Miami Dice: The Mind

[@billconlin1315]

The Mind would make a perfect TV Game Show where a team of players play for a jackpot. And if they don't win, they add $5000 more to the jackpot and it keeps getting bigger and bigger. I would watch the show.

[@timetrap4982]

Fake psychic? You mean a psychic?

[@Sajatzsiraf]

Sam, I will gift you a "Yes, I have played The Mind" t-shirt for conventions if you promise to wear it... :D

[@SamHealey6]

Sajatzsiraf 4X, please

[@vangelis.gavalakis]

"downtime is a mechanism in this game". 10/10. Sam nailed it.

[@zed_boson]

I'm surprised they didn't mention The Game as a comparison. It's a very similar mechanism.

[@StefanKirchberg]

i totally agree, The Game seems very simmilar to this game

[@markusschmidt9260]

It is not really, if you played it. I understand, that the card design promotes this connection. But I would rather see more in common with Hanabi. There is just to much liberty in passing information with The Game.

[@msmilder25]

The main issue Tom seems to have is that it's an activity. What he used to describe that, can be used to describe, literally, every party game ever. The Mind is in essence a combination of card game and party game. If you don't like card game or party games...you will hate this game, but if you like one or both, this will be a gem. I do agree, the quality level of the game isn't quite to the hype-level, I get that. But that's not the fault of the game. On the other hand, this is one of the cheapest games I own, at least I don't feel like a blew $70 on a big-box board game that was way over-hyped and ended up not really liking it much.

[@dedcove7466]

Got this for my bday and just played for the first time today and thought it was fantastic. It's great for people who don't play games because the rules are light. And we definitely felt like we were getting more in synch and better level by level. We enjoyed it a lot.

[@bgm-1961]

I prefer the communication rule that Marco describes in his review video. That is, that there is simply NO communication WHATSOEVER. No voice, no body language, no noises, no signals. Nothing. And I agree that's the only way it should be played. But despite, the group will eventually figure out how to communicate, even when abiding by the above rule. That's when this game shines.

[@MichaelFischer-capovonderband]

You have to play your lowest card. You can't just play the 99 to loose a life when you have other cards.

[@DanieleMazzoni]

Michael Fischer exactly, however you can do some minor trick if your last card is very high :)

[@cthulwho8197]

Sure, but if like Sam you have the 13, 99 and 100 couldn’t you play the 13 and then instantly play the 99 knowing it’s wrong but only costs you a life and wins the game?

[@markusschmidt9260]

If you just have 3 cards, you can't. Because winning Level 3 won't win you the game. Now, if you have the 13 and then 94-100 in the 8th level of a 4 player game, you could. (If you have still 2 lives remaining. Because loosing your last life instantly looses you the game.) But would you do that? Probably not.

[@jasonwalker8802]

You have to play when you believe it is the lowest card available to play. So you can't play the 99 in that situation when other people are still holding cards.

[@paleblue8922]

Have not played the mind yet, but overall it does not sounds like fun, neither like a game. I will give it a try.

[@jeremyoverton7047]

This is an amazing game and an incredible design. What’s so good about it (that wasn’t mentioned by the DT guys at all) is that like Hanabi the gameplay is emergent, in that the ‘communication’ between the players evolves during the game and subsequent games . This means that the game can play very different with different groups. It also means that groups can improve at the game, but in different ways. I love it. It’s not for everyone, but I’ve played it with many more people who have loved the game too than not. Most groups have instantly gone and bought a copy after playing it.

[@otterbot]

You have to play your lowest card. Can't do the "just play the 99" card unless it's your lowest card.

[@otterbot]

This went over HUGE with my family. Constant laughter. It's original, elegant, charming, and engaging enough to be worthy of an SdJ nomination. There's zero downtime if you're studying how people play and tune in to the vibe of the table. Is it for everyone? Perhaps not. For us it was cooperative anxiousness, in a good way. When it clicks with a group it serves the best outcomes of gaming-good memories and enjoying the people around the table.

[@markusschmidt9260]

Sam's take on "downtime" wasn't convincing for me, too. Alfred Hitchcock once claimed, that a scene with two people sitting at a table can be pretty boring. But if the viewer knows, that there is a bomb under the table, this alters the perception and it won't be. While this is not exactly the same in this case, "downtime" is normally filled with suspense in this game. And in the rare cases, when you get dealt 99 and 100, while you have nothing to do, it's quite hilarious fun to wait and watch the other people.

[@martinmichaels1033]

I agree, Sam's complaining about downtime was a bit of a stretch. Its a 15 minute game! The downtime is only a few minutes at the most!

[@jeremyoverton7047]

Markus Schmidt That’s a great analogy. The Mind has lots of moments of people ‘doing nothing’, but those moments are chock full of tension and interest.

[@dexlei2827]

You could just played this with regular poker cards, and treat Joker as the Extra life :p

[@BassForever]

This is like an old drama warm up/bonding exercise we used to do. Everyone stood in a circle holding hands, stare at a spot on the floor, then you randomly say numbers in sequential order from 1 to whatever resetting if multiple people say the same number at the same time. The mind seems like someone took that idea and made a game around it. Looking forward to getting it for my family since it seems like a very easy game to pick up.

[@mizzy_chiara]

I don't understand the comparison of this game with Hanabi. In Hanabi you cannot see your cards, but you have a very structured way to give hints, which make the game a logical puzzle in trying to give the best hints and play/discard the correct card as a consequence in order to progress the game or get hints back. This is nothing like what is going on with The Mind.

[@flyingpenguin4144]

I've always thought of a game as a voluntary activity with a set of rules defining unnecessary obstacles that have to be overcome in order to reach a goal. In my mind, The Mind definitely qualifies as a game, so I'd be interested to hear the definition of "game" from someone who doesn't think The Mind is one.

[@LeeTrifone]

I really appreciate how frank Sam was on his opinion of this game. Some people will like this game, some people won't. If your perspective on this type of game leans the same way as Sam's, watching this video will save you some money. If you're like Zee, you'll have a new game to teach. It's not about "getting it"; it's all about what you enjoy in your gaming experience.

[@williambarbarow3207]

it is nice to see a review that agrees with me on this. I can't see why people like The Mind. Having watched it on BGG, it looks like a quasi-interesting activity but it's not a game. It looks like it gets old quite quickly. Hard pass.

[@dandurkin9735]

Have you played it?

[@lastburning]

You can form an opinion about a game without playing it. Especially when the game is as simple as this.

[@dandurkin9735]

lastburning So you have not player it either?

[@skyblazeeterno]

lastburning ...do yourself a favour and play it. Some reviews have swing from it looks terrible to its genius simply because of playing the thing

[@Ad3tr]

If this was a team game, where two teams were competing to complete the order then fastest, losing points for mistakes, it would make more sense

[@d.b.4910]

It felt like "Hanabi the Party Game" to me. Very fun filler with the right group and in the right mood.

[@nicksbordone5271]

Daniel B. That's what i thought based on this video. Maybe a less thinky Hanabi. I might check it out

[@SnowDragonka]

@@nicksbordone5271 Not sure about the "less thinky" part, from what I understand, you want to keep track of the cards already played... the fewer the players, the more memory involved... In hanabi you need to keep mostly track of your own hand.

[@adamgough9333]

You can’t really “game” The Mind by sacrificing a life, as playing your cards in order is a hard and fast rule. You may as well say you can “game” Hanabi by holding your hand of cards the other way round. :) I think your view of the game has been hugely affected by your irritation at being asked about it so much. I had no knowledge of it when I first enountered it and I absolutely love the concept, and have never had anything but a great time playing. Your patronizing laughs every time Zee brought up a positive about the game are the reason I thumbed-down the video. I get that you don’t enjoy it that much, but you not liking a game doesn’t automatically mean that it’s crap.

[@loneXolf]

Seems like my type of party game. Not many people like the don't talk rule however, and there doesn't seem much clues to go off of unless you go meta.

[@cartoon80s90s]

From videos I have watched with people playing, it feels like the title of the game should be "Boredom, the game". Basically you take a guess and hope for the best. Sure having a basic - very basic - idea of probabilities helps, but it feels so dumb.

[@centuryspicysalsa]

17:41 "Have you played THE MIND yet?" #1 quote by Sam Healey.

[@TheloniusMage]

The Mind: Educational Edition Sleeve 100 mathematics flash cards in opaque card sleeves, covering the answer side. The solution is the value of the card. Replace numbered cards from The Mind with these, then play.

[@Renzuo77]

Played the Mind today with 3 other fellow gamers. If you havent played it I seriously recommend you do before commenting on whether it's good or bad. Like many I read the rules and wasn't very impressed, and then I played it and it was truly a unique experience. We had genuine moments of tension and laughs and ended up playing it 5 times in a row! A Great filler between heavier games, and one I'm adding to my personal collection.

[@mapleleaf95]

hey there, accidentally found u in comments XDD yea it looks not tat interesting thus i believe this game is more focus on experience rather than win or lose, so this week need give it a try XDD

[@Renzuo77]

@@mapleleaf95 hey there! Nice to see u here =) yes, do try it, you'll be surprised how fun it is. It's still one of my group's most played filler games!

[@GeassUser3]

Just a correction on your rules interpretation, I believe you can only play your lowest card. So while you can game the system by playing the 100 card, that card must be the lowest number in your hand.

[@Medsas]

seems like the hype negatively affected their experience... this is a really good design.

[@SWholley]

Exactly the way I feel about this one, it's almost as if you read my mind. Tons of hype, wouldn't mind getting a copy for my family, but I don't think this one will get much play in my group. We prefer to play games over the activities.

[@jeffrainwater4084]

Still would be fun to see you guys play it live... with Chaz and Hunter

[@barbarazuckerstaetter230]

I'd say it is more of an acrivity than a game. It is much like training with your sports team or practising with your band or string quartet ;-) You work on timing with your teammates. There is of course nothing psychic about it, it is just the fun challenge of developing a joint sense of pacing.

[@1979kubala]

Sam was hilarious here. I have not played the mind but i thought the same thing when heard of it, that i would quickly get bored of it.

[@comanaut9566]

I agree. Once the novelty has worn off , I think it would get old, fast.

[@markusschmidt9260]

I agree. I did not understand the appeal until I played the game, either. But now I do.

[@danielmaniskas7580]

Jesse Whitehead the brothers Murph have a twitch playthrough that really gives the essence of why this game is great.

[@KamranZaffar]

I thought it sounded stupid. Then saw the Bgg play through. After that I had to play it. Had fun with it every time I’ve played. Some people hate it and can’t understand it but it’s left so many memorable moments in my mind after only a few plays with different friends.

[@Scott-J]

It is a good bar game. I've only played it with 6 to 9 people on a homemade copy made out of a 6 Takes deck. BUT, we restarted each level when we lost a life. Do you all keep playing the same hand until the lives are zero? Played our way, the rounds/lives go quickly. We set the victory at finishing level 3 for that many people. With more players there is more contention about who has the lowest card. We house-ruled that when you shuriken (discard) the lowest numbered card that was discarded goes on top of the pile. Seemed to work well, we had fun.

[@miistercrayon]

I wished the rules were read. You have to play the lowest card.

[@miistercrayon]

The undercurrent of cynicism here is pretty awful.

[@adamgough9333]

Yeah, several points they make show that they haven’t learned the rules, or are ignoring the spirit of the game in order to actively try and break it. You can break any game if you ignore enough of the rules. That’s not a problem with the game though. It’s a problem with the players. The cynicism from Sam and to a lesser extent, Tom is disappointing. I get that they are here to review a game, but they are actively mocking people that like The Mind, from start to finish. Rolling their eyes and laughing at Zee for bringing up reasons why he likes it.

[@keel1701]

The rules don't prevent you from doing what they did, they just punish you for it by losing a life. Nothing in the rules say you can only play your lowest card. It says the lowest available must be put down and if it isn't then a mistake was made you you get rid of everything lower. Either way they weren't saying that was the way to play. They were saying they heard of people gaming it that way. I love when people criticize these videos saying that they didn't play by the rules...

[@Mambaru]

I think that they left off Numbing from the game name.

[@billcook4768]

Would love to see some introspective from the guys on why so many people are nuts for this game, but they aren't.

[@jerrybaker9110]

"downtime the mechanism". Delightful burn Mr sam

[@DEMONJIM]

Zee seems to just get it.

[@jeremyoverton7047]

James Garcia Voice of the people!

[@cthulwho8197]

You mean he agrees with you? 😁 Whereas someone with the opposite view could say “Sam is the only one who can see that the Emperor is naked”.

[@jeremyoverton7047]

Cthulwho? So many people who have actually played this game are loving it, that not only is the Emperor clothed, he has full body armour and a helmet.

[@cthulwho8197]

Jeremy Overton With any game some people will play it and love it and some people will play it and hate it. As with so many things in life it’s all about personal opinion. So this does not mean that Zee is right and that Sam is wrong. Or vice versa. I have no opinion on the game (or activity), I haven’t played it, so I’m not damning it or evangelising it. Just pointing out that there are no absolutes in reviews.

[@cthulwho8197]

And by the way, the entire crowd said the emperor was naked because they didn’t want to be thought of as stupid. Only one person pointed out the truth. So a defence of “many people” doesn’t really work. 🤨

[@PwndNewbie]

It is more of a team building exorcise than a game.

[@victorgonzalez2927]

So the game is basically The Lost Expedition with out the fun stuff.

[@toddkauk6099]

My favourite game of the year. We've played it dozens of times and everyone I've played it with, LOVES it! SdJ Winner for me! LOVE this game! =)

[@vakporcovac]

man feels like ages....i miss the old times :)

[@MRdaBakkle]

I played this. Hanabi is a better co-op game in the style not knowing all the information on the table, I would still play this game if others wanted to though.

[@vandyke9724]

What this is ALL about, is the group experience and the learning as a group. In this, it is full of tension! But if you are not a cooperative player, and If You want just fun of your own actions, its not gonna make you happy.

[@SamHealey6]

Van Dyke I love cooperative games...they are some of my favorite games to play. Love working together with other players. And to me, this game is boring.

[@jfhamel5221]

The hype train seemed way too strong on this one..... And I fear the next one will be Fireball Island

[@Therisktaker3]

Fireball island wasn't a good game when it was originally released, IMO. I think a lot of people are going to be disappointed later after they receive it and then only play it a few times. I hope it is better than I remember it being.

[@dstroyanddcoy1932]

FIREBALL ISLAND WOOOOOOOOO!

[@paulthompson8539]

This game is not for everyone. I'm an avid board/card gamer, this was not a hit in our house.

[@amusement420]

I heard the intro song in line for Millennium Force roller coaster in Ohio today lol what's the name of it?

[@Puzzu]

Great review guys, captured my thoughts exactly on this game, it’s similar to another one called The Game which was also just ok.

[@petec3250]

Sam is Mr. Anti Hype. 7 Wonders innovative anyone? :)

[@benjaminspears8488]

I get that artwork is subjective, but for me, the look of this game detracts a lot from the actual game. Imagine if they had different artwork on each card or they had something that makes more sense than a throwing star! I think this would be a great group game or an icebreaker when getting to know people, but it just looks so bad.

[@markusschmidt9260]

I guess, The Mind might get old after a few games, but you have to consider it's really cheap, too. So I don't think, it will get a lot of backlash after the hype, because people get some quality time out of it. For me, Zombicide Black Plague isn't very much of a game, too. It also gets old pretty quickly, most people won't play it much more then two or three times, but it costs a LOT more. Also I agree with Zee here, that you can pull out The Mind with a lot of people, even most non-gamers. And it's fun to get and share the experience, when somebody new get's "blown his or her mind" by playing this for the first time. So I'm quite confident, that I will get some more games out of my copy before I trade it away. IF I will trade it away.

[@kustomkure]

This is one of the best games ever created. On par with Codenames. Amazing, amazing design.

[@peterterry7918]

What a thrilling playthrough video the Mind would be! Pair it with Magic Maze and silent Happy Salmon and you would have such a unique video experience! (insert sarcasm emoji here)

[@Lavoye]

Great game! It conveys a lot of tension and emotions. A lot of satisfaction when you unlock a succesion of close calls. There is no other game like this and I could play this a whole night without stoping. Sam saying "I get why some people like it..." No, the big beta does not get it.

[@Fanatikk9]

Here's the thing about hype in board games. If it's hype made by people playing it then it's not hype. It means a lot of people love playing it! I just saw multiple vids of people loving this game after playing it. Even if Sam, Zee, and Tom aren't that into it. I'm not dogging the guys here. It's their opinion but I took their opinion on Codenames and never played it until this last Origins. Loved it! Just like EVERYONE else loved it when it came out and they were saying it was overhyped(Sam/Zee, not Tom).

[@RuleBritannia1987]

One of Sam's (and to a lesser extent Tom's) criticisms seems to be that it's popular but they don't really like it. I bet if it were a miniatures game and everyone at a con was telling them to play it then it's popularity would be a check in the plus column.

[@codydavis3100]

RuleBritannia1987 yeah and after how much they've lauded fireball island it's like take a step back and stop being so snobby. Btw is your name on every referemce to the Harry Turtledove novel?

[@KristoVaher]

Err, no. That's stupid.

[@josephsibleybridges]

Sam hates games with any hype in general. Plus it's a light filler game...so therefor more hate of the hype. I've met Sam. He's a great, nice, and humble guy, but he really hates even the idea that "everyone" likes something. He is a grumpy contrarian. Tom seems the same way, but less grumpy. I knew before I even watched this video that Tom would waffle on it even being a game, Sam would make some sort of playful "threat" about people playing it, and Zee would end up defending the merits of it. I'm just glad they at least gave it a try.

[@searose6192]

The game looks really cool on the black background! I am sure it looks slightly less impressive on a normal dining table LoL

[@Steve-L]

This may be one of the best game reviews I have ever seen! Loved the video!

[@ramonosuke]

100% agree with Sam. Game is mostly ok, and can be a fun distraction/activity, but there isn't enough game here, for it to get the praise and accolades it is receiving. The fact this was nominated for the Spiel is a bit mind-boggling. i see the appeal for sure, but it's not the second-coming of board gaming that everyone seems to think it is

[@MarcelPogorzelski]

So it's cooperative War. This game would be fine if the gameplay itself allowed some communication. Like Hanabi. This isn't really a game but a random activity.

[@kidkunjer]

no, not random at all, and communication would ruin it. That's like saying werewolf would be better if everyone just kept their eyes open the whole time.

[@StefanLopuszanski]

EDIT: Oh, okay, they did mention this in the video. Glad I wasn't the only one who thought of it. It could be a neat game, but it just doesn't seem like it would be enough of a game for me. Everyone says "you have to play it to get it," but to me it seems super solvable. Couldn't everyone just count up from 1 in their head and play their card when they get to that number? Yes, some people count faster or slower than others, but it shouldn't be so far off that you completely lose the game.

[@adamgough9333]

Stefan Lopuszanski Well, this is something that the rules specifically say is not in the spirit of the game. You are supposed to nonverbally communicate with your team. Learn their tells and expressions.

[@josephsibleybridges]

I've heard everyone say this. I've watched people try to do it and still fail. It seems everyone who says its "solved" simply hasn't played it yet and seen that it's way harder than they think it is.

[@kidkunjer]

it's so baffling to me, peoples comments about this game. Why is everyone so intent on breaking it? Why is everyone so intent on cheating? Nobody says "monopoly is so easy to game, I just reach over to the bank and take all the money out." It's really bizarre.

[@RabidHobbit]

I realize this is random, but I want to see Tom wear a Kid Rock wig under that hat in an episode.

[@PompeyLegend2009]

15 minute final thoughts

[@thediceodyssey4690]

There needs to be a game called "Downtime: the Mechanism." Apparently someone thinks its this lol.

[@odsonic4727]

typically not an ice breaker game or gateway game ..its more of an experience with whom your playing with..i tried it yesterday and Iiked it and want to try with more people I think 4 players will be great

[@keel1701]

This seems like Hanabi, with missing rules.

[@kristin4463]

I don't understand how The Mind kept being described as unique and innovative. It's identical to a parlor game that was popular when I was a child which was played using multiple card decks and a hierarchy of suits. Saying "The Mind" is innovative makes about as much sense as playing Eat Poop You Cat and then turning around to say Telestrations is innovative. Game makers should at least have the common decency to acknowledge when all they've done is repackage an old public domain game and presented it to the public for sale. It's not even a practice I oppose - Telestrations is fantastic.

[@johnodonnell2495]

Good man Sam! Not enough game - completely agree

[@mattrodda1975]

Tell you what, it's a cracking little gateway game, among non-gamers. Fascinating concept + simplicity + quick play. But Yeah, gets a bit old among gamers.

[@MG-oj7rr]

Good thing about this game, you can play it with regular or custom cards and see if it clicks with your group and seems potential to be played often enough, than you go buy it ;), thats what i did with resistance, warewolf and some more games ;) this one and when i dream are next games im trying to make it my self just to try it out with my groups of friends.

[@bushibayushi]

Love that discussion ;).

[@steveweber7142]

Sigh...i don't think it's a good game for a convention setting, and is certainly no party game. The fascination of the game comes from how different people perceive time, and the passing of time. How people can play their cards and think that they waited a long time, while others are surprised that the player was so sure so fast. It's not about pushing your look, and its best when there is no cheating. It's about getting into a groove as a group, relying on the other players that they know how long to wait and so on... Sorry guys, this review comes across as a little too superficial ;-)

[@steveweber7142]

adolson yes, exactly. They seem too focused on winning/trying to beat the game, and either don't get the spirit of the game or activley disregard it. I also didn't like the comment 'why are you playing this game so much, don't you like other games?' ...come on guys, really? They play it cause they like it, so what? Hasn't sam himself said in the past(don't know if it's still the case) that he played blood rage at every convention and oppertunity he had? Why did he do this? Cause he likes the game, and not because he doesn't like any other games. Is it somehow cooler to play one game and not cool to play another? You guys always seem to make such a big fuss about being tolerant and letting people enjoy the games they do, and to not make fun of them. So why make such a comment then? The fact that the way you seem to have played the game goes against the spirit of it, makes that comment come across as even more ignorant. Sorry, like i said before, a very strange and unpleasant review all in all.

[@paulthompson8539]

This is a perfect representation on the game. Unfortunately it just led to the people I played with getting annoyed at how others perceived time. The phrase "Why would you wait so long!" was muttered too many times during my time playing it.

[@Varrik159]

Having not played this game, I feel like I want to summarize it like this: I can absolutely see why you wouldn't want to play it over and over, but I DEFINITELY want to play it at least once. That's why the hype-people and the nay-sayers are both loud voices for this one!

[@Alluvian567]

game seems fun, but I like to play games with my FRIENDS, and I actually like to TALK to my friends as well. So I find games that don't allow me to talk to my friends a little annoying. It is short though, so that is good.

[@hanseathl]

I just purchased the game. I absolutely understand your caveats and criticism - the only thing I don't get is: what's the deal? I paid 7,50 Euro for it and if I get about three to five games out of it with several people - being it a game or an activity- I am perfectly fine with the concept. I think I mostly agree with Zee but will find out as soon as I get it. Honestly, I think you are giving it way too much weight for these few bucks. It is indeed original and an idea I might like as an experience...

[@Varrik159]

Totally agreed. Paid £9 for it as a gift for a friend and that seems reasonable to me for a fun new experience.

[@myBrickShop]

Wir haben "The Mind" auch mal getestet. Das sehr lustige Ergebnis könnt ihr hier sehen: kzbin.info/www/bejne/kIPRmXxjaN6slassub_confirmation=1

[@Osborne4Life]

Nominated for Spiel Des Jahres for Best Game. Sorry, Sam.

[@2teachers2kids38]

Sam’s eye roll at 15:25 is super funny!

[@non-alphagamer3618]

I was confused. From the way this game plays, I thought it was The Mime - a ripoff of that rule in Witch of Salem. Eh, Zee?

[@jerrybaker9110]

So the pc police are blowing up Sam on Twitter because he was hard on the game and accusing him of "gatekeeping".. Whatever that is. Stay strong Sam and stay salty

[@Tennethums1]

Bought some blank playing cards from Amazon and made my own.

[@markusschmidt9260]

I'm sure, Amazon will be grateful for this.

[@adamgough9333]

If you like it, I hope you will show the designer the respect he deserves and buy a copy 🙂

[@peelyon1]

It's not even an expensive game. Not sure it's worth the effort writing 1-100 on cards. Help the designer and the publisher.

[@Tennethums1]

Ok, so I’m officially crapping on this game for a number of reasons. The first (and biggest) is because I just played The Game On Fire last weekend and it is MUCH more fun and basically the same game. It also comes with (drum roll) the number of cards needed to play The Mind. Doesn’t have “Stars” or “life”, etc but WHO CARES, you can trudge through a round or two of “the mind” using the cards from The Game because it’s about all you’ll want to play. I had 8 people at the house and we all took a turn at both The Game and The Mind and not one person didn’t r spins with, “why the hell would you buy/play this (The Mind) when you can play this??!!” (The Game). Second, The Game can be played solo. So there you have it. There is NO REASON to buy The Mind. Naturally, this is my opinion.

[@aldothelizard6669]

why does people hate this game so much it's a simple game, cheap enough (because only cards), not complicated (no 3d object)

[@trimeta]

There's actually a really easy way to reliably win The Mind. Before each round begins, agree on a song that everyone knows the rhythm to fairly well ("Stayin' Alive" is a good choice), and use that as a metronome: everyone in the group counts up in their heads, starting from 1, according to the metronome you've agreed on. When you hit a given number, play that number if you have it. And when someone else plays a card, resync your metronome to that. This doesn't guarantee you'll never lose a life (during long stretches of no cards, everyone's metronomes can get out of sync), but it will keep you from losing so many as to lose the game entirely.

[@markusschmidt9260]

There are other ways to cheat in that game. You could for example play with open hands.

[@trimeta]

The rules say "no communication or sharing of information during the round." Establishing a pattern *before* the round may violate the spirit of the rules, but as long as no further information is conveyed during the round (no tapping of fingers or tilting of heads to keep track of the beat, for example), this does follow the letter of the rules.

[@markusschmidt9260]

The rules also say, no silent counting, which is more or less the same as what you are suggesting.

[@trimeta]

Wait, they do? I guess maybe I didn't read them carefully enough.

[@trimeta]

I went back and read the rules. The main body of the rules say nothing about counting, but the "secret" addendum basically says that the point of the game is to arrive at this counting process organically, without any sort of planning. So in that sense, arranging the count prior to each round defies the entire point of the game.

[@Runehorn]

I'm with Sam on this one

[@dorpth]

The Mind is the game equivalent of a chick flick. People are always trying to drag you to it, your immediate reaction is "oh god not again", you're not allowed to talk, you spend the whole time with your face buried in your hand waiting for it to be over, and you will only ever do it as a favor after which the instigating party owes you big time.

[@KristoVaher]

I guess games like this are ALSO being streamlined. This is essentially Hanabi streamlined. But Hanabi has far more interesting depth.

[@KristoVaher]

I have. And they are very similar, in both cases player has to play a card blindly - except in Hanabi they have multiple cards and other players have information on those cards. In all cases, legal moves require lowest cards to be played and the tension of the game is similar, except there's more logic to Hanabi. And just like The Mind, the game depends on where to draw the line of non-verbal cheating.

[@KristoVaher]

It is the same thing to play a card in Hanabi and fail as it is in The Mind. Sure you know your own hand beforehand in the Mind that you play cards from, but it actually doesn't matter. You are STILL picking a card to play in the Mind, just that the blind hand is not yours, but of the whole groups. The Mind is like Hanabi where everybody shares a blind hand, except having limited information from their section of the hand. Scales are different, but mathematically it is a very similar problem.

[@turks1966]

Sorry Sam, but if this game was long, the down time would matter, but it's at most 15 minutes per game, waiting is not that big a deal if you have high numbers in your hand the hand is over very quickly.

[@HITFORDCYCLE1]

I don't think this meets the definition of a game. It's more of an uncomfortable awkward activity.

[@Gnarrkhaz]

Why would you play a game that prohibits you from communicating with the other players?

[@billcook4768]

There's communication in the game... that's a lot of the fun. It's just not verbal communication.

[@adamgough9333]

It prevents verbal communication and secret codes. Not all communication. Check out Gamenight’s playthrough. They capture the game’s spirit and fun perfectly.

[@skyblazeeterno]

Gnarrkhaz ....it's the entire basis of stuff like charades

[@keel1701]

I'll have to watch The play through you're talking about, but the rules say "No sharing of information, no secret signals." If you are doing charades or non verbal communication to convey something you know, that is sharing information.

[@scottdavis2213]

A lotta buzzkills in this comment section. It is what it is I guess. I haven't played this game and I do agree that I wouldn't want to play it every game night, but if you don't see how this could be entertaining then I feel like you are looking hard enough. The Gamenight! playthrough shows how interesting this can be and, at a pretty cheap price point, it certainly seems like something worth having if for nothing else than turning it into a drinking game lol. Also, why does everyone want to "solve" the game so bad? You can cheat in any coop game, but then why even play?

[@lucainvernizzi9715]

To be fair, sliced bread is not that good... it's actually pretty bad...

[@Varrik159]

I'm with you, I always eat my bread by the whole bloody loaf.

[@GenosseRASH]

Downtime The Game“ 😂 Love it!“

[@InVinceIble009]

Here is the thing with this game: you cannot look at this game through gamer's eyes. You have to look at it for what it is. It's not a gamer's game. It's a people's game. What I mean by this is that you could play this game with literally ANYBODY. They would understand the game, they would play it and they would have such a great time and realize how modern board games are amazing. As a gamer, I think this game is totally bad. As a common folk, I can clearly see this game as an amazing thing to make people sit down and play and have fun and spend a great time with them. It's also important to understand that this game puts the people around the table in the first row. Contrary to most games on the market, where the game is the main focus of everyone, The Mind suggests that people around the table become the main focus. And this is where it shines. You have to get on board with what it presents and play along. Only doing so will show you how great this game is. You have to take it for what it is. Not a gamer's game, but a people's game.

[@mgriffiths]

I agree with almost all of this, but as a gamer, I love it too. Gamers are people too aren't they? :) I also think the qualities you've described here are why it will win the Spiel des Jahres.

[@InVinceIble009]

Martin Griffiths totally agree with you. I just felt that Sam was looking at it through gamer's eyes, but I don't think The Mind was put together to satisfy gamers who are in need of a strategic board game. That was my point mostly. Apologies if you felt I judged gamers this way, as it was not my intention.

[@mgriffiths]

Got you!

[@Therisktaker3]

Most people watching these videos are gamers so it is valid to look at this from a gamers perspective. Zee gave his opinion and the reasons on why he liked it which was great, but just because sam and Tom didn't like it as much does not make them incorrect opinions. Unless you are involved In making money off the game I don't understand why so many people in the comments care so much about a negative review?

[@InVinceIble009]

Therisktaker3 I think you miss the point I'm trying to make. What I'm saying is that we cannot judge this game just like we would just Rising Sun. The Mind is more of an activity, like Tom said, and it is more about the gaming experience rather than what the game presents. And judging the game for what it isn't will biase your opinion. And btw why are you defending them so much? I don't see why you answer for them, unless if you have money to make out of it ;) people are allowed to disagree and to mention why they do. My comment was not negative nor positive. It was simply a precision and to add on to what they said. That's it.

[@larrye]

A filler that is decent and under $20 is a good deal. Even if you only play a few times every couple of months. Hyped? Probably, but so is Century Spice Road and u don't see it getting all the hype hate.

[@Therisktaker3]

The difference being one is a game with concrete rules and the other is a meta activity type game that is not for everyone. I can see in the comments where the people who love it are backing up their position by stating you just don't get it or you are not playing with the right frame of mind or the proper group of people. Really I need to meet specific meta criteria to play a simple filler game? That's not for me. It's cool if you like it, but also cool if you do not, but respect both viewpoints and don't try to make yourself superior by bringing someone else down.

[@billjensen51]

Looks like Hanabi to me

[@richterdracula7414]

after the cards are dealt if everyone starts counting 1-100 in their heads and plays the card when they reach their number, they win easily. no communication needed thru the game.

[@frospel]

I hate that game. It reminds me of Bingo. If there is a 6,7 and 8 on different hands in the game for example it might work out or it won‘t. It is that simple. Almost pure luck. Like rolling dice and celebrating that three people roll a six at the same time. Wow, what a cool feeling. We did it! Wooohooo. I fear this will be nominated for Spiel des Jahres though, which we will find out soon.

[@saschaklein7423]

Downtime The mechanism, oh man this is so true. For me it's The worst Game i have Played since years. I don't want To synchronise with my Players minds.

[@bokajon]

haha same here

[@TheBrokenMeeple]

Well I absolutely hated The Game......This basically looks like a copy with some little tweaks.......so I'm passing hard on this.

[@toddkauk6099]

This game is excellent and the SdJ front-runner for me! =)

[@spiderfingers86]

would rather play Hanabi