Finding a relationship in this crazy world can be hard, but there’s someone out there for everyone. To prove this, Explosm has released a new Cyanide & Happiness-themed card game called Master Dater where even the weirdest needs of a sexy single can be met - even if it is by a strange date! This new card game is set up to be played with 3-6 players, but during my time with the game, it was still fun playing it as a 2-player game with my wife; you just won’t win all the cards, most likely. Also, note that this game can be quite family-friendly, but with the right mindset, card combination, and expansion pack, it can get a little more naughty.

What’s In The Box

Right when you open the box, you will find a stack of Head, Body, and Interest cards. You will need to take each of them out and give them a good, long shuffle in order to get them well mixed - especially the Interest cards. Since you will need all the different types of Interest cards collected in order to win, having them well mixed is important.

Other than the cards, you will find a rule book that explains how to play the game. If you get the expansion pack, it will be separate from the box and have its own stack of Interest, Head, and Body cards. The expansion is where the game gets more of an NSFW take, so only dive into that stack if you aren’t aiming for family-friendly game sessions.

Gameplay

The game is simple to set up. Everybody gets 3 Head cards and 3 Body cards, then one person takes the first turn as the Sexy Single. Whoever is the Sexy Single draws 3 Interest cards and reads allowed in their best dating show contestant voice that they are looking for someone to meet these specific interests. From there, the players have to combine a Head and Body card to make the perfect date that fits those specific interests.

Once every player has played either date, they take turns selling their date to the Sexy Single by explaining in their best “I no longer want to be single” voice how they are the perfect fit for the Sexy Single. Once everybody has had a chance to “woo” the Sexy Single, they then pick the player that best fit their interests and give them only the interest cards that fit them.

By the rules, you would discard all Head and Body cards, as well as the interest cards the winning date didn’t get. However, it was also fun to play with the idea that even the losing dates could earn a few points and win the interest card that the winning date failed to win. For instance, if the Sexy Single was looking for someone to look after their kids, get them free stuff, and want to live in a zoo some day (yes, these are real cards in the game), but Player 1 won by meeting the first two interests, then Player 3 could have won the third interest card by meeting the “live in a zoo someday” interest that Player 1 didn’t meet.

The player to get 5 interest cards, with at least one in each of the three categories, is the winner! Again, you can always increase that number if you want to keep the game rolling. I found with 3 players, 10 cards is a good goal for a short game session.

Replayability

The stack size of each card pile is quite large and so the combinations that can be made are pretty endless. Plus, some interest cards are very specific and actually match up with some of the Head and/or Body cards. That fact was found with the Interest card “someone who has one banana” and the Body card which is literally a guy with one banana. With this attention to detail and the endless possibilities of dates and interest card combinations, this will always be a replayable party game.

Verdict

Master Dater is a humorous way to enter the world of dating! It makes a great party game, has a sense of strategy that is hidden under a ton of luck and personal creativity. You really never know what to expect with this game and from the many game sessions I’ve had already, everybody left the table laughing and having a favorite date combination from that session. They really did a great job setting this game up as it is easy to understand, easy to play, takes only minutes to set up (mostly due to shuffling), and can be packed up just as quickly. If you are looking for a game that helps kill some time and get a group laughing, it is a great way to set the mood.

Master Dater hits retail store shelves on December 8th and can be bought on the Explosm store website.