Ain't the Worst That You've Seen. Imaginiff is not a boring game by any means, so don't cringe or anything if your non-gamer friends break this baby out. Mind you, you're not up for an hour of blood, sweat, tears, and mental anguish--no analysis paralysis (AP) here; by way of strategy, there isn't much. It's fun, and it's short, but if you play it a lot, you may want to try a few different things that might spice the game up a bit.

As with my other reviews and session reports, I will incorporate the lyrics to one of my favorite songs into my post. If you are the first to respond to it with the correct name of the band and song, I will award you with a small tip in the spirit of goodwill and good fun. Also, please note that some of my posts have still gone unanswered and thus remain unrewarded.

Nothing Gets Me Down. So I've mentioned that the strategy factor is light. The game asks players to place the name of one of the players written on the board into the blank of the card and then to answer a multiple-choice phrase that completes the sentence. Players score based on how common their response is among the other players.

However, Strategy Tip #1: do not answer what you really think is the answer. Most often you will find that the "right" answer is the funniest answer. You will found out very quickly that this game is not about correct responses, but guessing what the other players will guess. So listen for when people laugh or choose the most ridiculous answer. 70% of the time this strategy works.

Still not getting it? Strategy #2: Watch the cards. Watch the person-who-has-been-chosen's spouse, significant other, or best friend. When they start shuffling through their cards, you'll know which answer they are going to choose. Effective 15% of the time as these persons are too nice and don't pick the funny or ridiculous answer often enough.

Finally, Strategy #3: Make the right answer. If after the initial portion of the card is read you can tell you will be having a hard time at getting this question right, put on your "poker face," you know the one where you draw the perfect card and beam a toothy grin while shaking your cards uncontrollably. While 100% fun, this one only works about 15% of the time also, since sometimes players find something funnier than your random choice. In that case, go back to Strategy #2.

Perfecting the "poker face":
"Poker Face" Moves - The Key Is to Make Other Players "Think" You've Got the "Right" Answer
1. Shuffle through your cards like crazy after your chosen answer is read.
2. Make ooo's, aw's, and guffaw's during your selected answer.
3. Begin laughing really hard after one of the answers then go back to #1 and #2. Repeat as necessary.

Get to What's Real. Okay, so I wanted to discuss variants. Here are a few that help:

Cripple the Runaway: This game tends to have a runaway winner at times, so institute a rule that whomever is in first place on the board must half his/her progress on the board.

Challenge the Champ: When it is the last place person's turn, allow that person a choice between their standard roll and the challenge space. This will keep the pack a bit closer on the board and keep things a bit more exciting.

Give Credit Where It's Due: You'll almost never have enough names to fill in the blanks around the board, so add in persons you know will prompt laughs. The following persons get a lot of abuse love on our boards:
George W. Bush
Donald Rumsfeld
My cat
The neighborhood gossip
My mom--sorry, Mom, but you really would try to commandeer a plane if it were going down

The first two options alone will bring new life to your game immediately.

Can't You See What I Mean? Some have complained in other posts that this is not a very good game for breaking the ice (see, for example, http://www.boardgamegeek.com/thread/114593), and I would agree. You really need to know the other people in this game (their mannerisms, etc.) to do well in it. Also, if you decide to bring political figures into the game, be ready for political commentary and harsh rhetoric, especially if you chose this one to break-the-ice. (Bad move.)

Enjoy the strategies and variants. I have played this game for about two years with my family off and on. It's great fun when we get together. I often win using this strategy, but you'll find that you don't care much who wins this one. It can really be quite a bit of fun, and with these variants you can add a little more intensity and competition to the game.

And since when did a little intensity and competition ever hurt anybody?

Van Halen - Jump ?

Correct! Congrats ferox83!