That's a Question! review

What would you miss more if it ceased to exist: board games or cats? That’s just one of the decisions proposed by That’s a Question!, a disappointingly disposable party dud from otherwise reliable master designer Vlaada Chvátil.

That’s a Question!’s drama hinges on seemingly tough choices based on three core questions, with a rotating interrogator putting forward a choice of two possible answers from their hand as they grill another player and everyone else votes on what they think the verdict will be.

It’s a simple setup that never becomes anything more meaningful. That’s a Question!’s answers veer between being overly specific or too toothless to spark much debate about a player’s choice, meaning the game never manages to capture the perceptive or controversial insight into personal opinions that it’s clearly aiming at.

This isn’t helped by the extremely limited scope of the three questions, all of which essentially boil down to a generic ‘which is better’ judgement and can only be matched with one answer on each colour-coded answer card, killing the chance for any flexibility or unexpectedly left-field dilemmas. Even Cards Against Humanity is more likely to teach you more about your friends’ view of the world.

Strangely enough, despite the cutesy decoration of squirrels, acorns and sunny meadows, many of the game’s questions skew towards an older audience (the box has a recommended age of 15 and up) – there are several about cigarettes, drinking, working and other adult topics that are best removed if you plan to play with children. Not only do these darker subjects jar tonally with the lighthearted rest of the game, but they come across as a cheap attempt to lead players towards deeper debates that ultimately never surface.

The presentation may be charming, but That’s a Question! can’t avoid an utter absence of personality, fun and consequence. Why waste your time here? Now, that’s a question.

MATT JARVIS

Buy your copy here.

Publisher: Czech Games Edition

Price: £19.95

Genre: Party

Players: 3-6

Time: 30 minutes

Age: 15+

Website: czechgames.com

This review originally appeared in the October/November 2017 issue of Tabletop Gaming. Pick up the latest issue of the UK's fastest-growing gaming magazine in print or digital here – or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.

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