In search of the perfect new addition to our game night, we put The Voting Game to the test. With seven friends, we evaluated the game’s entertainment value, design, and replayability factor to see if it could earn a spot in our regular rotation. Read on to see if we gave it a Yea or Nay.
Design: Clever writing, clunky execution
The Voting Game is suitable for those ages 17 and up, and is designed to be played with five to ten people. At its core, the game promises to help you find out who your friends really are. We tested this game with seven players, which was enough people to keep the voting anonymous and get a good feel for the gameplay in a larger group setting. To start, each player is assigned a Player ID card between numbers one and ten. Then, everyone is given voting cards for every number except their Player ID. For example, if you are Person 2, you’ll get a voting card with every number except two because you won’t ever vote for yourself. To start the game, the person who most recently called their mother reads a card aloud and then everyone else decides which person that card best represents and anonymously submits their vote. Cards are pretty explicit, but a few tame ones include “Who could convince you the world is flat?” and “Whose Google search history would you like to see the most?” Whoever gets the most votes wins the round. If you received votes during the round, you also get the chance to guess who voted for you. If you’re using the original rules, guessing who voted for you doesn’t result in additional points. However, the manufacturer recommends awarding points to people who guess correctly as an alternate way to win, which did make this part of the game more fun. Keeping our votes anonymous was a drag on gameplay, mainly because passing the voting cards back to players at the end of each round slowed the pace of the game. And, if an especially funny card started someone off on a story, by the time we made it to the next round, most of us had forgotten who we’d voted for. For a faster-paced game, you can just own up to your vote and simply hold up your cards all at the same time. Because the game is compact, we were easily able to play around a large coffee table. The box says that a game can take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the size of your group and whether or not you play all 160 question cards. You can really start or stop a round whenever you’d like, so players can easily get up to grab a drink or hit the snack table in between votes.
Entertainment Value: Great for groups with inside jokes
Many of the prompts on the cards were funny and a few did elicit some good stories. On the whole, though, the game became predictable and loud laughter was replaced with light chuckling after two or three rounds. Plus, lewd questions—the least raunchy being “Whose standards drop the most after a few drinks?”—put this near the bottom of my list for games I’d choose to play with new friends or couples. That said, I can see this game going over really well with a group of close-knit friends who have known each other since high school or college. Its design offers a really fun platform to reminisce and poke fun at one another so I’d highly recommend it for a reunion of old friends.
Age Range: 17 and up
The age range for this game is solidly in the 17 and up category. There are lots of question cards pertaining to sexual escapades, morally questionable behavior, and other racy topics, so don’t add this game to your family game night or use it as an ice-breaker with new acquaintances. The material is also skewed toward a younger audience with mentions of Snapchat and search histories, so it’s better suited to Millennial crowds.
Price: Right on par
The Voting Game retails for $24.99—the same as other popular adult games like Cards Against Humanity, Hot Seat, Red Flags, and 5 Second Rule Uncensored. While it’s not going for an unreasonable price, you might want to asses your group before buying it as other games cater to broader groups with varying levels of familiarity.
Competition: The Classic Keeps the Crown
Cards Against Humanity: For the same price, Cards Against Humanity will be a better choice for most people. It’s got a quicker pace, works with all kinds of friend groups, and is highly replayable. Cards Against Humanity also has the same racy and raunchy humor, but you don’t need to know all the players as well to have a good time. If you don’t have Cards Against Humanity yet, it’d be a better first purchase. Hot Seat: For a game that focuses on players rather than trivia or pop culture, Hot Seat is another great option. Its gameplay is a bit speedier and more exciting. Plus, the format of the game requires unique answers rather than simple voting, so it gets major points for creativity and longevity. For a reunion of old friends or for a person with many different friend groups, The Voting Game is a good one to keep in rotation. For the rest of us, though, Cards Against Humanity is a better value.
