Master Dater, a game from Cyanide & Happiness, is the new contender for your game night. And in the true Cyanide & Happiness fashion, it’s just as goofy and silly as the name suggests. However, it’s easy to pick up and play, and if you have 3-6 creative players, this is a great card game to add to your collection.
The rules are simple, which is one reason I love this game. One person is the “sexy single,” and the other players are “daters.” The sexy single draws three interest cards, while the daters draw three heads and three body cards. The sexy single then reads the three interest cards, and the daters create the perfect match to meet the requirements for the interest cards. Well, the ideal match in their mind; they have to argue the case on why they meet the needs of the interest cards. After hearing the arguments from each player, the sexy single decides who will earn the cards. The play then passes to the next person, as they become the sexy single, and the game continues. The game ends with the first person to earn five interest cards and at least one from each category, love, flame, and spark.
What makes this game unique are the cards. The options of the cards are bizarre in a fun way. For example, some head cards include TV Painter (think Bob Ross), Unicorn, Van Gogh, Very Sleepy, and Social Media Star, just to name a few. And the body cards are just as funny; Always Online, Very Tall Person, and Amazon Warrior are just a few examples. The interest cards are just as zany, including examples like “I need someone who will marry me literally today” or “Fun fact about me: I am a sandwich.”
The real fun comes with the creative answers the players make up. And if you have a group of friends that come up with some crazy reasons why they are the perfect date, then this is a must-have for your next game night. Of course, as the name suggests, the game could border on “NSFW,” depending on your group. But if you want to spice up the night, there is an expansion pack that adds 25 heads and 25 bodies, and 100 new interest cards.
The cards are high quality, and the artwork is in the Cyanide & Happiness comics style. However, after opening the cards, finding room to put them back into the box was a little tricky. It’s a minor complaint and didn’t affect my overall impression of the game.
Final Grade: A
If you're looking for a new game to play with friends this holiday, Master Dater is a good choice. Keep in mind that this game is for ages 14 and up, but with the right group, this game is a blast. This is a good gift idea for fans of the comic strip series.
Review copy provided by Stride PR