Wits & Wagers

Ah Trivia games. What a love/hate relationship. For me, (and I’ll wager and many other gamers), taking out a trivia game is the perfect way to ruin an evening. You either watch helplessly as your self-esteem dissolves into a gelatinous mass or you suddenly feel animosity, perhaps even jealousy for one of your life-long friends. Trivia games suddenly become anything but trivial. But fear not! Along comes a trivia game where you don’t have to answer the question correctly. Wha?

Style/Components: (Just what you need)
Wits and Wagers is a party game, and thus really doesn’t have a theme but its style is just right. Family friendly. As for the components, everything works. The cards are thin, but only 7 are used per game so they will hold up fine. The other items (felt betting mat, chips, pens, dry-erase boards etc.) are sturdy and will last through many games.

Gameplay: (A Gem!)
Every now and again, a game comes along that makes you say: “What a great idea!” The game mechanics are simple but ingenious. There are 7 questions/rounds in the game. All the questions have numerical answers. Each round, a question is asked and players simply have to guess closest to the numerical value without going over (like the Price is Right!). A sand timer is turned over and each player/team writes their guess secretly. The answers are arranged on the betting mat from lowest to highest. The timer is turned again and players then wager on the answer that is closest to the actual answer, (even if its not their own guess). The answer is revealed and players or teams receive payouts for guessing correctly. I mean, you don’t even have to be correct! What kind of trivia game is this? Players can bet as many chips as they have. But as with most wagering games, it depends on how confident you feel about your own answer, or someone else’s. The game is short, smooth and elegant.

Value: (Great fun at a great price)
The game includes 100 trivia cards with 7 questions on them. So you have enough for 100 games. When is the last time you played a party game 100 times? (It’s a rhetorical question). Also, since all the answers are numbers, even if you happen to get a repeat question, are you going to remember that the Mississippi river is 2,302.15 miles long? It’s a lot of fun and replay value for $20-30.

Audience: (Key word: Inclusive!)
Being a party game it is perfect for family, social, casual and even avid gamers. An aspect of the game that I intentionally didn’t include in the gameplay section, although it is an aspect of gameplay, is the ability for the game’s questions to appeal to a wide audience. This game can be played by all ages. Since the answers are guesses, it’s inclusive. Anyone can guess an answer. As opposed to most trivia or party games that are exclusive to adults, since most adults would be more knowledgeable than most children. Or games that cater to folks that are more knowledgeable about certain trivia categories. (Ever play Trivial Pursuit with a sports buff? Spare me…)

Overall Review: (Have a party!)
There are a few key points to this game that make it a gem.

As was already mentioned: anyone can play. You don’t have to be right. the game almost strokes your self-esteem by saying “Hey, no one knows that answer, but you got close!”

Next – the game can be played by 4-20 players – in singles or in teams. So it’s very versatile depending on size of your playgroup, circle of friends, family or Elk lodge.

And less obvious – since the game’s questions are all numerical (but are NOT only about numbers), and hardly anyone would know the exact answer, it promotes logical thinking… even deduction. Think about it. In the example above, if you think that the Mississippi river is around 2,000 miles long, essentially you are in the right ballpark. And in this game, you are rewarded for being in the right ballpark. How your brain gets to that ballpark is the positive, almost educational aspect this game has.

The questions and answers are very unique and adults and children alike will be entertained and challenged without jealousy, or loss of self-esteem.

I don’t care for party games. There’s usually not much thought or real strategy. If I win or lose I don’t feel like I’ve done anything. Often times there is too much randomness. While much of this can be applied to Wits & Wagers, for a party game, its ok by me.

Wits & Wagers usually makes an appearance at some of the family functions. It works well in this setting, but it does have its ups and downs.

Game Play:
The game is very simple to play. There are seven rounds, each with a completely unanswerable question with a numerical value of some sort. This could be, “What year did Jackie Robinson hit his 100th homerun” to “How many presidents were left handed?” All the questions are number based and each player/ team answers then they are arranged highest to lowest on the felt board.

Once all the answers are laid out for all to see everyone wagers on what answer they think is the closest without going over. We call this Price is Right rules. Each player has their own player chips that they can wager that they never loose. But as they answer questions correctly they also gain actual chips. You can also bet with these chips, but if you’re wrong you lose these chips. Whoever has the most chips at the end of seven rounds wins.

Components:
I would grade the components pretty high. I like the felt piece that is the board. Gives you a nice “wager” feeling when you’re betting. The boards you write your answers on with dry erase markers are also nice and a big step up from just writing on paper. The one down is chips you actually win. They are your common plastic poker chips. Nothing special.

Pros:
• Everyone is welcome in this game. It can be played with few people or break up into teams and it’s just as fun. Very inviting.
• No one can answer these questions. That’s not even the purpose of the game. So people who are afraid of looking stupid should have no fear.
• The rules and questions are set in a way I think it would be impossible for anyone to get upset and turn over a table. A must for all party games.
• No one has to sing or dance or act anything out. Those with a shy personality are welcome.

Cons:
• There is no reward for having the correct answer. This is a slight downer.
• The game is designed to end after seven rounds, resulting in everyone betting all their chips on the last round trying to make up the difference. Not a huge fan of this mechanic.
• It’s a party game.

Overall:
I’ve played a few times with the family and every time we have a good time. The questions are pretty out there and bring with them relaxed play, decent conversation, and laughs. There are some out there who will only play party games, if you’re with them at least this game is tolerable. As a Party Game I give it 8/10. On the broad scope of all games I would prefer to play 5/10.

great game for anyone, even nongamers. people who don’t know anything love this game too since in the end it’s your sense of who knows the right answer and your betting skills that gets you the win.