understated. It’s like a less thought intensive trivia game. This is understandable given that this is also a drinking game.

Over Under board game

I’ve struggled a little bit on whether to review this because there are so many brilliant games out there that we could review. Of the three that we reviewed at Mancala Monk, this one was my least favourite. It wasn’t because of the drinking elements (we were sipping on water, tea, and soda – #partyanimals), but the game’s premise just never really spoke to me.

 

Over Under board game layout

A round goes something like this. The active player’s turn rolls a die. On the die there are four colours, ‘+2’, and ‘-2’. If you roll a +2, you move ahead on the board 2 squares, the inverse if you roll a -2. If you roll a colour, the player reads a card to the other player(s). The box has a good example of how it goes: “Over under on the longest ear hair ever grown. The line is 3 inches.” The opposite players not make votes using tokens on whether they think the answer is over three inches or under three inches. Their level of certainty is also added to the token (1 is the lowest level of certainty, and 5 is the highest). If you are right, then you move that number of squares forward along the board. If you are wrong, you move back that number of squares.

Our game took us about half an hour with three players.

This game is great for gaining a bit of knowledge, having a few laughs, and is great for larger groups such as classrooms (less the drinking) or a BBQ in your backyard on a sunny day.

Game Review: Terra

Players: 2-6
Playing Time: 45-60 min
Recommended: 10+

I have the hardest time with trivia games. Every question just seems so…well…trivial! I hate how I can get close to an answer, but as the saying goes: “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” Enter Terra, a trivia game from Bezier games! It’s a game where getting close counts for something!

Terra is a geography-based trivia game that tests you on everything from architecture and locations of historic landmarks to how many bat species are at Uluru. The system uses a series of markers to determine location, numbers, and lengths. While the exact correct answer is rewarded with 7 points, an answer adjacent to the correct answer is worth 3 points. Better than nothing, right?

Terra is purposefully hard and reassures you that most people won’t know the answers to this. With only 6 turns to get as many points as possible, the race is on to showcase your knowledge of planet Earth.

While there is a limited number of cards, the limited turn amount of 6 ensures that you won’t be going through too many. With more players, the game because part strategy as only one person can mark the correct answer. Do you bluff your opponents and sneak in with the right answer, or do you just pray to goodness that everyone else has the wrong answer?

I’d recommend this game to anyone who enjoys Trivial Pursuit, but also enjoys getting partial credit.