If you love games and books this is the best combination. Bring Your Own Book by Gamewright is a hilarious combination of judging phrases and book quotes. The game is for three to eight players and the larger the group the crazier and funnier it becomes. Bring Your Own Book is recommended for ages 12 and up.
Game Components
- 100 Prompt cards
- 1 60 second timer
Gameplay
Each player needs to bring a book to the game. It can be any book from an encyclopedia to a picture book, to a gardening book. The gameplay is very straightforward and players take turn being the picker.
At the beginning of a round the picker starts by drawing the top card off the Prompt Card deck. There are two prompts on each card and the picker selects one to read to the group. Second, the other players seek through their book for a word, phrase, sentence(s) that satisfies the prompt. Third, the first player to find their text calls out I’ve got it!”. This starts the 60 second sand timer for the rest of the players to finish finding their passage.
Once the 60 seconds ends players take turn reading their passage and the picker judges which one is their favorite and awards the card to the winner. The first player to four cards in a 6-8 player game or the first to five in a 3-5 player game is the winner.
Family Game Assessment
For children 12 and up and adults this is a wonderful family game, especially for family gathering. The rules and gameplay are so simple and easy to teach that even the occasional gamer can feel comfortable.
Due to inferencing, this is a difficult game to scale down well, but some depth is lost with younger players. With younger players the resulting book lines may not be as relevant or they may need extra time to find a text to read. It is essential that all players be fluent readers and familiarity with the book is helpful.
Bring Your Own Book plays well with tweens or teens mixed with adults. This game is also a great way to include adults or older kids that want a simple game.
Conclusion
Bring Your Own Book is a fun light game that is great for a group or party setting. The game can play up to eight, but that number could easily be expanded by playing teams. It is a wonderful game for integrating reading and gaming.