LogFAQs > #968912480

10. Herd Mentality

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/311322/herd-mentality

Category: Player vs player
Key mechanics: Simultaneous, guessing, separate hands
Rules complexity (0 to 7): 0
Game length: 30 seconds per round
First played: 2021
Experience: 10+ sessions with 5-8 players

In a hand of Herd Mentality, a player draws a card and poses a question such as "what is the best eating utensil?" Everyone then simultaneously gives an answer, and the players who chose the most common answer get a point. If a single player answered something no one else answered, they get the cow, which prevents them from winning the game until someone else gets the cow, even if they score the most points otherwise.

I don't think any real ingenuity went into the design of Herd Mentality - it's essentially Family Feud, just not a game show. The fun of it comes almost exclusively from the interaction of the players and seeing what everyone answered - it's kind of fun to see how everyone divides into teams; some players will choose what they think others will say over what they're thinking themselves; others will answer honestly because they can't anticipate others' responses; some will be totally blindsided by what's going on. There's a little bit of extra fun that comes from the cow - a minor cone of shame.

Still, this is one of the games I have gotten the absolute most plays out of since I was introduced to it, simply by dint of not always being in a group conducive to more think-y games. And I love it for that.