This game, Dirty Minds, hangs out in a lot of game sections and game stores, beside the newest version of scrabble and some new game that involves elves. This is because Dirty Minds is a party game - geared towards slightly open minded adults. To be perfectly honest, this game is much more entertaining if there is wine (or otherwise) flowing.

Game play is pretty straight forward and very simple. On your turn, roll the die, move to a new square, and do what it says. If you do well, you get a card (which may contain one of the letters D,I,R,T,Y), and a new roll. Winner is the first person to spell DIRTY. The instructions on the squares generally point to solving a riddle from one of the game books - a dirty sounding description of an every day item. If you don't guess well, there are opportunities for other game players to swoop in with the answer. It's reasonably competitive, and hardly complicated.

The design over all is basic - so much so I wonder, really, if the board itself is actually required. Why not just read off the riddles and collected the lettered cards? I suppose the idea was to sell this as a board game, but still - it would work just as well with pencil and paper.

Given that the game focuses on solving riddles, one might imagine that the riddles could get stale. The game takes steps to try and maximize a single persons enjoyment of the game. There are four different riddle books, each with clear numbering (book 1, etc) so you can take note of which book you've looked at each time you play, choosing a new one each time. Beyond that, there is a little box beside each riddle for initials, notes etc, so you can keep track, somehow, of questions you've already seen. Theoretically, with a bit of care and attention, you can play this game hundred of times and never get same question twice.

When choosing friends to play this game with, there is much to consider. First off, basic game play: a logical wordsmith (usually some kind of arts academic, but not always) will just be way too good at this game. Don't bother playing with one, it will not be fun. Next, appropriateness - this game is fun, and entertaining, and appropriate for any adult. But don't play it with a coworker unless you have carefully considered the workplace consequences of knowing old Johnny over there has buttplugs on the brain.

Just saying...

This is a fun game, and I really enjoyed playing it a few times. However, many of the riddles were very simple and soon enough, I didn't really feel like it provided challenge any longer. Still, when brought out in a new group of people, it's always a riot and a guaranteed good time. I wouldn't call it an ice breaker, but it certainly can help turn around the energy of a small party.