Master Dater Review: Love! No Longer Is It A Dangerous Game!
After the success of the games “Joking Hazard” and “Trial by Trolley,” the fine folks over at Cyanide and Happiness – Explosm – are back with another party game for the masses. “Master Dater” inspires would-be singles to seek out the possible love of their lives – or at least of the round in a silly interaction reminiscent of the classic TV show “The Dating Game.” But does the premise and execution measure up to that of its predecessors? And, if someone doesn’t have any experience with their previous games, does it have what it takes to provide an entertaining experience in its own right? Well, I was able to take this game for a spin along with some of my friends and fellow HPP staffers, and, though this is a bit of a spoiler for the review, I can say that it managed to raise the mercury in the ole Joy-O-Meter for me!
At the beginning of the game, the cards are divided up into three piles corresponding to “Head,” “Body,” and “Interest,” and then each pile is thoroughly shuffled individually. Each player must then draw three Head cards and three Body cards. After selecting who the first “Sexy Single” will be, that person needs to draw three cards from the top of the Interest pile. These cards can be one of three types: Love – things that the single is interested in, Flame – characteristics or traits that the single is seeking in a companion, and Spark – fun and often times odd factoids about the single themselves. After reading the three Interest cards aloud, the “Daters” need to combine a Head card and a Body card to form one complete person that will act as their avatar for this would-be matchup. It is at this point that orderly conduct or pure pandemonium can ensue as each Dater strives to persuade the Sexy Single to choose them over the others for their suitor.
Usually, in these sorts of judge/vote games, only one person can be the victor of a given round. However, in Master Dater, the three Interest cards are doled out independently of each other. I personally came to truly appreciate this mechanic as it allows for flexibility in the Dater pitches in the event that they can’t come up with an argument for all three Interests. It also allows for the Sexy Single or judge to give out the cards to whoever made the best case for each card. The endgame condition is for one player to collect five or more Interest cards, with at least one each of Flame, Spark, and Love being among them.
The Heart of the Cards
I am not even remotely exaggerating when I say that the success of this game in your friend circle will depend on how ridiculous everyone involved is willing to get with this game. It takes at least a bit of wit to make a case for why a person with a “sentient gun” for a head and a “being eaten by a shark” for a body would be “super fun to cuddle with” and/or fulfilling in interest in “partying so hard that I throw up.” However, half of the fun comes from trying to make that case, while the other half of the fun is watching the faces of your friends as you try to make said argument with a legitimate desire to win the round! It’s even better during those random cases where the single speaks an interest in “trying new cuisine” while you are currently holding a “zombie” head card and a “chef” body card in your hand – at this point, the pitch just writes itself! Sometimes, even when I had what I would have considered being a “throwaway hand,” I’d still relish in coming up with something absolutely absurd just to make everyone laugh despite the fact that I would make for an absolutely awful date in the process.
Even though the manual for the game mentions a specific set of rules and structure, there really isn’t anything stopping players from just ignoring the primary ebb and flow of the game and house-ruling the entire thing. You could exceed the maximum number of cards per hand, separate the three Interest card types so that there is always one of each type per round, or even require players to utilize one of their own previously earned Interest cards as a part of the personality for their next Dater pitch. My personal favorite is to require the Dater to choose only one person to date but only award them with the Interest cards that they felt the winner surpassed the others on. You can pretty much do whatever you want with the tool kit that Master Dater provides so long as everyone enjoying the game brings with them the personality and humor required to make the most out of what’s on display.
“Go on, Honey! Take a Chance!”
Master Dater proves itself to be a solid option for either a table activity while drinking at the bar with friends or a social gaming night at home. However, it isn’t a “party-in-a-box” in its own right. Instead, it is through the tools that the game provides alongside the wit, humor, and creativity of those engaging in playing the game that the true potential for an uproariously good time can be reached. It is through this that my friends and I have had multiple spectacular evenings of fun and laughter, and I have faith that it will become a part of our regular rotation. Should you find yourself in search of a conduit for wacky evening hi-jinks around a game table, then I believe that Master Dater would make an excellent companion for your evening. Personally, this one will certainly be the party game of choice alongside Snake Oil for me going forward.
Final Verdict: 4/5
Available on: Tabletop; Publisher: Explosm; Designer: Explosm; Released: December 9, 2022; ESRB:13+; MSRP: $29.99
Full disclosure: The publisher provided a review copy.
