Critical Play: Competitive Analysis on Twister

The theme is pretty bland, maybe a house party? Mechanics wise, players take turns. On their turn they spin a wheel which will point to one of four colors and a certain body part. The play mat has a four by four grid with rows of four colors. Based on the color and body part they spun, the player must then put that body part on one of the open spots. Other players will repeat this until all but one player doesn’t fall. This game promises players fellowship and challenge fun. The fun is reinforced in the game by forcing players to naturally cross one another by creating a limitation on space (only four colors but potentially more body parts). This makes for silly situations that players can joke and laugh about as they’re in positions that are funny. It prevents abuse by using randomness. Most notably, it differentiates itself from other games by using a mat, space, and the room as the play area. Most other games are limited to a board, but in this case the board expands to the room which is unique and fun. Furthermore, the game forces players to use their body parts as a tool for play. This is unique because many other traditional board games typically use cards as the way to communicate information in the game. This is particular powerful because players typically keep their bodies out of weird situations, so by putting players out of their comfort zone, it makes it more fun. Another key way it involves players quickly as a party game is that this game keeps communication simple through pictures, words, and colors. This may, however, keep colorblind players out of play, and the need for body movement may keep those paralyzed out of play.

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