Away from Keyboard - Herd Mentality
Feature
Moo-ving Fun for the Whole Family
Gameplay Mechanics: Easy Cheesy
Herd Mentality is all about thinking like the herd (or not!). This 'pick-up-and-play' game revolves around question cards that ask things like "Name the first thing that comes to mind when you hear cheese?" or "What fictional character has the best hair?" Players secretly write down their answers, then everyone reveals them simultaneously. Here's the twist: if your answer matches the majority, you score a cow (a cute cardboard token). But if you're the lone moo-verick with a unique answer, you snag the dreaded Gold Cow. This grumpy bovine blocks your chance to win until you can palm it off on another player. The first plate to reach eight cow tokens is the winner.
The mechanics are simple enough for even young children to grasp and as such, make it a wonderful family activity. Although the game relies on reading and writing down an answer, enabling the youngest member of the family to say their answer first, ensures that Herd Mentality is accessible for a wide range of ages. A round can be played in just a few minutes, keeping everyone engaged and eager for the next question.
Family Fun: Laughter in the Pasture
Herd Mentality truly shines as a family game. The lighthearted questions and silly Gold Cow create a fun atmosphere that gets everyone involved. Parents will enjoy the occasional challenge of predicting their child's wild and unpredictable answers, while kids will love the chance to outsmart the grown-ups. The game also sparks conversation and laughter as players reveal their answers and discuss why they chose what they did. When playing with my family, we did find that we knew each other well enough to be able to think what each other would answer. Playing with a group of work colleagues would definitely yield different results, but would still provide for some hilarious responses.
While Herd Mentality is a lot of fun, there is a chance that it could become repetitive after a while, especially with frequent play. The base set of question cards has a limited pool, and you might find yourself seeing the same ones come up from time to time. Of course, if you're playing with different friends, this won't be an issue. Hopefully expansion packs with new question themes will come in due course.
Overall, Herd Mentality is a delightful party game that's perfect for family game nights. With its simple rules, quick rounds, and silly cows, it's a surefire recipe for laughter and good times.
If you're interested in Herd Mentality, JB HiFi will be having an EOFYS sale on all board games from the 20th-30th June. And other department stores are currently in their Toy Catalogue period which runs from the 13th June to the 10th July. This is the perfect opportunity to pick up the game for a bargain for now or to stockpile presents for Christmas.