Wit and Wagers

The Wit and Wagers Layout.  Irrelevant math equations are not required, but also are not not required

Wit and Wagers is a trivia game that fixes the genre’s biggest problem: having to know stuff.  In this game it is much better to have a wife who has lots of random knowledge and a terrible poker face.

  
Publisher:

North Star Games

Designer:

Dominic Crapuchettes

Elevator Pitch:

A player reads a trivia question that will have a numerical answer.  Each player writes down an answer on a card, usually a complete guess, and then flips them over.  The answers are revealed and each player bets on which answer is closest without going over (Price is Right rules).  The process repeats for 6 more rounds where questions from different categories are asked.    

Personal Impression:

I don’t have a good memory for details, so trivia games aren’t my strong suit.  Wit and Wagers asks questions I shouldn’t remember, which makes for a much more enjoyable experience.  Sure I am still sometimes off on questions by several magnitudes.  Sometimes though, I know something random, which is pretty exciting.

Good for People who Grew up Playing

Trivial Pursuit

  

Ease of Learning:

Very simple.  Shouldn’t take more than a minute or two to get everyone on board.  The most difficult part is remembering which chips count for which value.

Fidgety Index

You get an erasable marker and a small white board to draw on.  Have at it. (Get your own erasers.  A scrap of a paper towel will do, but we’ve found great success with pom-pom balls from the craft store.)  

Universal Theme:

Like most trivia games, doesn’t really bother with the concept of theme.

Player Count and Length:

3-7 though can it go higher if you play in teams.  At any count it is fast to play and shouldn’t take more than half an hour to get through.

Expansions:

The Expansion Pack offers more questions when you use up the original ones.

Spin Offs:

Wit & Wagers Family makes the game more family friendly, not that the original isn’t.  It removes the gambling aspect of the game, which to me is a pretty vital part.

Wit & Wager Party takes the lighter questions from the expansion pack and makes a game of it.  Not sure I see the point of this one either, but it is likewise supposed to be more kid friendly.

Introducing the Game to New Gamers: 

No advice needed here.   Experience, beyond remembering answers, is not helpful.

Apps:

Given the social nature of the game, making a good app for Wit and Wagers is a challenge.  The app created is a noble effort.  The ai uses players’ answers to questions as ai answers in future games.  So you can play against your friends, but not in real time, which limits the effect.

Links:

Gateway Game Index

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