1446: From the Game Shelf: Dixit

Dixit

Publisher: Libellud
Designer: Jean-Louis Roubira
Released: 2008
Players: 3-6
Recommended ages: 8+
Play Time: 30 minutes

Theme: Abstract
Mechanics: Bluffing, communication, description, educated guessing
Randomness: Moderate to high
Luck factor: Depends on who you play it with!
Strategy: Light
Interaction: High

Dixit is a card-based party game that revolves around the idea of creatively describing images. (Do not confuse it with the 1983 crossword-building game of the same name, as the two are very different!) The aim of the game is to score points — this can be achieved by, depending on what your role is that turn, describing cards in just enough detail that one or two people around the table successfully guess what you were describing, by successfully identifying what that turn’s “storyteller” was describing, or by convincing other people that the card you played was the one the storyteller was describing.

It’s a quick, easy to learn game that’s high on communication and creativity, making it ideal for social gatherings. There are numerous expansions available too, as well as standalone variants that bump up the maximum player count to 8 rather than the original’s 6.

How it Plays

The role of “storyteller” is passed around the table one player at a time. On your turn as the storyteller, you must select one of the cards from your hand and play it face-down onto the table, then describe it in any way you please — a word, a phrase, a little song and dance routine.

Once this is done, all of the other players select a card from their hand that they believe would also fit the storyteller’s description and play them face-down. The storyteller then shuffles the played cards and reveals them to the table.

At this point, players secretly vote which one they think was the storyteller’s card using cardboard chips with numbers on them. The storyteller does not vote. All votes are revealed simultaneously, and the storyteller then reveals which card was theirs.

If all players correctly voted for the storyteller’s card or if no-one correctly identified it, all players except the storyteller receive two points. In all other cases, the storyteller and any players who successfully identified their card receive three points. Bonus points are awarded for each vote a player received for the card they played when they were not the storyteller. In other words, it’s in the storyteller’s interest to be slightly obtuse about their clues, but not so obtuse no-one will recognise what they’re talking about. Savvy storytellers will make use of references and descriptions they know only certain players around the table will catch.

Players then draw up to a hand of 6 cards, and the role of storyteller passes around the table. Play continues until the deck of cards is exhausted, and the player with the most points at the end is the winner.

Bits and Pieces

The highlight of Dixit is its 84 oversized cards, each of which depicts a different image. The images — the work of one Marie Cardouat — are all somewhat surreal in nature and deliberately difficult to describe in simple terms, but they have a consistent art style that is pleasingly distinctive and instantly recognisable.

Scoring is tracked using wooden rabbit markers that proceed around a track printed on the box insert which may be removed if desired. The markers are well-made but their shape makes them somewhat prone to falling over or being knocked around if the table or box is bumped inadvertently, and with the close positioning of the numbers on the board, this can sometimes lead to inaccurately tracked scores. The score tracker also only goes up to 30, and it’s possible for games — particularly those with fewer players — to exceed this total, necessitating further “laps” around the board.

Voting is accomplished through coloured cardboard tokens with numbers on one side and the Dixit logo on the back. They’re functional but in keeping with the game’s playful art style, and the bright, vibrant colours make each player’s tokens immediately distinguishable from one another.

Is it Fun?

Dixit’s a game you need to play with the right people, and it’s also a game that changes over time the more times you play it with the same people. Ideally, you want to play with a group of people who all know each other well so that psychological tricks such as obscure references and in-jokes can come into play. Those who are not very creative or imaginative — or those who find it difficult to grasp more abstract games — probably won’t have as good a time playing Dixit.

The more times you play, the more you’ll come to recognise various cards as they come up, and how people generally tend to describe them. This forces you to either come up with more creative ways of describing the images — or, of course, to invest in one of the various expansion decks available.

The game makes for some memorable occasions, however, particularly if someone comes up with a particularly creative (or offensive!) description for one of the cards. It’s fun trying to read the other players around the table, and determining how best to bluff your way to victory. It may initially seem like a simple, straightforward party game and indeed there’s nothing stopping you treating it as such. But it’s also possible to turn the game into a gruelling battle of wits against your rivals as you attempt to take advantage of what you know about all of them.

So yes, it’s very much a fun game — and a pleasantly short, light affair that’s good for either opening or capping off an evening’s gaming. If you have a group of players who would respond well to its creative challenges, it’s well worth your time.