Rankster
Designed by: Rikki Tahta
Rankster is a party game for 3-12 players (-though probably best with 6 or less). Players work together to score points, and you do that by ranking three individuals in each round. What you’re ranking them on is the game’s quirky twist: it might be who you think can eat the most donuts in one sitting, or best calm a crying baby, or make the best drummer for your imaginary rock band. The game flips over three notable names (eg George Washington, Mariah Carey, Muhammad Ali) and the player whose turn it is – the judge – secretly ranks them first second and third.
Then everyone else – as a collective – discusses and ranks as well, hoping that their rankings will match the judge’s (-the judge must keep a poker face during this phase!) If they do, you all score a point, and if they don’t, you don’t. After eight rounds, the goal is to have as many points as you can out of eight.
Sam says
From a designer we always have time for at GNG, Rankster is one of those games where the score is relevant, but not really the point of the game. The fun here is about the incongruous match-ups of task and characters, and trying to align the group thinking with that of the judge. Unlike Cards Against Humanity, players have an active input and the comedy isn’t about being sniggeringly offensive, so I vastly prefer it to that game. It throws up tough decisions too: who do you choose to calm your crying baby between Josef Stalin and Rasputin?
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Take That!
None. Everyone works as a team.
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Fidget Factor!
Very low - when you're not the judge you're still involved.
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Brain Burn!
Rules are easy-peasy. The tricky bit is matching the ranks, but it's a party game.
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Again Again!
Big deck of cards means even if you recognise every question, the combination of characters to rank will always be new.
