WBG Score: 7.5
Player Count: 4-10
You’ll like this if you like: Just One, The Chameleon, Snakesss
Published by: Big Potato
If you are a fan of party games then chances are you will already have one of Big Potato Games releases neatly tucked away in your shelves already. Or more likely, unpacked, lying around your lounge as you play it so often! With massive hits such as The Chameleon, 20 Second Showdown, and Linkee to their name, Big Potato are one of the leading publishers when it comes to fun! As such, when they release a new game, I pay very close attention indeed. And with their latest release, Sounds Fishy, (spoilers!...) they have gone and done it again!
Before we get into the review main, I want to pay credit to Big Potato Games for their continued efforts towards sustainability with eco-friendly, recycled packaged Sure, it doesn't look as nice, but who cares?! Not me. I salute you Big Potato Games.
Set-Up
Ok, onto the game! Getting Sounds Fishy to the table is incredibly simple. Place one fish on the table for each person playing. Make sure one is the blue fish. Place the questions out, and lay out the points. That's it. You're ready to start!
How to Play
Playing Sounds Fishy is just as easy. One player will draw a card from the pile, making sure to pull from the side that shows the question only so they cannot see the answer. On the reverse, the question will also be shown, but so too will the answer.
The player asking the question will hold the card up so all players can see the back clearly, and will then read out the question. Prior to this happening, each player will have taken a fish and looked to see what they have. Either a blue fish, in which case they must read out the answer as stated on the card. Or a red fish. The Red Herring. In which case, they must quickly think up answer that is believable, but not true.
Then in turn, starting with the player to the left of the person reading out the question, everyone will then give their answer. You can give a few seconds for people to think, longer if with younger players. You can work this out based on your group. Once each person has given their answer, the person who read the question out then needs to decide who is telling the truth, and who is giving them a red herring.
They must flip over the fish of the players they think are lying. If they flip over a red fish, they keep going. But if they flip over a blue fish, their turn is over. One point is awarded for every red herring that is caught by the guesser. But they loose all their point awarded that round if they flip over a true blue fish. If a blue fish is flipped, all players with a red herring still face down will score one point for each flipped fish on the board. If the true blue fish is left unflipped, the person who had that will score a point for every fish that wasn't flipped over.
You can play a timed game, or until someone reaches a certain score, or a certain amount of rounds so players have an equal time being the guesser. It's up to you.
The sort of questions you get are all quite vague, and generally things people would be inclined to know the answer too. So, it works well in that the guesser won't be able to easily guess who is lying as they won't know the answer themselves.
Is it Fun?
Sounds Fishy is so much fun! But like many party games, the joy comes from the people around the table more than what is in the box. So this very much depends on who you play with. But, in this beautifully recycled box, is all the contents needed to create a lot of laughter and entertainment.
With the right group, you will be playing this for hours, mostly in hysterics the whole time. The answers that people can come up with an be hilarious. The quandary that a few good fake answers can leave the guesser in is a lot of fun for all around the table.
And this is what a good party game should do. It brings people together in a social setting, gives them a simple, easy to understand game to centre their focus around. And brings laughter to the table. Sounds Fishy does this in a big way.
If you are looking for a new party game that works in a larger group, can be enjoyed by all ages in most settings and environments, (table, couch, or pub!) and offers a lot of laughter then Sounds Fishy could be for you. I can see this becoming a real family favourite for us, and the go to game after dinner when we have friends round.
It's one downfall is it does not necessarily do anything unique or new. But what it does do, it does very well. In a slick, simple, and smooth fashion. Some people may find the process of coming up with believable answers in a short amount of time a little tricky, or even stressful. And as the guesser, some may find the process of separating the fact from the fiction too much to handle. But if you have the right group and environment, this can be hilarious.
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