One of my favorite games to play with friends is Quiplash, a video based party game that involves writing (or attempting to write) humorous answers to fill in the blank prompts. The primary type of fun evoked when playing Quiplash is fellowship – it allows individuals, friends, acquaintances, or even strangers to interact, make jokes, understand each other (and their sense of humor!), and have a great time while doing so.
From a mechanics perspective, Quiplash provides silly prompts for each pair of players, which allows each player the chance to put out their more humorous (or vote worthy) answer. Another interesting mechanism is the suspense built up as players do not know which prompts each other received, allowing for an unbiased (although it may not be so hard to pinpoint specific people to specific answers if you understand their humor well enough!) vote for the best or funniest answer. This bit of suspense not only cultivates a sense of surprise and laughter but also sparks lots of group commentary and jokes as players cast their votes.
Another mechanism I love about Quiplash is the ability for individuals to join as audience members, vote, and partake in the fun. This inclusivity allows everyone, regardless of whether someone joined late or their comfort level with crafting jokes, to have a good time with their fellow players.
In my perspective, Quiplash emerges successful in blending creative prompts, suspense-filled voting, and inclusion of all players to create a socially rich and laugh filled experience.
