The webcomic Cyanide and Happiness has been around for over 20 years. For many years, it has delighted millions of people in the form of short videos on YouTube. Since 2016, Cyanide and Happiness has also been available in game stores in the form of their party game Joking Hazard. However, thanks to the German publisher Funbot, the game didn't make it to the German market until 2024. We had the opportunity to test the game extensively in small and large groups. You can find out what we thought in the following review.
There's really not much to explain about Joking Hazard. All players start with seven cards in their hand. Each card represents a comic panel. In a round, one person takes on the role of the "judge." They draw the top card from the draw pile face up. The "judge" then selects one of their cards and places it in front of or behind the card just drawn. Both cards form the beginning of a three-panel comic.
All other players are now faced with the task of ending this comic in the most creative, funny, or disturbing way possible. To do this, they play one of their hand cards face down and pass it to the "judge." Once everyone has chosen a card, the "judge" shuffles the cards and reveals them one by one. From the suggested panels, they select the one they think is best. The person who suggested the selected card receives their card back as a symbol of a victory point. The next round then begins, with the next player in clockwise order acting as the "judge."
There is, however, a special twist. If the "judge" draws a card with a red border from the draw pile at the beginning of the round, a bonus round begins. All players may exchange any number of their hand cards and replace them with new cards. Afterwards, all players (except the "judge") must play two comic panels with a black border to complete the comic. Cards with a red border may only be used as the final panel. The winner of the bonus round even receives two victory points by playing two cards at the end.
As soon as a player has collected three cards/victory points, the game ends and that person has won the game.
Information about Joking Hazard
| Number of players: 3 – 10 Age: from 18 years Playing time: 30 - 90 minutes Difficulty: Party game Classification: Hand Management Author: - Illustrations: – Publisher: Funbot, Explosm, LLC. Official Website: Link Year of publication: 2024 Language: German Cost: 29,99 € |
Conclusion
If you're thinking, "Hey, wait a minute... That sounds familiar!" after this brief explanation, you're absolutely right. Joking Hazard is essentially nothing other than the popular party game Cards Against Humanity. Anyone who's also familiar with Cyanide and Happiness might also have an idea of the world we're living in, and that this humor fits perfectly with Cards Against Humanity. Joking Hazard doesn't mince words either, letting us become incredibly wicked in the game.
The transition from text to imagery works brilliantly. Even if – especially in games with fewer players – there were occasional situations where you thought, "None of the panels fit the comic," the overall picture was consistently coherent. In the test games, all players with whom we tested Joking Hazard had a great time. Some testers were so enthusiastic that they bought the game themselves. Others, however, were interested but were put off by the price of 30 euros. Understandable. Offering a party game that consists solely of cards for 30 euros is pretty tough stuff, especially when you look at the competition in party games. However, it must also be said that Cards Against Humanity is also so expensive and only has cards with text. You get more for your money with the illustrated cards in Joking Hazard.
It's also nice that there are a few additional cards included with panels containing empty speech bubbles. This way, you can add your own little inside jokes to the game if you want.
So there's not much to say. Joking Hazard is also wonderfully evil and the perfect game for a party or after work. You don't have to think about it; you just start playing and have a good time. However, you also have to like this kind of dark humor. If you want to get an idea of what it's like, you can watch a few Cyanide and Happiness videos beforehand and decide if the humor suits you.
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Joking Hazard by Cyanide & Happiness - A funny...* |
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