Game: Why Did the Chicken...?

Thread: First try

Chuckles — 2008-03-10T01:24:02+00:00

We tried Why Did the Chicken this morning. It was early Sunday, some of us were just ingesting our morning coffee, and none of us had played before. But we did OK, I think.

I really enjoyed the game. Once we get our sea legs with it, I think we'll have a great time.

My favorite aspect of the game was the rule that allowed you to submit as many responses as you could dream up in two minutes. So even with a small group of 5 people (4 writing), we often had a good dozen answers per round.

Each round's questions and their winning answers:

Round 1: "What's the difference between a bartender and a rat?"
-- A rat is subjected to less cheese.
-- A rat usually works in a bigger hole in the wall.

Round 2: What do you get when you cross a brain surgeon with a used car salesman?
-- A lobotomy at a price you can't turn down
-- Your own personal moon roof

(Sadly, my answer of "Bill Clinton" didn't win.)

Round 3: Why is a reporter better than a doctor?
-- A doctor can only tell you what's wrong with you; a reporter tells you what's wrong with everything and everyone else.
-- A doctor makes you feel guilty for lying on the couch all day reading trash.

Round 4: What's that saying about an eyeball and a porcupine?
-- An eyeball with a thousand needles begins with a single porcupine.
(Can't quite remember the other one, something about the "eye of the beholder." You all can take a stab at it, har har har.)

Round 5: What did the librarian say to the fire?
-- Ray Bradbury says you're not allowed in here. (One of my crappy entries, I have no idea why it was picked.)
-- Please, please, someone help me, I am dying a grisly, painful death. (Now THIS one, also from me, caused loud laughter around the room.)

Thanks to some lucky picks in the last round, I wound up winning, 5 cards to 4 for Rick. But it was really the Chuck and Rick show most of the time. I hope Ed and Kelly enjoy it more next time!

Thread: Why did the Chicken? Because it was FUN!

cdefrisco — 2007-12-26T22:48:19+00:00

Why did the chicken on Christmas Eve?!

My parents drove down from Grants Pass to spend the evening and Christmas morning with us. My mother has been threatening to start a game group and my wife and I purchased this game for her (and her group made up of 'older' couples). My Dad is not a game player and joins in because his wife and children pull the games out and he would look stupid if he didn't join in.

Let me begin by saying this was a resounding success!

Players:
James (70), Terry (69), Chris (45), Chris (43), Simon (13), and Henry (11)

Gameplay:
3 minutes to learn, so I'll include the rules here...
On your turn as judge (a la Apples to Apples) you select a question card and two nouns. Combine the cards to form a question. Ask the question and turn the sand timer over. Everyone else at the table comes up with 1 or more punch lines to the question they then write down on slips of paper. Collect the punch lines and have another player read them (so you don't know who wrote them). Select one or two winners who then receive the noun cards as "points". Once around the table and the game is over.

Fun Factor:
I suspect, if you had the wrong crowd, this game would fall relatively flat. But to be honest, I can't think of a group of people that I've gamed with where this might be the case. Although this is a session report, and I've only played once, this game is a winner. We had a blast!

Actual Session Report section:
It was the afternoon on Christmas Eve and we had a few hours to kill before dinner. I decided to present one of the gifts we had wrapped for my parents a tad early. After the kisses and thank yous we got down to business!

The rules were read very quickly and everyone understood the game play immediately. My son Simon, to my left, pulled three cards and read the first question to everyone:
What's the difference between a Car Salesman and a Rat?
Now my initial reaction was... this is too easy. I wrote "The rat has a tail"... but I didn't win. The winning answers were:
"A rat has less fleas" and "You can kill a rat". Good stuff. Good laughs.

Question two (my Dad is the judge): Why did the Bar Tender go to heaven and the Brain Surgeon go to hell?
I'm thinking... this isn't going to be any fun... all of the combinations are so obvious! I wrote the old standby for this joke "The bar tender put a bottle in front of me, but the brain surgeon gave me a frontal lobotomy". But I didn't win! The winning answer was written by my thirteen year old: "God doesn't like brains" My apologies for those of a religious bent, but we had a great big laugh out of that one. My Mom goes to church every Sunday and even she laughed. Good stuff. Good laughs.

Fortunately, the rest of the questions did not lend themselves to obvious answers and the punch lines were funny!

Why was the Priest afraid of the Secretary?
Winning answer... She might pray for a raise

Why did the Clown want to be a Monkey?
Winning answer... More monkeys can fit in a car

Bottom Line
We had a blast! This game is now on my want list (as a matter of fact, I may just buy it without physically adding it to the list).

Yes, I like thinking games more than party games, but many times you are with a group where party games are the only type that have a chance of hitting the table. If you don't own any, this is a sure winner.

Final Winner
Believe it or not, my eleven year old son Henry won! Fair and square. Some of his answers were so... 'out there'... that he had us rolling on the ground. My Dad is a very funny man (life of the party kind of funny), and I like to think I have a pretty good sense of humor. But Henry pulled it off... and admirably.

...But as in many good party games, I don't think we'll remember who actually won, just that we had a really great time.

Thread: Re: Quick Comments

The Warp — 2007-11-26T04:39:13+00:00

I love this game. I play it with members of my improv troupe, and with the exception of one guy, we have a great time with it. He thinks about the jokes too much, coming up with very logical punchlines... they're pretty good, as jokes go. But, what ends up getting selected to win each round are the totally ridiculous punchlines. Some end up making no sense at all in the context of the joke, but we laugh so hard at them, they end up winning. Then, the non-sequitor ones become callbacks later in the game.

What's the difference between a bartender and a rat?

One serves you an exotic drink with an umbrella. The other, eats a baby.

Thread: Re: First Game Session Report

ironcates — 2007-09-09T06:04:58+00:00

I really love this Party Game! You need the right crowd i.e. creative people that would get bored with Apples to Apples because they could make up better cards.

It doesn't come out as often as I'd like.

Thread: Re: First Game Session Report

tada — 2007-09-08T15:16:13+00:00

I love session reports on this game when all the jokes are given.

Hilarious! Thanks a lot.

Reminds me of Spinergy.

Thread: First Game Session Report

ositobrian — 2007-09-08T14:08:52+00:00

We played Why did the chicken... for the first time last night. Players were myself, my wife, my friend and his wife. We just played four rounds, so we each had a turn being judge. Here are the questions and answers, with a star next to the winning answers:

Round 1
Question: Why is a rat better than a used car salesman?
Answers: Because a rat won't sell you a lemon
A rat can feed his family
At least a rat doesn't have a bad come-over
*At least a rat makes a good pet
Because rats multiply faster
Because a rat won't sucker you into debt
The rat's not as dirty
*Because at least you can exterminate a rate

Round 2
Question: What do you get when you cross a monkey with a brain surgeon?
Answers: A lot of unhappy patients
A big lawsuit
*A plumber
Banana shaped instruments
Brain sushi
A bunch of banana peels in the operating room
*A mechanic
Wasn't that an episode of Curious George?

Round 3
Question: What did a clown say to a tiger?
Answers: Nice stripes
*Hungry? Next door is the bearded lady
Why are you looking at me like that?
*Wait - don't eat me. What do you get when you cross a monkey and a brain surgeon?
It was the acrobat's fault
Nice kitty

Round 4
Question: Why did a pocket watch go to heaven while a college student went to hell?
Answers: *Because the pocket watch never forgot to shave
Because the pocket watch was always on time while the college student slept in
Because the pocket watch never lied
*It kept its hands to itself

Comments
We all had a great time playing. Obviously some questions are harder to think of answers for than others, but we enjoyed even the bad answers. Sometimes the 2 minutes really seemed to go by fast. I think the more people you have the more good answers you will have, and the better the game will be. It also takes a turn or two for people to not be self conscious about turning in bad answers sometimes.

It was also interesting to see how the judge's taste of what was funniest didn't always match everyone else's.

We were all real impressed with what we thought was the best joke of the night:

Why did a pocket watch go to heaven while a college student went to hell? It kept its hands to itself.

Final Score / Final Thoughts
The ladies tied at 3 points each. I had two points and my friend had one. (we had 9 points total because two people submitted the same answer once and it was chosen to win). Trying to win didn't really seem to be important to anyone - we were just focused on having fun.

We look forward to playing this one more!

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DrChek — 2007-08-18T15:44:31+00:00

Customized Pencils

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knilob — 2007-07-27T15:59:22+00:00

One side of the Why Did The Chicken...? box.

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knilob — 2007-07-27T15:58:18+00:00

Why Did The Chicken? Box Back

Thread: Re: Not That Well Received

fxer — 2007-05-23T23:10:27+00:00

"Everyone died from botulism. Also the music was bad."

Thread: Customized nouns

mpetty31 — 2007-01-17T01:55:06+00:00

This is a pretty basic variant. It borders on a homemade version of the game, but you'll still use the 20 question cards from the boxed edition.

Before you play, give four slips of paper (or four halves of index cards) to each player. Everyone writes one noun (in the form of those on the noun cards from the game) on each of their slips. Mix those slips and randomly draw two of them each round instead of drawing two nouns from the box.

Four slips per player will be enough for each player to be the judge twice. With a group of friends, this customized version will lead to far more inside jokes and (unless you're a very creative group) easier laughs.

Of course, you could go further and even make customized question cards, but we have found the ones supplied to be more than sufficient.

Thread: Re: Christmas Cheer gone Hilarious

ironcates — 2006-12-26T23:37:49+00:00

Mutombo wrote:
"It wanted to be annoying in the daytime too."

Oh my that one is hilarious! Did you come up with that one Steve?

Actually, that was my dad... he had some great ones.

Thread: Re: Christmas Cheer gone Hilarious

Mutombo — 2006-12-26T21:50:23+00:00

"It wanted to be annoying in the daytime too."

Oh my that one is hilarious! Did you come up with that one Steve?

Thread: Re: Christmas Cheer gone Hilarious

Vaughn — 2006-12-26T18:22:06+00:00

I picked this up for my Aunt and her family.
Unfortunately we didn't get to play on Christmas Day but we will soon.
We have 10 player Balderdash games that will make you wet your pants!

Thread: Christmas Cheer gone Hilarious

ironcates — 2006-12-26T15:54:55+00:00

Why did the Chicken...? 12-25-06

Players: Kate(wife), Steve(me), Brian(sis' fiancee), Janet(sis), Bev(mom), and Mike(dad)

Score: Steve 5, Brian 3, Mike 3, Kate 1, Bev 0, Janet 0

Rules: The game has two types of cards Question cards and Noun cards. The Question card has a classic joke type question with two blanks. Example: What do you get when you cross ... with ... ? While Noun cards have things like "a lawyer" or "a tiger". Each round there is a judge and the game plays out so that every player gets a chance to be the judge. The judge picks the two best responses to the joke after everyone turns in a written punchline and gives the noun cards the person(s) with the two best. Everyone can write as many punchlines as they can get out in one minute so it's possible one person could have the two best.

Session: Most people felt overly inadequate to compete at first... one even wrote as a punchline, "Who knows?" or "Why did Steve buy this game?" But as the jokes started to loosen people up they just got funnier and funnier and I'll just throw a few down to let you be the judge.

What was the punchline to the old joke about (a bartender) and (a brian surgeon)?
Answer: That one's gonna go straight to your head.
So, I see we both work in the mental health profession.
And the bartender said, "That's disgusting!"

What do you get when you cross (a lawyer) and (a tiger)?
Answer: A Lie-ger.
One catty professional.
One vicious ambulance chaser.
A tiger with no conscience.

What happened at the wedding of (a monkey) and (a clown)?
Answer: Monkey Business and Clowning Around
When the preacher said "You may kiss the bride." The clown got a bottle of selzer water in the face.
I don't know but I'm sure it was hilarious.
Juggling of the relatives.

Why did (a cricket) want to become (a telemarketer)?
Answer: It wanted to be annoying in the daytime too.
Telemarketing is an honorable profession, of course!
It got tired of chirpping for a mate, and decided to be a jerk on the phone.
It wanted to reach a whole new level of annoying.

What does (a superhero) and (a hockey player) have in common?
Answer: Smackdown!
Super speed and ice breath.
Some fight for Truth, Justice, and the American way and some fight because they talk smack.
The both wear colorful costumes.
Who the puck cares?

What did (God) say to (a frog)?
Answer: Wribbit? I created you to say Bud-weis-err
It's a really high jump up here.
Jump for joy!

Thread: Re: Not That Well Received

Buster Brown — 2006-12-18T20:36:59+00:00

With the right crowd and the right mind frame this game is an absolute blast. It really shines when people relax and lose their fear of failing to write the perfect witty answer. Once that happens it’s astonishing how many mental blocks will disappear. Sometimes your best answers to a question come after you’ve written down some really ridiculous ones.

As to one of the questions: “What happened at the Millionaire and Secretary's wedding”?
Answer: As with most marriages, the “dictation” quickly tapered off. ;-)

Thread: Re: Not That Well Received

ironcates — 2006-11-27T22:59:28+00:00

What happened at the Millionare and Secretary's wedding?

Answer:
"Better question, how much money is the Millonare's ex-wife getting?"
Answer:
"Sexual harassment, duh!"

Thread: Re: Not That Well Received

engelstein — 2006-11-27T18:21:33+00:00

I agree that it can be somewhat hit or miss... One thing we do that works out well is to let the judge pick four nouns and two questions and decide which to use.

Geoff

Thread: Not That Well Received

dpasq — 2006-11-27T14:26:44+00:00

We were looking for a light, fun, Sunday night game to play after the kids went to sleep, and I brought out WDTC. My sister and brother in law had not played before, and are fans of Balderdash and the like.

Maybe we hadn't been drinking enough; maybe we were tired; most likely we were drawing REALLY bad nouns. But the game was not that much fun last night.

We went around twice, so 16 card/points ended up hitting table, with sister Sue gaining 6, Mike and I gaining 5 each, and wife Sally being shut out (not looking good for us to play again).

We were getting some really odd pairs -- something like what happened at the wedding of the SECRETARY and the MILLIONAIRE (boring pair); why was the PRIEST jealous of the TAPEWORM; and the like.

I've found that this game is really dependent on good card draws, and there are some awful, awful combinations that can come up.

Overall, this game just isn't doing it for us. I want to like it; I eagerly bought it; I've had it hit the table several times. It's just not consistently funny. And these are smart, witty people I'm playing with; winner Sue is a professional member of an improv troupe, and she said that WDTC could be fun, maybe with less cards and some better questions.

I guess we can always make up our own questions if need be. I just don't want the need to be there!

Thread: Re: customer service, not so good

havoc110 — 2006-08-02T11:35:02+00:00

Good Point, Jeph...

To be fair to Mr. Heath, my comments should have been directed at Lisa and Jacob Davenport of Play Again Games.

Thread: Re: customer service, not so good

jstahl — 2006-08-02T02:21:41+00:00

Kory is the designer of the game, not the publisher.
I highly doubt that the Play Again Games email goes to Kory directly.
But thats no excuse for the publisher not answering your email.

Maybe you could contact the person who traded you the incomplete game?

Thread: customer service, not so good

havoc110 — 2006-08-01T22:37:44+00:00

In my last post, I asked the BGG community to help me with a missing card. Thanks to Mike for his help.

I also sent a similar message to Play Again Games, but got absolutely NOTHING in return.

To be fair, I identified myself as an owner of the game, who acquired it via trade (so no retail sale for them), but I was missing a card and could the provide me with the text on the missing card, send me a replacement, or since luck would have it, my office is located like 5 minutes from their company address (probably a residence, though) I could pick one up.

This is a quote from the contact us page:

"We need your help, as we have no advertising budget to think of, and wouldn't trust that flashy ads are worth the money anyway. "

That being said, how hard is it to write a lousy email, taking 5 minutes of someone at Play Again Games' time. That's the reason I am posting this, because it has certainly taken me more than 5 minutes to call them out on this matter.

I know I am spoiled because of the 'Geek, and certain companies like FFG and designers like Christian at FFG, Bruno Faidutti, and Kyle Weinandy, who PERSONALLY respond to emails and questions. (BTW, kudos to them and all other companies/designers that take an interest in replying to questions regarding their products, especially Mr. Weinandy, who responds to my forum posts in the middle of the night). But, at least with the companies and designers of the games i own/play, this the rule and not the exception.

So, why nothing in return from Mr. Kory Heath, when an e-mail was sent to an account set up allegedly for that purpose? A reponse most likely would have generated a post on this board by me telling all the 'Geeks about their great customer service... They claim to "need my help," but failed to make even the smallest effort to be deserving of it.

Makes me glad I didn't buy his game.

(flame off)

Thread: Re: HELP NEEDED: missing question card

havoc110 — 2006-07-25T22:33:19+00:00

Thanks a lot, Mike.

Thread: Re: HELP NEEDED: missing question card

mpetty31 — 2006-07-25T21:39:06+00:00

Looks like you're missing this one:

Why did...
go to heaven
while...
went to hell?

This is a great game with the right crowd. Don't let people give up too early on it. Once everyone's comfortable enough to fail they usually warm up to the game.

Thread: HELP NEEDED: missing question card

havoc110 — 2006-07-25T19:56:20+00:00

Just received the game as part of a trade, but only with 19 questions.

Would somebody out in BGG-land help me with the question I am missing?

here are the 19 questions I have:

envious
old saying
better than
cross ___ with ____
difference between
last line of book
___ hate ____
wedding of
blind date
____ want to be ____
have in common
punch line of old joke
___ love ____
____ turned into ____
___ afraid of ____
____ say to ____
_____ resemble ____
line from old song
always win a fight.

Please give the entire question. Thanks
for helping...

Thread: Video review

snicholson — 2006-02-13T16:45:12+00:00

Why Did the Chicken... was the topic of a Board Games with Scott video review and explanation.

You can watch this 10-minute video review at
http://www.boardgameswithscott.com/?p=15

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Speleo — 2006-01-13T07:58:33+00:00

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Continental Drift — 2005-09-20T12:37:04+00:00

Box top

Thread: Quick Comments

richpee — 2005-09-14T07:07:20+00:00

I love this game.
It's a fun game.
I am a funny person, as I am told.
I used to win the game more, but now I win less. People can learn to be funnier, and joke writing is a skill. Win or lose however, I still have fun.
Often newcomers come in to the game and it takes them a few rounds to catch on to what's making the group laugh, but the basic premise of the game takes 30 seconds to learn.
It's a winner.

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Wren — 2005-08-24T12:33:53+00:00

GenCon 2005 convention attendees at a demo of Why Did the Chicken...? The rubber chicken in the background was given out as a prize at the game's tournament.

Thread: Session Report

TamiWhitsett — 2005-04-24T00:26:53+00:00

This is a game where you draw a card that gives part of a joke, such as, “What’s the difference between a (blank) and a (blank)?” You then draw two noun cards to fill in the blanks, thereby making a complete question. “What’s the difference between a fox and a dolphin?” for example. This game is best played late at night, with people who have a great sense of humor and can come up with funny stuff at a moment’s notice. I am not one of those people, but I did give it a good try. David, Bobby, Satish, Jenn, Christian, and Heli also gave it a good try. Satish won this game, because he’s pretty damned funny. I could tell you what the difference between a fox and a dolphin is, but it just isn’t really that funny in the light of day.
I give this game a 5+.

Thread: Session Report

isbert — 2005-03-10T18:40:55+00:00

Had a 6-player session of 'Why Did the Chicken...' on Saturday.

This was our (wife and I) third time playing. We introduced the game to two more couples.

I successfully encouraged folks to read the question before each 'punchline' this time. It really does make a difference for the better in comedic timing.

We came upon a new issue this time around:

When judging, the first newbie would judge each 'punchline' individually. This had a negative effect on the game insomuch as I think it discouraged just writing down the first thing that pops into the head. I think that this game is best when the brain filter is off (well, not completely). This lead to others doing the same. It just took away from the levity that is so characteristic of this game.

This then lead the other newbies to do the same. I made one comment about it, but didn't want to be too pushy, as I think it would have been counterproductive.

One of the newbies won the game, getting a lot of points from his wife as judge. I think that tends to happen more than not, because the spouses know each other better.

There was a fair amount of 'computer geeky' answers. Here's one:

What do you get when you cross Einstein with a Computer Geek?

10110001110001111

Theory of ones and zeroes.

A computer program that fixes hair problems.

As always, the jokes are best at time of inception.

Thread: User Review

isbert — 2005-03-06T17:53:52+00:00

Rarely do I get excited about a party game. "Why Did the Chicken" is the exception.

It's got a very simple premise. Pull a card with a question and two noun cards. The result is a question such as, "What happened when a maid went on a blind date with a camera?"

In two minutes, everyone then writes answers, trying to be humorous to win points. But the points aren't the point. Get the point?

After all submissions are in, the question and the answers are read. This is the funniest part. Whether obvious, devious, or off-the-wall, the 'punch lines' are the sweet spot of the game. Seriously -- nobody will even care who has the most points at the end of the game. It's all about the experience. Which is what gaming is all about in my book -- having fun with other folks.

So, what did happen when the maid went on a blind date with a camera? Here are the memorable punchlines from one of my gaming sessions:

What happened when a maid went on a blind date with a camera?

* Love developed in an hour
* Nothing but clean pictures
* They swept the Oscars

I highly recommend this game if you're into party games (it's very similar to Apples to Apples), and even if you're not.

My Wife's comments: It's unpredictable, zany, and adapts well to each set of players. It's always a reflection of the personalities assembled.

The good: A lot of fun and VERY easy to play.

The not-so-good: Components are minimal. With certain groups, it could fall flat, but we haven't experienced it yet.

Meg rates this one a 10/10 and I rate it a 7/10.

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ensor — 2005-02-24T14:29:39+00:00

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ensor — 2005-02-24T14:29:38+00:00

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ensor — 2005-02-24T14:29:38+00:00

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ensor — 2005-02-24T14:29:38+00:00

Thread: Quick Comments

selphil — 2005-02-14T21:44:05+00:00

Not really a full session report, but some highlights:

Q: "What is the old saying about clowns and monkeys?"

A: "You never know who is going to throw the poop first." (I kept this one!)

Q: "What is the ending of the book about the cricket and the telemarketer?"

A: "The cricket rubbed its legs together, the sound of raw sex filling the air, as it pulled back the sheets and invited the telemarketer back into bed."

What a funny, funny game!

Thread: Session Report

ensor — 2005-02-13T23:32:04+00:00

Players: Mark, Clyde, Julie, Brett and Todd.

To close out the evening, we pulled down "Why did the chicken...?" and let the laughs begin. As described in the reivews above, it's a game where players come up with punch lines for riddles, and a judge awards points to the best two answers. It seems to start slow but build as the turns go by and the jokes become intermingled.

First riddle: "Why does a brain surgeon hate a cricket?"
This was our toughest of the night, as seen by the best answers "They're so cheeeep!" and "Because Portugese chickens have straw-like appendages."

Second riddle: "What happened at the wedding of the butcher and the camera?"
A number of us came up with two punch-lines, with the best being "The bride flashed the priest," and "The knife ran away with the lens-cap."

Third riddle: "Why would a penguin want to be a teddy bear?"
Our first running joke began with "Because the teddy bear ran away with the lens-cap," and a few answers related to Linux, but the ulimate winning lines were "Because teddy bears can fly," and "Polar bears love cuddly little mini-bears, but they eat penguins."

Fourth riddle: "What do a pitchfork and the garbage collector have in common?"
This time the penguins made a reappearance, with the winning answers being "Both are useful for disposing of dead penguins," and "Both are in the hands of Satan."

Fifth riddle: "What is the punchline to the old joke about a bus and a moth?"
By now we were churing out three or four answers a piece. The chosen answers were "And that's how we got Mothra," and "You can only fit 66 children on a school bus." But the winning answer clearly should have been "His ass," after Brett told us the joke was "What was the last thing to go through the moth's mind when he hit the bus?"

And on that note, we bid you goodnight.

Final score:
Mark - 4
Brett - 3
Todd - 2
Julie - 1
Clyde - 0

Thread: Re:User Review

mpetty31 — 2004-11-26T21:38:45+00:00

Favre4MVP (#67702),

Yeah, that was a weird change of nouns. It was supposd to stay "woodpecker" throughout the example. It's not easy fixing typos in geek reviews (as far as I know). Guess next time I'll read it carefully first.

-Mike

Thread: Re:User Review

Favre4MVP — 2004-11-26T20:52:40+00:00

mpetty31 (#31286),

Are lawyers woodpeckers, or are woodpeckers lawyers?

Thread: Re:User Review

ynnen — 2004-08-25T16:17:43+00:00

TomVasel (#50161),

Excellent review. Zendo is a favorite mental exercise of mine (a la Ricochet Robot), so I was surprised to find out that this game was designed by the same person!!

It sounds like a great family/party game, and a perfect fit for something I think a lot of players overlook -- the ability to get children involved!!

The concept is simple enough that even youngsters 6-10 can provide their own answers to the silly questions. And sometimes, the point of view of a younger player is so different from an adult's that their answers are genuinely amusing and entertaining without any extra effort.

This sounds like it will find a solid place among our collection of family/party games next to Crack the Case, Cranium, Apples to Apples and The Whole Brain Game.

Thread: User Review

TomVasel — 2004-08-20T19:27:09+00:00

I love party games, as they are versatile and can be used in group settings quite frequently, leading to some of the most fun moments I’ve ever had in gaming. I have quite a few party games, but very few of them are good enough to crack my top three - Time’s Up, Beyond Balderdash, and Apples to Apples. Finally, I’ve found one - Why Did the Chicken (Play Again Games, 2004 - Kory Heath) - that has shot up to my number two party game and definitely one of the most fun games I’ve ever played.

When I get together with my family, we invariably play Balderdash, and our Balderdash games invariably deteriorate; with no one caring who wins. Instead, everyone eventually writes definitions designed to make others laugh. This has produced extremely hilarious results, with uncontrollable laughter and a general good time. It doesn’t make much of a game; however, because the one person who maintains some kind of serious demeanor ends up wiping the floor with the other players. What I love about Why Did the Chicken is the fact that it encourages the writing of silly definitions, yet the laughter is just as loud and long as it was with Beyond Balderdash.

Each player is given a pad of paper and a pencil. A box of cards is placed in the front of the table, divided into two sections: twenty question cards and three hundred noun cards. One player is chosen to be a judge, and the first round begins. During each round, a question card is chosen from the box (examples include “What happened at the wedding of... and ...?” and “What’s the difference between ... and ...?”) Two noun cards are drawn to fill in the blanks, giving rise to questions such as, “Why does a bride always win a fight with a pair of combat boots?” A two-minute timer is flipped, and everyone except the judge immediately writes down answers to the random riddle. The participants can write as many answers as time allows, piling them up in the middle of the table. Once the time runs out, the pile is shuffled, and one player is chosen as a reader. The question is read aloud, and then the answers are read aloud. The judge chooses whichever two answers he thinks are the funniest. The players (or perhaps only one player) who wrote the answers get one of the noun cards. After every player has been the judge three times, the game ends, and the player with the most noun cards is the winner!

After those incredibly short rules, some comments on the game...

1.) Rules: The game is extremely simple to play, and can be taught in less than a minute. I usually tell people it’s all the funny parts of Balderdash, just with a riddle.

2.) Components: The box is attractive and very sturdy. It’s larger than necessary, but at least there is plenty of space to include the massive amount of paper I store in it. Several tablets came with the game; but after only two games, I already ran out of paper. This, of course, is easy to remedy, but I try to keep a lot of paper in the game. Since players can write as many definitions as possible, quite a bit of paper is gone through. Very nice pencils with the logo of the game are included - an extremely nice touch. The cards are of good quality and come with a little cardboard divider in the card box to separate the questions and nouns. I wish that some blank cards had been included to allow player-specific nouns, but overall, the game comes in an attractive, well laid out package.

3.) Fun Factor: It’s hard to describe how fun the game is - it’s a real riot, and I’ve laughed until I cried. Of course, I’ve also noticed how almost every game with new players doesn’t start out this way. At first, during the first riddle, I’ve always heard some people muttering about how hard it was to think of something funny. And yea, verily, some of the first answers aren’t funny at all. But gradually, people suddenly come to life - sometimes those you least expect - and the laughter and noise level of the game increases. Answers in previous riddles are referred to, as well as local and world events. Jokes begin to build on each other, and sometimes the winning answers have nothing to do with the questions! Since players can write on the card that they want the reader to sing their answer, wave their hands, or do whatever is necessary to make the card funny; hilarity ensues. When I first played the game with the company representatives at Origins, I sat there, a little overwhelmed at the massive silliness factor that was occurring at the table. But when I took the game out at a teacher convention the following week, it was a smash hit. People were constantly asking me to play “the chicken” game, and several of them vowed to buy the game immediately. Marathon games began that lasted for hours, and then players wanted to immediately play again. It’s the most successful party game I’ve ever taught except for Apples to Apples, and it’s certainly one of the most fun.

4.) Time and players: The game box states that the game is for four to eight players. I successfully played it with more, but it surely is necessary to cut down on the number of times each player is judge; because otherwise the game can stretch out to immeasurable lengths. Most games I’ve played have lasted an hour to ninety minutes. This is longer than some folk want a party game to last, but we kept playing until we tired of the game. If strict adherence is given to time constraints, then the game should run just under an hour.

5.) Variability: I think that the company did a good job including nouns in the game. Obligatory joke nouns were included: such as a lawyer, Santa Claus, and a banana; and many of the nouns automatically make one think of a joke situation. Even though only twenty questions were included with the game, I think the combination of them and the nouns make for enormous replayability and a lot of funny jokes.

It’s hard for me to believe that the designer of this fantastic party game, Kory Heath, is also the designer of the brain burner Zendo. But he has done a great job in taking a simple concept - the fun parts of Balderdash - and turning it into a game that everybody loves to play. I’ve seen people balk at the idea of playing the game, and by the end they become as enthusiastic as everyone else. If you only buy one party game this year, then this is the one to get. It’s top notch and will definitely produce a good time.

Tom Vasel
“Real men play board games.”

Thread: User Review

Werebear — 2004-07-16T23:20:36+00:00

Simply put, "Why Did the Chicken?" rocks! It is a lot of fun, very funny, and I've ended up with my sides aching after nights of playing this game. Sometimes my jaw hurts from laughing so much. You know those laughs you get sometimes, where your mouth is open and working, you can't breath, it doesn't even sound like a laugh, but is, instead, just your sides convulsing, your eyes tearing up, the sound coming from inside you sounds like nothing you'd normally expect to come from your body? Do you remember laughing so hard you had to worry that you were going to pass out? If you remember this, WDTC might bring you back there. And if you don't remember what that feels like, this game ought to come with a warning label, because chances are, you're going to feel this way at some point during a game. Maybe multiple points.

The mechanics have already been described, and they are remarkably simple, and brilliant. With a reasonably intelligent, articulate, funny group (the only kind I play with, given a choice), this game will result in an evening of laughter and fun.

One of my favorite things about this game (and I was told that this would happen) is when players make references to previous responses, both from the current game and from past games, and bring them up again in their answers. Displaced from the game environment, they don't make a whole lot of sense, but with the different groups I've been playing this game with, phrases like "Amen, Sister Jan!" and "Cheezy-Weezy" and "the hamburger bought into the dominant cultural myth" (this last is stuck to my fridge, I liked it so much) can become part of the weird dialogue you have with your friends.

And - you know you're going to have a great round of responses when the people writing them have to stop because they are laughing so hard at their own jokes! I've seen this more than once, where a response strikes the writer as so funny that they literally have trouble getting it down on paper (and making it legible). Note, that doesn't mean that they always were *that* funny - but often enough they are.

It might feel a little bit awkward the first couple of rounds - my first game was like that - so don't be too worried if you don't get a lot of responses early on with new players. Once the new players start laughing, their creative impulses will start a-bubbling, and funny stuff can come out of even the most resistant players.

Sometimes, choosing just two answers can be very hard - we've had games where we've had many great responses, and somehow we've got to whittle down to just two of those awesomely funny answers. That's tough - but - given the light nature of the game (and apt campaigning by "interested" parties), these decisions are usually pretty easily made.

This game fits very well in the party game genre, and I find myself evaluating groups that I spend time around to see if it will be something they'd like. I recently approached several of my wife's yoga students, who make constant funny remarks during her classes (yes, yoga can be funny!), and invited myself over to one of their homes to play this game. (I got a free dinner out of it, too - an unexpected and welcome bonus!) We had an awesome time - but I thought that we would, given how funny, articulate, and smart they all were.

So - if you haven't played this game yet - please give it a try! Even if you don't win, you're sure to have a good time laughing - and if laughing with your friends isn't one of the really good things about life, what is?

Ciao!

Thread: Re:User Review

richpee — 2004-07-12T03:33:31+00:00

mpetty31 (#31286),
I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF THIS GAME!
Somebody save me! I love this game. It's fun, funny, social, creative, and dynamic.
I've played this game well rested, I've played this game tired. I've played this game since last year. I've played this game drunk on beer. I've played this game with a fox. I've played this game in a box. I've got to tell you, this game rocks!

Okay, so I'm biased. I was an early tester. I was a middle tester. I am a post-production tester. I hope to some day be a post-mortem tester!

This game is extremely stimulating for right brain activity. Creative; forces you out of typical ways of thinking. Forces you to access parts of your brain you normally don't use because you're too busy thinking over them. Two agonizing, enriching minutes of your life followed by laughing hysterically with your friends. Rinse. Repeat as necessary. Buy it! I need company! I'm lonely. Will you be my friend?

Thread: Re:User Review

mpetty31 — 2004-05-11T19:10:40+00:00

mpetty31 (#31286),
After playing a lot more of this published version, I wanted to make one suggestion. Let players make one or two "noun" cards themselves before each game. Shuffle them up and deal them evenly to the players, along with enough of the other noun cards (as I suggested in my review).

I still stand behind my original review, but I think having players make their own nouns (or at least some of them) is more fun. I used to always play the early prototype by having players make their own nouns. Now I play WDtC with the same friends and they miss making their own nouns. Personalized cards allow players to be more specific. Instead of "a superhero", players can have "Spiderman" or "Batman". I've found, specific, "colorful" nouns are best for this game as players search for connections for their humorous answers.

--Mike

Thread: Re:User Review

Aldie — 2004-03-24T05:36:59+00:00

mpetty31 (#31286),

Sounds like a fun Balderdash (which I love). As soon as I read this review I want to do an online version here on BGG. I wonder if Kory would be interested.

Thread: User Review

mpetty31 — 2004-03-24T04:12:00+00:00

I have to start this review by stating that I’m hopelessly biased toward this game. I had a hand in its early development as the designer, Kory Heath, and I worked on the first prototype together last summer. I’ve carried what became “my version Why Did the Chicken” with me ever since then. It’s provided many hours of entertainment with a number of groups. At the end of last year, I picked it as “the best prototype I played in 2003 that had yet to be published” for Fair Play Game’s year-end picks. Consequently, I was very excited to hear early this year that Kory’s version of the game would be published by the new company, Play Again Games. I quickly got my hands on a copy and I gave it a try with a few groups.

In a nutshell, this is a game of generating semi-random riddles and trying to come up with funny or clever answers. One player takes on the role of judge each round and he will pick his two favorite answers from among those offered by the other players. The rules fit on one side of a three-quarter sheet of paper. It’s that simple, but it offers so much. Colorful nouns and some great starter questions open the door for creative self-expression, surprises and a ton of laughs. When it comes to games in a social setting, I can’t imagine what more you could ask for.

Here’s a little more detail on the game play. The judge draws a question card and two noun cards. The question card has (surprise!) a question on it, but the question will have two blanks. The nouns from the noun cards will be inserted in those blanks in an order chosen by the judge. So, for example, if the question card is “Why does… love…” and the two nouns are “a fisherman” and “a woodpecker”, the judge could ask either of these questions:

“Why does a fisherman love a lawyer?”
“Why does a lawyer love a fisherman?”

Many times the order won’t change the question much, but even so, with 20 question cards and about 300 noun cards, that makes for well over 850,000 possible questions.

As soon as the riddle is read to the other players, they get two minutes (sand timer included) to write down as many answers to the riddle as they choose. If there’s any drawback to this game, this is where it will become evident. It requires some creativity and some people may feel their answers are too inadequate. I can say from experience that, by far, most players I’ve introduced this game to have enjoyed it immensely. I’ve been surprised that some people who I thought would hate it loved it. Others who were initially cold to it warmed up to it and have even won.

As an aside, some may wonder how I can be so confident about this game when it’s only been released a short time. So, I should mention that this idea of using the two-minute timer and the opportunity to submit multiple answers is the main difference between the published version of Why Did the Chicken…? and the version I’ve been playing the past several months. It turns out this is a great addition. So, while most of my experience with the game has been with an early version, I can say with confidence that the published version offers much improvement in gameplay.

When the timer runs out, all submitted answers are read aloud by one player. The judge considers them and picks his favorite two. The players who submitted those responses take one of the noun cards. Of course, since players may submit multiple answers, it’s possible that a player will get both cards. Cards count as points at the end of the game. We usually play until everyone has been the judge three times.

Some comments on…
Components: You get six pencils, a sand timer, several pads of paper (blank sheets), 20 question cards and about 300 noun cards in the box. The cards are quite thin, with only text on the front. The backs are illustrated with either a chicken (noun cards) or a question mark (question cards). That’s it for illustrations. I’m not one to be drawn to a game because of its components, so a slightly low-budget production doesn’t matter to me. It’s very functional and if the choices for materials and the look kept the cost down, all the better!

Fun & Replayability: With most groups, this game is non-stop fun from beginning to end. The questions themselves can cause everyone to burst into laughter, but the answers are hilarious—even the horribly lame ones! Most of the time they won’t seem as funny later on. On the other hand, I still crack up when I remember some of the better ones. With thousands of questions possible and so much room for creative expression this game is off the scale, in my opinion, when it comes to replayability.

House Rules: I suggest dealing six nouns and three questions to each player before the game starts. They can use these to make the three questions they’ll judge during the game. Dealing them out this way allows players to create the best questions they can using more options than are offered using the standard rules.

Also, there’s one small thing we do that, I believe, adds to the humor of the game. We’ve found the answers have an added punch if the judge reads the question aloud each time before the answer is read. When it comes to humor, timing is everything, right?

Conclusion
While this game is near and dear to my heart, I won’t benefit financially in any way from sales. My enthusiasm for the product at this time is only based on how much I’ve enjoyed it and how much I’ve seen it entertain the groups that I’ve played it with. While some of the questions will lend themselves to answers easier than others, the toughest ones offer an enjoyable challenge. Also, even the worst answers can be entertaining as well when everyone groans or offers a collective, confused, “What?!?”

I believe any group of creative individuals will thoroughly enjoy this game. As I stated above, I’ve been surprised to find it’s even worked well with groups that I didn’t view as particularly creative. For those who are intrigued by the description, but still have misgivings as to whether or not the game would work with their group of friends, I encourage them to find a way to try it before buying. I’d hate to see anyone miss out on what I think is one of the best party games ever created.