The other game that we played at this month’s family game day was
Rapid Recall. This game is definitely in the Party Game category, playing with two teams of at least two, and could have many more. One thing we like in a party game is something that doesn’t HAVE to have even numbers on the teams. Since we’re mostly playing just for fun, we don’t get bent out of shape over teams, and always try to mix up who’s on which team.
Rapid Recall is one of the variations of
Password, as in “Everyone loves Password, how can we change it just enough to make a new game of it?”
Taboo is a good example of this. Rapid Recall is not.
In Rapid Recall, one team member has a list of words, and gives clues to his/her team, but the team doesn’t shout out the answers, they instead throw a chip into the chip bowl when they think they know the answer. After the timed period of clue giving and chip throwing, there is a separate timed period (and second timer) for the team members to rapidly recall all the answers they thought they knew, and take a chip from the bowl to signify they got the answer. If they miss any, then the other team also has a timed period to try to remember the answers, also taking the left over chips. The game is won when one team has enough chips to fill up their side of the board.
I think the concept is actually kinda good, but I think the execution is what kinda breaks this game. Team members tried to coach each other to remember the answers they had thrown their chip in for, which works in theory, but when others start listing words, it’s easy to forget what words you were trying to remember. Sometimes different team members thought of different answers for the same chip, and the rules say only the first answer counts (like if the answer was supposed to be flower, and they answer rose instead), so there was a little scuffling if someone answered quicker and wrong. It was also very difficult to get momentum back if it was lost, especially for the second team to try to venture guesses. If there was any discussion at all, we’d all get off track, then you can’t remember anything!
I would rearrange the concept a bit and try it again. Here’s my idea of better mechanics to the good concept:
Everyone plays for themselves. Players take turns around the table reading the clues, and everyone has a turn giving clues (once or twice around depending on how many people you have). All other players are the guessers and like in the real rules, they throw in a chip when they think they know the answer, and the giving of clues and throwing in of chips is still timed. Then on to the guessing of clues, which will not be timed, but will go in turn around the table, starting with the player on the clue giver’s left. Each player makes a guess or passes, and if they got one of the words, they take a chip, and play continues around the table until either all the chips are gone or all players pass in turn. You don’t have to only guess the answers you personally put in, and similar answers can still be guessed. How many chips each player gets each round is added up, and after everyone has had a turn (or two) giving clues, the winner is whoever has the most chips, representing the most correct answers. You’ll have to make sure to keep guessing chips and scoring chips separate, which could be done using the two different colors that came with the game, or after each clue giving round, the number of correct answers everyone has is just written down. That might be easier.
I think this would be fun in the guessing and remembering parts, and there will definitely be a benefit to being the person on the clue giver’s left. The most recent answer will probably be on the tip of the tongue, no matter who threw in the chip. Or players might try to only remember their own answers, but by the time it gets to them, their answers were already given. It could be a fun party ruckus.
I picked up this game at a thrift store, Extreeme Artist and I love to go thrifting, and I always look for games. Unfortunately, the one brand of thrift store we usually go to because of it’s better hours, is the one that prices games a bit higher than the others. But I guess $2 or $4, a game for under five bucks is a good bargain even if you end up only playing it once. That being said, I still want to get my money’s worth, and besides playability, I’m usually checking for good bits.
This game has very interesting bits, two colors of plastic chips (which do rather resemble a puffy Dorito); three cups to hold the chips, two triangle ones that are the same colors as the chips, and one larger one to throw the chips into; the board with triangles of the same colors with a hole in the center to set the larger cup into; two sand timers of different time; the box of questions; and the device to put the question card into, which has a handy sliding arrow to mark which words have been guessed. All these bits would have many uses, counting games with little ones, markers for other games, guitar picks, cups for actual chips, you get the idea. And another box of words for whatever other Password-like game you like to play.
Hmmm, you could use the sliding arrow card holder to check off your grocery items…
So here is what came in the mail last week starting at the top of the stack:
