Game Night Review: Ladies and Gentlemen

 

The team mechanics of the game are very unique and make for a hilarious collaboration. 

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While this game may sound slightly sexist, it was actually very fun and made for a really good time for all genders. 

The game divides the players into teams of two - one player is the "lady" and one player is the "gentleman".  Each team works collectively to complete the mission of the game "to put together and purchase the most fabulous outfit for the ball."  The "gentlemen" are charged with earning as much money as possible while the "ladies" do the shopping.  Our group had 5 males and 3 females resulting in one of the guys having to play as a "lady" which gave us all plenty of laughs.   

The tricky part of the game is the "ladies" have to pick which clothes they want to buy but they don't ever know how much money their "gentleman" teammate actually has earned. The "ladies" hand over their selected cards and the "gentlemen" decide what cards he can afford.  The clothing and accessories cards each have point values assigned.  The team with the highest points equates to having the most fabulous outfit and winning the game. 

 

The best part of this game is the back and forth between players. For instance, you are excited at finding the perfect pair of gloves you need to get your bonus points but your partner tells you that you can't afford it, even though the other "ladies" all have gloves.  This reminded me of I Love Lucy episodes when Lucy would be so excited about a new purchase until Ricky came home and told her she had to take it back because she couldn't afford it.  Remember her walking through Paris with a feedbag on her head!  

 

Because most of us were new to the game, it took us a while to figure which cards were really good which led to one of the funniest moments of the game. The guy playing the "lady" had several clothing cards he thought were great and excitedly handed them over to his partner for purchase, but his partner (who owned the game and actually knew which cards were good) looking horrified at what his teammate hoped to purchase said "we are going for the most fabulous outfit here, what is this?" and everyone just died laughing.

 

I recommend this game especially for couples.  It is not as serious as many other games and allows for strategy, cooperation and a lightheartedness. 

 

Positives

• Team dynamic is enjoyable
• Promotes a lot of social interaction and roleplaying
• Everyone plays at the same time so there is almost no waiting involved

Negatives

• Some people may have problems with the theme
• Need an even number of players for normal game (there is an odd number variant that sounds less fun)
• A lot of rules to learn