We visited Games World at Innaloo where we succumbed to a very Geeky trivia game called "Not Tonight, Josephine." by Toss Ink.
It's Australian, and has categories like "Weasels and Rodents" "Kings Charles" (not a typo!) and "Ancient History" "Trousers" "Last Words" "Word Origins", so we felt for $70.00 it should be encouraged.
It's amusing, and I'm sure Poss and the GCon crowd will enjoy it. It's also got a whole bunch of interesting military hardward trivia in it, so Steveg and Gary may not walk over burning coals to avoid playing it.
(Though I'm not going to hold my breath). I got question about a Stuka (Plane's got legs!) right, so nyaaah. Oh yes, and you can choose from two categories most turns, so there's a chance you avoid the dreaded (and refreshingly under-represented Sports questions).
The questions are kind of quirky. The board artwork is very funny and worth browsing while listening to the question and answer.
Ros, Rob and I had a play of it and enjoyed it, but we feel that the 45-60 minute game play estimate is a little over optimistic, Rob had 4 coins (you need 5 to win, as well as make it back to the centre of the wheel shaped track) when we stopped after little over an hour.
Play: Roll dice, move on the track. Another player chooses a card, and if the 2 categories on the card don't match the category on the space, then you choose from either of them.
Answer correctly, roll again and repeat. If the category matches, it's mandatory to answer that category. If you answer correctly you get a coin and your turn ends.
If however, you land on a Double Trouble square, you must answer both questions on the card. You may choose which category to answer first. Often there is a clue or red herring about the answer in each of the questions on the card. If you answer both correctly, you get a coin and your turn ends.
This game could be speeded up by allowing a coin for every one, two, or three correct answers - however much time you have.
8/10 Enjoyable, and Einstein Factor Trivial Pursuit without the sport on the Sid and Nancy Scale and even the sports questions are quirky...
Further musings. Well, from game to game your mileage may vary extremely. It has been with us. It really does depend on the questions and the people answering them. I've been having significant success with the strategy of if I don't know the answer and choosing between people, picking the one I've never heard of!
It's been working 8 out of 10 times for me. At least it seems that way.
Mark, Rob and I (with Steveg kibbitzing) played a full game the other night and enjoyed it hugely.
I've been in contact with Tess at Toss Ink, the game designers, and there's some news about the game.
Tess says: " An expansion pack is currently being written made up of a further 2,800 questions. The pack is simply another 100 cards (colour coded into 4 groups) each card with 7 non-multiple choice questions (& 7 answers on opposite side). The categories on these cards directly conform to the categories on the board (so if you roll onto, say, American Civil War, you can elect to answer a question on the American Civil War.) This should right the deficiency in the game at present relating to specificity, as you so rightly noted in your comments. The pack should be in production in the New Year. I regret that it was not possible to put it out with the first product. The new pack should speed up the game and also give it more challenge and bite."
This will really speed the game up, and I expect will improve its rating to around a 9.5 for me. I look forward to trying it with the expansion.
We'll be taking the game to Fandomedia, Genghiscon, and Swancon along with flyers that the publisher has kindly sent to me in case people are interested further. At least you can try before you buy!