Dixit Review: The Most Imaginative Board Game of the Last Decade

Editor's rating:
9.4
Reviewed by Talia Tucker
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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

We don’t like

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

Design

Each game set includes the Dixit game board, as well as 84 cards and 6 game pieces in 6 different colors. The board is rectangular and is designed to aid in the scoring of the game. It looks like the pages of a beautifully illustrated children’s book rather than a typical fold out board game. The cards are oversized, larger than a standard playing card. Each card has an illustration that is meant to be ambiguous as to inspire the creativity of the beholder. Each card is colorful and thought-provoking. The game pieces are little wooden bunnies available in 6 different colors which may include yellow, blue, red, green, white and the non-typical pink.
Durability

Durability

The Dixit game board was designed to last. The cards are made of a heavier material than typical playing cards and they are more weighty and durable. The bunny-shaped game pieces are also sturdier because they are made of wood and not plastic.
Cost

Cost

Dixit offers such a unique, storytelling experience at a very reasonable price. The cost is relatively low compared to other board games on the market right now. For the hours of laughs, enjoyment and bonding time it can offer it’s definitely a small cost to pay.

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

Creativity

Dixit emphasizes the creative experience rather than winning. It’s a game about the journey and not the destination. It tests your logic, your imagination and your wit while allowing you to toy with your friends and family.

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

Social

One of the main reasons that consumers enjoy Dixit so much is because it is accessible to almost anyone. The recommended age is 8 and up but parents have reported children as young as 4 being able to understand and enjoy the game with little difficulty. Parents and adults also enjoy the game as well. It’s a game for the entire family to play together. It’s a great way to bridge the gap between older and younger generations with a game that can be enjoyed at any age.

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

Logic Skills

With this game, players will have to learn to outmaneuver their opponents and trick them into choosing their card. The game requires that you select a card that best represents the word or sentence that the storyteller said. If players vote for your card after all the cards are revealed, you win points. This prevents players from just randomly selecting a card from their hand. The card must be relevant or that player will not receive points in the vote.

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

Ease of Use

In this board game, every player is given a handful of the illustrated Dixit playing cards. Players take turns as the storyteller and say a word or phrase that best describes the image on the card they’ve chosen from their hand. The card is then placed face down. The other players then choose cards from their own hands that they think match the word or phrase spoken by the storyteller. They then place those cards face down. The cards are shuffled and then shown to all the players. Everyone except the storyteller then votes for the card that they believe best fits the word or phrase. The only catch is that you can’t vote for your own card.

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

Safety

The game only has the playing board, 84 cards and 6 bunny-shaped game pieces. The cards and game pieces are oversized so they don’t pose much of a hazard to small children. The recommended age for Dixit is 8 and up but that’s mostly because of the mental dexterity and cognitive ability required to outmaneuver and bluff other players. While not a difficult game to enjoy, it does require some strategic planning. However, a child younger than 8 may be able to enjoy the game with parental supervision.

Conclusion

Dixit is a wonderful addition to any board game collection. It is visually stunning, featuring original art that appears to be lifted straight from a fantasy children’s book. Every card is beautiful and thought-provoking. The game board also looks like a storybook with little wooden bunny game pieces to move along it and embark on the creative journey with you.

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.
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