Dixit

Dixit is one of the few games that requires a keen eye, the ability to think abstractly, and consider the viewpoint of others, but still manages to appeal to virtually everyone I’ve introduced it to.  It takes the subjective and social scoring of Apples to Apples and adds the creative flare of Once Upon a Time and Gloom.  The game consists of a simple board (for keeping track of score) and the cards.  Each card contains an abstract illustration and many of these illustrations have common themes (i.e. several contain keys or locks, etc).  The game can be explained in 10 minutes to even the most casual of players.

Each player takes a turn being the storyteller.  That player selects a card from their hand, places it face down on the table, and tells a story to the group.  The story can be as complex as a long narrative, as short as one word, or as simple as a sound.  The goal is to relate the story to the picture in a way that is not overly general or direct.  Each of the other players then selects one of their own cards from their hands and places it face down on the table.   The storyteller reveals these cards and each other players secretly votes for which card they think was the original picture for the story.  Scoring is simple; if NO ONE or EVERYONE voted for the correct picture then all players except the storyteller get 2 points and the round ends.  If SOME of the players selected the original picture then the storyteller and each player who chose correctly score three points.  There is one additional bonus point awarded to players for each incorrect votes added to their picture.  First to 30 points wins.

Initially, it seemed to me the game would grow stale quickly.  As a result, I purchased the expansion (Dixit 2) at the same time because it doubles the card pool.  I’m glad I did, but it’s not necessary.  The game remains surprisingly robust after several plays.  We quickly found there are a lot of mental games going on.  The storyteller generally wants to have the second best picture on the table so that only one player gets it right and the maximum number of players get it wrong.  Success requires players to consider the thoughts of other players.  For instance, one game the story was “Safety” and I found myself forced to consider what would my 12 year-old niece consider to be safety.

With so many players trying to predict one another, the game has an amazing amount of depth that is rarely found in games as simple as Dixit.  We quickly found our stories devolved to be as short as possible because frequently players ask that it be repeated and any details that change will give large clues to opponents.  Dixit is a game that is as fun as its players are.  It gives great opportunity to explore and be creative with thinking and expression.  Highly recommended to anyone looking for something a little bit different than the typical.

This piece was written by Ben.  He is one of the relatives mentioned in the first post on this blog.