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Do you want to be a psychiatrist? Are your friends crazy (more importantly, are you)? Then look at Off Your Rocker!
The new game from Stratus Games is a card-based party game where you and your group of friends take turns diagnosing each others mental issues. The Kickstarter started April 8 and goes through Monday afternoon. The game is due to release in July.
What's in the box?: In the mini-sample, there were 15 sample cards (with 2 ailments listed on each side) and a mini-rulebook. The full game will have 200 cards, point cards, and a sand timer. The game can be played with between six and twelve players and takes thirty minutes to an hour to play.
The play: First, the players decide if they are going to be playing the green or yellow side of the cards (so they know which side of the deck to draw from). The doctor leaves the room while the remaining players draw a card and choose between the two listed ailments. When the patients decide which ailment they are going to portray, the doctor is called back into the room. The doctor gets to ask each patient a question before rapid firing questions for two minutes. During the round, if the patients exhibit a behavior that is not part of their ailment the other patients can yell, “You're off your rocker!” At the end of the two minute question period, if the doctor has guessed the ailment, they get a point. The patients also vote for the best performance of the ailment. Everyone who receives a vote gets a point. The patient with the most votes for the round becomes the next doctor. The player to reach six points first wins.
What are ailments?: I played with a group of five people between the ages of 13 and 36. Some of the ailments require that you know about something from a specific time (like the '80's); these ailments were obviously not as popular with the younger players. The more popular ailments were: players think they are zombies; the first word of each answer must start with the letter R; players think the psychiatrist is a ghost; players are easily distracted; players are in love with the psychiatrist; and players think they are superheroes. A less popular ailment was each time a player's name is mentioned, that player is on fast-forward for five seconds.
- Geeky Goodness: This is a true role-playing game. If you are in a comfortable group of friends who can act out and be silly (with or without booze) this game is about as silly as they come. The game also offers a decent balance of cooperative and competitive play. Unlike other games (like Mad Scientist University
), if you are playing with a wide age range of players, you have a choice of which ailment the patients choose, so you can usually find one that everyone will enjoy. The cards are decent quality. The game has replay value.
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__ - Meh: If you are expecting a game you can play sitting around the table, that may not happen. Most of the ailments required us to get up and move around. Some of the ailments even required a minimal amount of interaction with the unsuspecting doctor. The text on the cards could be bigger instead of having little images that represent the ailments.
You can still support Off Your Rocker on Kickstarter for as little as $1.
