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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Awkward Guests in Tabletop Games
Aug 6, 2020
One of my favorite classic mass-market games is definitely Clue. Murder, mystery, and a bit of deduction make for an engaging and entertaining game! That being said, even classic games can use a little updating from time to time. Allow me to introduce to you a Clue-on-steroids kind of game named Awkward Guests. How does it hold up to the OG staple? Keep reading to find out!
Mr. Walton has been murdered! You have been called in to investigate and get to the bottom of this gruesome mystery. By interrogating the suspects and the household staff, searching for clues, and examining the crime scene, you must decide WHO the killer is, WHY did they commit the murder, and HOW it was done. There may or may not even be an accomplice that needs to be caught too. Put your deduction skills to the test as you work to be the first investigator to solve the case!
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but rather give a general overview of the rules and gameplay. To read the entire rulebook, check out the game at your FLGS or directly from the publisher! -L
Awkward Guests is a card game of hand management, trading, and deduction in which the players are trying to be the first player to solve the murder of Mr. Walton. The game is actually pretty simple to play. To start, each player receives a hand of 6 cards and a case tracking sheet. The cards will have one or more references (case information) on them, as well as a value of 1-3 points, depending on the reliability of the information presented on the card. On your turn, you will ask for information about two different references in which you are interested. The other players will then look through their cards, and offer some or all that pertain to the chosen references in trade to the active player. The active player may then choose a player with whom to trade, giving that player any number of cards, as long as their value equals or exceeds the value of the cards received in trade. Look at your new cards, make notes on your case tracking sheet, and play continues to the next player. After all players have inquired and traded cards, players have the opportunity to solve the mystery. You must know WHO, HOW, and WHY, and possibly the identity of the ACCOMPLICE depending on case difficulty, in order to solve the mystery. If nobody is ready to solve, everyone discards their hand down to 3, and draws new cards to a hand size of 6. A new round then begins, and play continues until one player successfully solves the mystery.
When you get down to it, Awkward Guests is easy to learn and play. It mostly consists of trading cards to learn information. That’s it. And that’s what makes it a great game, in my opinion. Although it feels more involved than regular Clue, the gameplay itself is very similar and that familiarity is reassuring. One thing that elevates Awkward Guests above Clue is the fact that it requires so much more strategy than original Clue. In Clue, when asking for information, you are asking 1 specific opponent for information, and they have to provide it if they have it. In Awkward Guests, you are able to ask all opponents for information, and they can offer as much or as little information as they want. It increases the amount of strategy required to play, and takes it from a simple grid movement memory game, to one that encourages deduction and compromise. Since players are trading cards, you never know who is holding what cards at any given time, and that makes it harder to pinpoint the information you may need. You can’t just memorize another player’s hand of cards, because on any given turn that hand has completely changed. Along those lines as well, you have to decide what information you are willing to trade, in hopes of receiving useful information in return. You don’t want to just trade back the same cards to the same players in an effort to stunt their investigation, because that could deter them from trading with you in the future. You have to decide when is the right time to trade, and what information you are willing to hand to your opponents, because you need to be receiving new information as well.
Another brilliant thing about Awkward Guests is the amount of replayability. Each case uses a different combination of cards, and with so many cards, that means that thousands of different game decks could be generated and played as individual cases. The game design and card system boasts a possible total of 3,600 case solutions, each reached through these different card deck combinations. No matter how many times you play, it is almost guaranteed that you will never play the same case twice. That being said, the biggest downside of Awkward Guests for me is the actual game setup and teardown. Each case deck requires certain cards, so that means to set up, you have to search through all 243 cards and pull out only those required for the selected case. And then after the game, you must sort them all back into their correct order. That just takes a bit of time, and makes it a game that can’t just be played on the fly.
One other downside for me when playing Awkward Guests are the player screens. Each player receives a screen to block their case tracking sheet from opponents. As you learn information, you write it on your sheet to help keep track of your notes and accusations throughout the game. The player screens are also reference sheets, providing much gameplay information to alleviate the need to reference the rulebook at every turn. The downside is that there is just SO MUCH information in the player screens. It is quite overwhelming, and honestly, makes the game seem more complicated and confusing than it really is. I appreciate the effort to provide that cheat-sheet, but it needs to be majorly edited and redacted to be truly useful.
Let’s talk components. The game comes with some high quality double-sided case tracking sheets, and nice sturdy cards and cardboard components. It’s pretty simple, but really gets the job done effectively. The artwork is pretty basic and the color scheme is mostly monochromatic. It may not be the most exciting game to look at, but the lack of colors makes it feel appropriately thematic.
Overall, Awkward Guests is a good step-up game from Clue. It requires strategy, deduction, and even though the game is ultimately competitive, selective cooperation is a key to success. As a huge fan of Clue as a child, I can definitely say that I am a fan of Awkward Guests as an adult. Originally printed in a different language, this game was brought to Kickstarter with an English version in 2018, and I am certainly thankful that the decision was made to reprint it in English! If you like deduction games with a twist, I would absolutely recommend giving this one a shot. Purple Phoenix Games gives Awkward Guests a mysterious 17 / 24.
Mr. Walton has been murdered! You have been called in to investigate and get to the bottom of this gruesome mystery. By interrogating the suspects and the household staff, searching for clues, and examining the crime scene, you must decide WHO the killer is, WHY did they commit the murder, and HOW it was done. There may or may not even be an accomplice that needs to be caught too. Put your deduction skills to the test as you work to be the first investigator to solve the case!
Disclaimer: I do not intend to rehash the entire rulebook in this review, but rather give a general overview of the rules and gameplay. To read the entire rulebook, check out the game at your FLGS or directly from the publisher! -L
Awkward Guests is a card game of hand management, trading, and deduction in which the players are trying to be the first player to solve the murder of Mr. Walton. The game is actually pretty simple to play. To start, each player receives a hand of 6 cards and a case tracking sheet. The cards will have one or more references (case information) on them, as well as a value of 1-3 points, depending on the reliability of the information presented on the card. On your turn, you will ask for information about two different references in which you are interested. The other players will then look through their cards, and offer some or all that pertain to the chosen references in trade to the active player. The active player may then choose a player with whom to trade, giving that player any number of cards, as long as their value equals or exceeds the value of the cards received in trade. Look at your new cards, make notes on your case tracking sheet, and play continues to the next player. After all players have inquired and traded cards, players have the opportunity to solve the mystery. You must know WHO, HOW, and WHY, and possibly the identity of the ACCOMPLICE depending on case difficulty, in order to solve the mystery. If nobody is ready to solve, everyone discards their hand down to 3, and draws new cards to a hand size of 6. A new round then begins, and play continues until one player successfully solves the mystery.
When you get down to it, Awkward Guests is easy to learn and play. It mostly consists of trading cards to learn information. That’s it. And that’s what makes it a great game, in my opinion. Although it feels more involved than regular Clue, the gameplay itself is very similar and that familiarity is reassuring. One thing that elevates Awkward Guests above Clue is the fact that it requires so much more strategy than original Clue. In Clue, when asking for information, you are asking 1 specific opponent for information, and they have to provide it if they have it. In Awkward Guests, you are able to ask all opponents for information, and they can offer as much or as little information as they want. It increases the amount of strategy required to play, and takes it from a simple grid movement memory game, to one that encourages deduction and compromise. Since players are trading cards, you never know who is holding what cards at any given time, and that makes it harder to pinpoint the information you may need. You can’t just memorize another player’s hand of cards, because on any given turn that hand has completely changed. Along those lines as well, you have to decide what information you are willing to trade, in hopes of receiving useful information in return. You don’t want to just trade back the same cards to the same players in an effort to stunt their investigation, because that could deter them from trading with you in the future. You have to decide when is the right time to trade, and what information you are willing to hand to your opponents, because you need to be receiving new information as well.
Another brilliant thing about Awkward Guests is the amount of replayability. Each case uses a different combination of cards, and with so many cards, that means that thousands of different game decks could be generated and played as individual cases. The game design and card system boasts a possible total of 3,600 case solutions, each reached through these different card deck combinations. No matter how many times you play, it is almost guaranteed that you will never play the same case twice. That being said, the biggest downside of Awkward Guests for me is the actual game setup and teardown. Each case deck requires certain cards, so that means to set up, you have to search through all 243 cards and pull out only those required for the selected case. And then after the game, you must sort them all back into their correct order. That just takes a bit of time, and makes it a game that can’t just be played on the fly.
One other downside for me when playing Awkward Guests are the player screens. Each player receives a screen to block their case tracking sheet from opponents. As you learn information, you write it on your sheet to help keep track of your notes and accusations throughout the game. The player screens are also reference sheets, providing much gameplay information to alleviate the need to reference the rulebook at every turn. The downside is that there is just SO MUCH information in the player screens. It is quite overwhelming, and honestly, makes the game seem more complicated and confusing than it really is. I appreciate the effort to provide that cheat-sheet, but it needs to be majorly edited and redacted to be truly useful.
Let’s talk components. The game comes with some high quality double-sided case tracking sheets, and nice sturdy cards and cardboard components. It’s pretty simple, but really gets the job done effectively. The artwork is pretty basic and the color scheme is mostly monochromatic. It may not be the most exciting game to look at, but the lack of colors makes it feel appropriately thematic.
Overall, Awkward Guests is a good step-up game from Clue. It requires strategy, deduction, and even though the game is ultimately competitive, selective cooperation is a key to success. As a huge fan of Clue as a child, I can definitely say that I am a fan of Awkward Guests as an adult. Originally printed in a different language, this game was brought to Kickstarter with an English version in 2018, and I am certainly thankful that the decision was made to reprint it in English! If you like deduction games with a twist, I would absolutely recommend giving this one a shot. Purple Phoenix Games gives Awkward Guests a mysterious 17 / 24.
Heathski (173 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Feb 4, 2019
80s nostalgia (1 more)
Special fx
Not as good as the book
Ready player one was decent, but the book was so much better. If I keep writing, this will end up as a comparison of what the book was that the movie wasn't. I don't want to do that. It was good and enjoyable but you may feel its somewhat lacking. Possibly due to the epic storyline thats crammed into a 2 hour movie. Still i would recommend you see it. Just read the book after. ?
Dean (6927 KP) rated the Xbox version of Obscure in Video Games
Jun 9, 2019
Good Graphics (1 more)
The design of the school
Great Survival Horror
This was a very good survival horror game back in the day. It had the feel of a teen, slasher film and reminded me of The Faculty quite a bit. Apart from the Resident Evil games and The Suffering there weren't many Survival Horror games about for the Xbox. The gameplay was very atmospheric, you often needed a torch to search around the school at night. It had a co-op mode for a second player. A great game for the time.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2466 KP) rated Cinnamon Roll Murder (Hannah Swensen, #15) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
When the piano player of a jazz band is killed, Hannah springs into action to find his killer. Meanwhile, she's also looking for a way to stop Hannah from marrying Dr. Bev. The characters were great as always, and the mystery was fun. But the Norman/Dr. Bev story was unrealistic. I'm hoping, however, that it is leading to the end of the Hannah/Norman/Mike love triangle.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-cinnamon-roll-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/03/book-review-cinnamon-roll-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Lumos (380 KP) rated Patchwork in Tabletop Games
Mar 26, 2018
Easy to learn (1 more)
Fast game to play
This was a quick little game. Since it is a two-player, my friend and I played it while our DM put the last few touches on a one-off D&D campaign. It took about 20 minutes from learning to play to checking the final scores. I enjoyed the puzzle aspect of the game, though I don't always have the spatial awareness to determine how a piece would fit on my board so my piece of patchwork had many holes!
Andy K (10823 KP) created a post in Movies are the shiz!
Apr 3, 2018
Dai Samuel (29 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2018
As I’ve said before, I’m obsessed with Ready Player One. That said the movie isn’t the greatest piece. It also fails to muster the same nostalgic feeling I got when reading the book (no debate on book over movie please, I’ve had that conversation) so I am less vested in the on screen characters. That said, the characterisation of some key characters is good enough to keep me coming back for more, shame some of the key scenes never got shot. FYI Wil Wheaton reads the audiobook and that’s always a good deal.
Rachel Howser Roberts (96 KP) rated Marvel Strike Force in Apps
Jun 24, 2018
Fun game for super hero fans
Strike force is a fun game where the player collects Marvel heroes and villains and battles with teams of five characters to level up and gain new characters. It’s almost exactly the same game as Star Wars Heroes and Disney Heroes (all three from Disney). This game allows you to auto play a level you’ve already beat without losing a team member automatically to farm supplies without using some sort of ticket, which saves a lot of time.
Willy Garza (1 KP) rated Ocean’s 8 (2018) in Movies
Jul 7, 2018
Heist Film
Contains spoilers, click to show
I really enjoyed this female Heist film with many talented actress' .
Not much of a Rhianna fan so her being shown wasn't as annoying .
I am major fans of Cate Blanchett , Sandra Bullock & Anne Hathaway ..
I felt they really needed to get more into the Heist it kind of wraps up too early in my opinion so much more could have been explored !
** Spoiler TEASER
I especially liked how we find out Sandra Bullock's connection from a key player in her past too ..
Rate : 7 ? STARS
Not much of a Rhianna fan so her being shown wasn't as annoying .
I am major fans of Cate Blanchett , Sandra Bullock & Anne Hathaway ..
I felt they really needed to get more into the Heist it kind of wraps up too early in my opinion so much more could have been explored !
** Spoiler TEASER
I especially liked how we find out Sandra Bullock's connection from a key player in her past too ..
Rate : 7 ? STARS
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Dice Town in Tabletop Games
Nov 15, 2018
Good 5 player game (2 more)
Roll, select, roll what’s left, select mechanic is nice
Bad luck has choices
Can get screwed early and often. Just like in life (1 more)
Almost nothing stays yours.
Good light dice game. Best with more.
This was a cute game. Feels like an auction game as players are simultaneously selecting a dice and going after a certain outcome. But if more than one person is going for it. It will probably cost more. Is it worth it? I enjoyed my play. I’d play again but I’m not sprinting to play again.
