When looking for gifts to give loved ones this year, one need look no further than the local board game supplier.
An award-winning game created by two BYU graduates is topping lists across the country for being one of the hottest games this holiday season — and it all started at a friendly get-together.
Scott and Bryce Porter, BYU alumni, were introduced to a homemade game similar to charades and said it is a great game for the market.
“We thought that we needed to bring this game to the world,” Scott Porter said. “It was such a blast to play. We are still talking about things that happened during those games.”
The game is simple, Bryce Porter said. It is a team competition that takes the classic game of charades and does just as the name suggests. It reverses it. Instead of one person acting out a word for their team to guess, the entire team acts out the word, while one person guesses the word or phrase. The goal is to guess the most words in 60 seconds.
“It gets a little bonkers because you only have 60 seconds,” Scott Porter said. “The idea is that once you reach 60 seconds, you sit down, catch your breath and count your points. Each round has a different person playing as the guesser.”
The game includes 720 words that were created through thousands of test games, Scott Porter said.
“We wanted to make sure that all of the words we selected would either be hysterical to have multiple people act out in a mini-scene together or for a group to all be doing the same thing at the same time,” Scott Porter said. “The participants know they’re getting words that are guaranteed to make them laugh until they cry.”
Both Porter brothers said this game is perfect for any age and to bring home for the holiday season. Multiple ages can be involved, from little kids up to grandparents, Scott Porter said.
“Everyone can get up there and be actively involved in the play,” Scott Porter said. “There aren’t many games that you can play with grandma and grandpa and everyone have a blast together doing it.”
Carrie Drake, a master’s student in TESOL, from Grass Valley, Calif., played the game over Thanksgiving break with her whole family. She said the group ranged in ages from 5 to 70 and everyone enjoyed it.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play Reverse Charades at least 10 times and it never gets old,” Drake said. “I played with my extended family over Thanksgiving and it was a riot. Everyone played and had a blast.”
Scott Porter said it’s the perfect game to bring home for the holidays. He said it ensures hours of fun and memory making.
“A lot of families love to get a new game to play over the holiday rather than being glued to a screen,” Scott Porter said. “It creates unforgettable memories and inside jokes that will have you laughing long after the game is over.”
The game is available online and from nearly 600 retailers nationwide, including the BYU Bookstore, its first retailer. From Dec. 5-11, the game will be available in the BYU Bookstore at a 20 percent discount.
Several other popular games released recently could also be the perfect gift this holiday season. According to the BYU Bookstore, one of the games that has been sold out is Spot On. This game tests the visual and matching abilities of those playing. Participants draw two random cards and whoever finds the matching symbols on the card wins that round. Amazon.com said the game is fast-paced and fun for the whole family.
Although they have been released for several years, the Bookstore also has sold many copies of Settlers of Catan and Ticket to Ride. These games test intellectual abilities and reasoning skills. They are limited to only four players but can provide hours of fun after eating a big Christmas dinner.
Whether games that encourage laughing and running around or a quieter game is your thing, there are many games available this holiday season that are sure to please just about anyone on your list.
