Dixit Review: The Most Imaginative Board Game of the Last Decade
We like
The rules are easy to understand
It’s highly interactive
Inspires creativity
Beautifully illustrated cards
Able to be played in multiple languages
Fun for the entire family
Emphasis is on having fun and not winning
The board isn’t square making an even seating arrangement around it somewhat difficult
Scoring can be difficult to keep track of
After a few playthroughs it may be necessary to buy expansion packs
How it works
It’s been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. With Dixit you’ll take this saying to heart as you attempt to tell a story using your creativity and guesswork.
In Dixit, each player has a turn to play the storyteller, telling a very brief story based on one of the picture cards. The storyteller selects one of the cards from their hand, places it face down and says a word, sentence or a phrase inspired by the picture. The other payers then choose one of their own cards that best represents what the storyteller has said. The cards are shuffled and the players vote for the illustrated card that they believe inspired the storyteller’s story. If all of the players are correct, everyone except the storyteller receives points. If only some of the players guessed it, then those players as well as the storyteller gain points. Additionally, everyone including the storyteller has an opportunity to win points based on how many votes their card received. So despite who was right or wrong, the most creative and imaginative guesses are rewarded. You’ll have a greater chance at winning if you can convince all of the other players that your card is the best. Whoever earns 30 points wins the game.
Dixit is the ideal game for people of all ages. Families will enjoy playing this highly interactive, visually and mentally stimulating board game. Each player will get a chance to invent stories based on the images on the cards, perhaps conjuring up fond memories from the past. Each player will form a unique connection with the images and come up with unique interpretations so no two rounds of Dixit will ever be the same.
Dixit was the winner of the Spiel des Jahres award for Game of the Year in 2010 and it’s no wonder given its beautiful design, easy-to-understand gameplay and its ability to inspire creativity and imagination in people of every age and background.
Design
Durability
Cost
The game is beautifully designed and well-made. There was a lot of thought and effort put into the look and feel of the game. It was built to last for many game nights to come. And considering the mentally and visually stimulating nature of the game, it’s not just a product but an experience. It’s an opportunity for children and adults to explore their creative sides and learn while having fun and bonding with family and friends.
Creativity
Dixit creates a storybook experience with you as the co-author. Each card has no words or instructions on it, only an image. So how you choose to interpret is entirely up to you. Each card has an abstract, surreal, and oftentimes strange image on it that is intended to be ambiguous. This forces players to make their own connections and tell their own tales with no assistance or conditioning from the game makers.
When you’re the storyteller your job is to say a word, phrase or sentence. Or you can sing a song, recite a poem, do a dance or whatever else the image inspires in you. It’s meant to best represent the image on the card. Whatever you say can’t be too obvious because if everyone guesses your card, you gain no points. You have to be subtle in your interpretation and really play around with the imaginations of the people you’re playing with. This is where the fun and creativity come in.
You can make guesses based on how well you know your friends and family or guess based solely on their story. Either way this game lends itself well to an interactive, creative and unique game playing experience.
Social
The game can also be played with anyone that shares a common language. The game is picture based and not rules intensive so it does not necessarily need to be played in English. So families with language barriers or language limitations can play it together while enjoying a culturally immersive, bonding experience.
The game requires socialization and promotes creativity and imagination. Children and adults will come up with fantastical stories based on the cards and be able to share their extraordinary tales in a safe, nurturing and stimulating environment.
Players will have to use their brains in order to bluff, trick and outwit their opponents. The game can be complex but it’s represented in an easy-to-learn format. The lack of rules is intentional because the it’s meant to promote creativity and thought. It’s meant to be an experience rather than a competition. The point of the game is bonding and making memories rather than keeping a strict score.
Dixit is a wonderful way to bond and learn how the minds of your friends and family work while having countless laughs.
Logic Skills
This game requires that players be able to learn how their opponents think and they will have to adapt. They will have to make logical connections between the storyteller’s story and the images on the cards. They have to be relevant to the images but cannot be too obvious or too mysterious.
Players will need to use some logic and strategy to win but it’s not so intensive that a child would not be able to understand.
Ease of Use
The score is then tallied. If everyone voted the storyteller’s card then everyone except the storyteller gets a point. For the storyteller to get points, only one other person has to choose their card. It is the job of each player to try to choose a card that is relevant. A randomly chosen card will most likely not be voted for and no points will be granted.
As the points add up, players advance their bunny game pieces. The game is over when all the cards have been played. Whoever gets to 30 points at the end wins. That’s it.
There are not a lot of rules so players will not have to waste a lot of time reading the instructions before starting the game the first time. The cards and the board have no additional rules on them, only pictures.
Children and adults of all ages are able to join in on the fun without having to worry about complex scoring systems and wordy instruction manuals. Players just have to master the simple instructions and the rest is up to their imaginations.
The recommended amount of players is 3-6 and each game takes about 30 minutes to complete.
Safety
Conclusion
The rules of Dixit are very brief but that does not mean it’s not an immersive experience. Every player gets a chance to be a storyteller and they get the opportunity to outwit and bluff their opponents into selecting their card.
Every card has an abstract, almost nonsensical image on it and it’s the job of the players to make sense of it.
Dixit is an award-winning game and it’s a great way to get the entire family together for a special game-playing experience. Players of all ages can appreciate the wacky stories they’ll come up with while playing and marvel at the beautifully-drawn pictures on every card.
Children will enjoy having an interactive role in the storytelling process and they’ll learn to make logical connections between words and images all while having fun. Adults will enjoy trying to stump each other and everyone of every age and language will be able to enjoy the creative, bonding experience.
It’s a mentally and visually enticing game that will have the entire family laughing for hours as they try to match the sentences to the images and try to get their bunny to the end of the board.