Man Bites Dog...A Game Review

"Half The Game Is 90% mental."

-Yogi Berra

I have been spending a lot more time at home lately, I have found that when I want to go to a special event, that takes a lot of energy do, such when I drove to Santa Rosa to photograph the Woodstock sculptures, I need to prepare for that type of outing by resting up for a few days before the trip. Well, I can't just sleep all day, every day, so I usually relax in the yard with a book, or by taking pictures, with the camera set up on a tripod. But sometimes, what helps more then anything else, is when Alan and I play a really fun board game. A good one will force me to think, a really good one will make me laugh. An excellent one will do both. I find I sleep at my deepest, after a good solid laugh. The game I am about to tell you about was a great find that accomplished that for me.

The game is called, "Man Bites Dog," produced by University Games. I've always been impressed by their games, and this one is no exception. It's simple and fun to play. Here's what you do...

The object of the game is to come up with a structurally sound "Headline" like one would find on a newspaper or magazine publication.

The dealer, deals five cards to each player. Each card has a word, or sometimes two words, and a number value. Each player then looks at their hand, and decides whether or not they want to discard any of the cards dealt them. The player to the dealers left discards first, up to three of the five cards. The play continues around until each player has had a chance to either discard or accept their hand as is. After everyone is done, the dealer lays down his/her best headline from the cards. As an example...

Acceptable: Man Bites Dog

Unacceptable: Refrigerator Marries Mob Boss

If you can't make a sentence, then your score becomes zero. The score is determined by the numbers found on each card. It is nearly impossible to not make some kind of headline, very rarely did we have cards left over in our hands at the end of the rounds. I purchased the travel edition, which contains just the cards. I understand their is a larger version, but this one works fine for playing a short, fun game in the back yard. It is rated for ages 8 an up, which seems about right. If you enjoy cute, lighthearted games, which are very low on the fuss factor, I highly recommend this one. I give 4 out of 5 popcorn kernels. :)

And by the way, you might notice that the latest poll on my sidebar is all about games. Do you have a favorite board game? Even if you haven't played in years, I would like to hear about your personal favorite family game, or even your favorite game to play at parties, such as Madlibs or maybe Charades. If it isn't listed on the poll, feel free to tell me about it in the comments. I will reveal the results of the poll at the end of the month on my new poll results blog, which can be found here. I set it up to make it easier to keep track of past polls and results. The current one listed on the new blog, is the last one I had on my sidebar, about the great mysteries. Hop on over if you would like to see the final result of that poll.

-OndineMonet
"Man Bites Dog
Berkeley, California
June 8, 2006
Afternoon