We occasionally like to look at gift ideas that exist in the tabletop space and would work well in a group that is more used to playing lighter and less complicated games. That's Dope is such a game.
Overview
That's Dope is a conversation starter that revolves around a game. Yes, you can play it in a simple format, and rush through each of the decisions, but this is more a game about raising a topic and seeing what people think before raised eyebrows and 'hmm, really?' It's a get together game that doesn't require much in levels of expertise or concentration and would sit well on the aperitif shelf of your game collection.
Main Play
Players are given a 'Dope' or 'Nope' card and then the generous number of topic cards are shuffled and then one card is played by the Guesser. Topics are numerous from 'Going on a first date at a weekend', 'Ordering a steak well done' to 'Thinking golf is a sport'. Topics are designed to illicit reactions. Some of them are more obvious than others. The other players will then decide whether that topic is Dope or Nope and play their card face down. The guesser will then decide how many votes a topic will receive. Players flip their cards over and if the guesser is correct, they collect that topic card. The first player to collect a decided number of cards will win. Though usually up to five is probably the best number to aim for. There are a number of competitive modes included in the game where you lose topic cards based on wrong guesses and there's scope for you to invent your own variations of the game. Overall, That's Dope isn't designed to help you answer all of life's little questions but help have a little fun.
Timing
That's Dope is either going to take ten minutes but can easily turn into an hour if you get in the groove and decide to keep on playing it. It doesn't demand time and commitment and can easily be packed away for another time without trouble.
Who's Going To Like It
That's Dope is going to suit the casual party game players down to a tee. It's not another hilarious adult offend-a-tron that lands on the table with a plan to shock and make thing uncomfortable. The topics are of course US focused and some of the ideas might not always translate over well to other countries. I can see this playing out well in a family get together, or a game night where there is a penchant for something that doesn't require a thirty minute rules explanation. That's Dope would probably work well at those awkward ice breakers and get to know yous as at a base level, that's what the game is about. With almost 300 cards, there's a fair amount of game included and it's unlikely that topics will repeat regularly until you've played the game a lot of times. It's a party game with a name that is apt for what it is offering.
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This review is based on the retail version of the game provided to us by the designer and publisher. We were not paid monetary compensation for this review. We give a general overview of the gameplay and so not all of the mechanical aspects of the game may be mentioned.
The majority of the games that we are play are going to take a reasonable number of sessions and playthroughs to fully understand every possibility that they offer. We hope this write up gives you an idea of whether or not this game is something that you will consider playing or even add to your collection.
Even if we don't like something, hopefully it helps you to decide if it is something that you should find out more about. We always suggest you check out a gameplay video to give you a better understanding of the game as it is played.
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