“I know that you know that I know, etc etc.”
Trapwords is a party game pitting 2 teams against each other, to be the first to venture through the dungeon & defeat the creature dwelling there (by guessing the correct word). Let me explain.
SETUP
Split up into 2 somewhat equal teams, a red team & blue team. You’ll have a number of dungeon tiles laid out between you (in a normal game, 5 tiles with numbers 3-7 on each one but can go up to 7 tiles). Each team starts on the 3 tile. You’ll also have a “book” with a card of words inserted. On the back of the book, a slit reveals a particular word, depending on the location of said slit. You’ll also have a sheet of paper & a pencil.
You’ll choose a “creature” to add to the 7 tiles. Could be a Troll, or a Vampire, or a Dragon, or one of 7 others, each giving a task to the team that ends up in the dungeon with them. Next to tiles 4 & 6, you’ll lay down a curse card, face down, which will be revealed when a team arrives in that dungeon. The first time it’s revealed, it will present an obstacle for any teams present.
That’s it. A very simple setup.
GAMEPLAY
To begin, each team will look at the word revealed on the back of their book. Together, they will decide on “trap words” to trip up the other team, because what’s gonna happen is, once both teams have written a certain number of trap words, they will pass their book to the other team where one of the members will try to get the remainder of the team to guess the word (within 30 seconds or so. There’s a sand timer). Now the trick is, the person giving the clues can’t say any of the trap words (& they have no idea what they even are), so many times, they’re giving clues without using words that would seem obvious. If they mention a trap word, BOOM, turn over. If they can’t get their team to guess the word in time, BOOM, turn over but if your team guesses the word, you move your team marketer forward on the dungeon track, getting one step closer to winning.
I mentioned that teams will write down a certain number of trap words. Well, the number is determined by the location of the opposing team. Both teams start on the “3” dungeon, therefore, they each get 3 trap words. As a team moves forward, the opposing team will get more trap words to use against them (& if both teams move up, say to the 4 tile, both teams would then get 4 trap words).
Rules for clue giving are simple: No proper nouns, no acronyms, no “sounds like” or “rhymes with”, & no using the word as part of the clue. That’s about it. For trap words, you also can’t use words like “like”, “um”, “well”, etc. The word must have something to do with the actual word.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I’ve played this a number of times (& demoed it way more for CGE) & I’ve enjoyed each play. At some point during each game, someone breaks out in laughter or “Oh my God, I almost said that”. I prefer to share what the trap words were once the opposing team has finished guessing but you don’t have to. I just think it’s more fun.
It’s a family weight game, that lists 8+ for ages & that’s completely acceptable. Says plays 4-8 but I think you could go higher if wanted. It’s a great game to bring to a family gathering or to introduce to non-gamers. It’s easy to understand & quick to pick up. It’s not one I’m gonna ask for all the time but if asked to play, I certainly will.
RATING
Family/Non-Gamer – 8.5/10
It’s easy to understand & as a team effort, you never feel too much pressure on just you (unless you’re the clue-giver). It doesn’t overstay its welcome (plays 20-30 minutes) and is easy pull out, set up & start.
Average Gamer – 7.5/10
It’s a good game that does what it does well. It’s non-offensive & easy to play at the end of a game day or between a few bigger games. It’s an easy & fun party game for just about everyone.
You can find Czech Games Edition (CGE) online at czechgames.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/czechgames.
