If you’ve played with fridge magnets with this word before, Ransom Notes will give you an instant shot of nostalgia. It also has what I consider the most important quality in a party game: no complicated rules, setup, or explanation required. Each round starts with an open-ended question card such as “describe a scary medical condition”. Players receive a handful of magnetic word tiles, which they then answer that round’s question (usually a bit of nonsense). Each “ransom note” can be as detailed (or not) as you like. You may have the perfect set of words to craft a convincing answer, but more often than not you need to get a little creative with your answer. Sometimes you just need a word or two.
Either way, the mix of word tiles that lean a little on the PG-13 side but aren’t as profane as more “grown-up” party games like Cards Against Humanity is such that hilarity is bound to happen. Officially, each round is supposed to have one “winner”, with the game ending after a predetermined number of rounds have been completed. But it’s just as fun if you forget you’re trying to keep score and just try to make everyone the funniest and most random notes they can dream of. – Karissa Bell, Senior Correspondent
