Swearmints
Designer: Chris Rio
Artist: N/A
Publisher: Rampage Games LLC
Year Published: Coming to Kickstarter March 2021
No. of Players: 3-5
Ages: 13+
Playing Time: 15-30 Minutes
Main mechanic / Theme: Party Game
Swearmints made us laugh so hard we cried! The perfect party game for creative people.
Find more info on BoardGameGeek.com
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Overview:
Swearmints is a party game that packs a whole lot of fun into an adorable little mint tin. In Swearmints, players will compete to make up the most creative new slang words by smushing together two existing words. Players then get a chance to define their creation for the other players and the “Mint Master” will vote on which of the new phrases is the best!
Gameplay and Mechanisms:
The gameplay and mechanics for Swearmints are recognizable for those who are familiar with party games like Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity but encourages the use of a player’s imagination more so than previous party games we have played. One player will be the Mint Master (AKA the judge for the round) deals each player two double-sided cards with 4 words on each side (for a total of 16 words).
Players then need to combine one word from each of their cards to create a new word or phrase. Once each player has made their combination, they take turns explaining the meaning of the new word/phrase to the Mint Master. The Mint Master selects their favorite and that player is awarded a mint. If the words used have alliteration or rhyme they receive a bonus mint. If it has both alliteration and rhymes they get two bonus mints.
The next person now becomes the Mint Master. Play continues until all of the mints are awarded. At that point whoever has the most mints wins!
What Worked:
Swearmints is by far the most portable party game we have ever played. Looking for a game to play on the go? How can you beat one that can literally fit in your pocket? Swearmints was a joy to play. The vastness of different base words included on the cards allowed for some really clever new phrases to be concocted. Trying to rhyme and use alliteration to our advantage to score more points was awesome. Seeing the combination of words play out with their definitions was truly something special. There were several points during our games where our whole game group was laughing so hard we couldn’t breathe. At one point, I even laughed so hard I cried.
Final Thoughts:
Given its size, Swearmints actually offers a good amount of replayability for a party game. While players are limited in the number of cards that can fit in the mint tin, each card has 8 words on it, which means that there are a total of 240 unique words in the game. When you compare Swearmints with a much larger boxed party game like Cards Against Humanity, there is almost half the number of choices fit on just 30 cards. While games like Cards Against Humanity may offer more cards, Swearmints doesn’t become stale in the same way those other games do. After enough plays, you might learn what words come on the cards in the tin, but since you are giving your own meaning to the words combined, the possibilities for new ideas are limitless. Being able to replay a party game over and over and still have it be as fun as the first time, is the mark of a great party game for us.
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