I can tuck it under my hair, right?

One of the game designers at the London playtesting meetups that I attend when I can created a little game called In a Bind, which she Kickstarted a while back, then I ended up playing at a games day earlier this year, and buying a copy at UK Games Expo.  It is, for me, one of those little games that just needed to be in the collection as it is small, fun, and takes about 5 seconds to teach to just about anyone. Miss B was more than happy to give it a go when we got our own copy.

Keeping hold of those cards can get really tricky, really quickly.

I have heard In a Bind described as “Twister the card game”, which isn’t too far off the mark.  It comprises a deck of cards, each of which has an instruction, like “This card on left shoulder”, or “Right pinky pointing down”, and when it is your turn, you draw a card, read it out loud, and then comply, while still complying with instructions from previous turns.  If you can’t follow an instruction, or stop doing one later on, you are out of the game.  That’s it.

Miss B immediately took to the game, and has wanted to play it over and over again.  In fact, I’m pretty sure she has played it a load more than me, as she has played it with her friends, relatives, and anyone else who will give her the time, even after I have run out of the necessary energy.  There is actually a junior version of the game available now, which I believe loses a few harder cards, but includes some other twists like cards which require you to make an animal noise when anyone draws a card, and other such daftness.  We’ll have to pick up a copy of that when the opportunity arises.

Officially the game is for 3 or more players, but it works just great for 2, and Miss B even enjoys it as a solo challenge, where you just draw cards and try to beat your personal best.  The biggest problem with this (other than that a codger like me can end up with a cricked neck) is that the cards can end up getting a bit battered from the inevitable mistreatment, but frankly I don’t care.  This is a game that may get destroyed by play, but I’ll be more than happy shelling out for a replacement later on, if necessary.

The verdict from Miss B (aged 9½): “In a Bind is a really fun game to play, though it can sometimes get quite uncomfortable! I would rate it a 10/10 because it is really funny to watch and play.”

The game: In a Bind (Stuff By Bez), 3 to 10 players, aged 13+.