Designer: Ian Price

Publisher: Diamond Dust Dreams, Inc.

Genre: Card/Party Game

Number of Players: 3-12 Players 

Release Date: 2015

Difficulty: Easy

Score: 6 / 10

Vilkommen everyone! Welcome to the latest issue of our RBG. Common sense is a virtue that no everyone has, and this card game makes you readily aware of that fact. Since everyone isn’t as fortunate, just trying to live is full of trials and tribulations that can completely ruin your day. Since that is the case, are you ready to make some Bad Decisions?

Bad Decisions is a card game that is similarly designed, at least in a conceptual sense, to other mega-popular card games Apples to Apples and its more vulgar counterpart Cards Against Humanity. However, instead of simple phrases or sentences, the players are given a story to tell. Players take turns playing different cards to satisfy the missing piece to a particular situation. There is always a rotating judge (also known as a Bard, to keep with the theme) for each different round, so you need to learn quickly and cater each response to that particular judge. Just like in the other previously mentioned titles, the judge selects a winner based on either the practicality of the situation or the amount of hilarity that ensues. Actually, the judge can honestly select a winner based on whatever method he damn well pleases.

Do you have common sense?

Just like how a story can’t just have one part, you don’t just have one type of card. There are four main types of cards, each with different roles to play. You won’t have to play every single type of card every round, so the Bard will let you know what type is needed:

• Story: The framework and basic story elements set forth by the Bard.
• Fool: The main character(s) of our story.
• Crisis: The immediate problem that our fools face.
• Bad Decision: The key element of the story, these showcase the insanity that is lack of common sense.

Just like Cards Against Humanity, you really have to pick and choose who you involve in your games of Bad Decisions. I have played a handful of rounds with a wide range of players and as a result, have had good and bad games. In comparison, Bad Decisions is a whole lot less raunchy than other similar titles. This is primarily due to the focus on actually telling a story, so you want players that can do just that. While there are some raunchy bad decisions, for the most part the cards are rather tame. An example story would be making a bad decision when you accidentally reply all to an important email.

Once we look past the game mechanics though, we can see that the cards are quite bland. There are very little illustrations on the individual cards, which is actually rather disappointing since I enjoy the amount of design and effort that artists put into their final product. Then again this design choice fits in with the rest of the crowd since Apples to Apples has a red/green template while Cards Against Humanity is black/white.

Send him to jail!

In terms of complexity, Bad Decisions does take a little to get used to. There are many more elements that can affect each situation, so you often can’t just play one card for laughs. You need to actually intertwine each card into the scenario, so it fits nicely and tells a hilarious instance where common sense could have avoided everything. Many of the stories however, don’t have too much of that humor factor that you may get with other card games. So be warned.

As I have mentioned multiple times in this issue, Bad Decisions is incredibly similar to other big names in the genre. This is incredibly disappointing, as Bad Decisions exceeds in the fundamentals and could bring so much more to the table. The foundation elements are there, but Bad Decisions fails in the execution. This card game is fine for once or twice, maybe five times, but then it will find its place on the shelf.

So there you have it! That is Bad Decisions for y’all. If you are looking for a card game that is a little more high brow than other card games, then you may find Bad Decisions worming its way into your weekly game cycle. If you have the right friends, then Bad Decisions will provide you with a night of hilarious chaos. Otherwise, just leave it be on the designated spot on the shelf.

Now with more Bad Decisions!

Interested in more tabletop games like Bad Decisions? Be sure to watch out for the next issue and follow my Bacon Bits for a sneak peak at what the next issue might hold. Be sure to also check out everything else Nerd Bacon has to offer over in Beyond Bacon.