A wonderful family/party game for those that don't want traditional games.
Decrypto had us engaged straight away. It does not have too many rules, although it can feel a little complicated to start with.
It can be played with 3 or more. The more you have the better. We played most of our games with 3 or 4 but can't wait to try it with more people.
This game is so much fun, makes you think and gets much harder as you keep playing as you are trying to outwit your opponents. It was great fun for my wife and I (mid 30's/Early 40's) but my father in law (older than us!) loved it.
It could be simplified for younger kids with a bit of help (we are thinking of working at it with our 5 year old as she loves reading and writing) but it might be a slower and more obvious game for the adults.
It is not a traditional silly party game, and unlike quiz games that can make you feel stupid for not knowing something, this just challenges you with being diverse with your answers and how you might be able to draw connections between words. The more obscure you can be the better, but too obscure and you might lose as well.
The game comes with double sided pads with spaces for the clues per round and a section at the bottom to make sure you don't use the same clues or can try to avoid being too similar. Solid cardboard holders with decrypting windows. Clue cards and word cards all fairly solid in construction. An egg timer (for optional time limits). It a lovely box and quick to set up and pack away.
Each game takes no more than hour (especially if you use the timer to limit people). Once we were going with it we were getting through it in about 30-45 mins.
Below is an overview of the game. It seems quite complicated looking back over it, but actually once you have played a few rounds you really do slip into the game very easily.
I will explain the 4 player version but as a 3 player you only lose one element of the game that does not detract from the feel of the game.
There are 2 teams (4+ players.) White and black. You have a "device" that has four TV screens (red pieces of plastic film). You put 4 cards into the slots behind the screens and a word is revealed. Each word is independent of the other.
Your team can all see the words but each round have to crack a code card. So I would pick a code card with 2-3-1 on it the words in position 2/3/1 would be my guide. I have to then write a list of clues to guide my team to guess 2-3-1 as the order.
So behind the 4 TV screens are 4 words - Cake - Headphone - Architecture - Shoe
If the clue order is 2-3-1 the words I need to describe are Headphone - Architecture - Cake in that order.
In the first round the opposition does not guess but makes a note of the clues and the correct order. (The code givers team does have to guess. If they get it right great, if not they get a token. Get 2 tokens for wrong guesses you lose)
The code giver changes to another person and the same thing happens, they pick a code 3-4-2 this time. They write clues down that are different from the original clues but also hopefully different enough that the other team can't guess the code from the clues they had.
If your team don't guess the clues you get a "lose" token. If the other team intercepts and decrypts your clues twice they win.
So using the above example of words if my clue was 2-3-1 I would write Listen - Building - Food. My team would easily see what the words relate to and guess. However with the next clue card being 3-4-2 The words that need to be described are Architecture - Shoe - Headphone (in that order). If I write the clues House - Foot - Music my team are going to guess, but it's also easy for the other team to get the interception. I need to be clever!
So I might say Professional - Foot - Wireless. They might be different enough to throw the other team off. However each time you go through the rounds it limits the words you can choose. It is easier to make connections between the words you are building up.
As the opposition you don't need to know the words, just how the clues might connect.
The rules state all clues must be in the "public" domain so that no in jokes between family members or friends can be used. However you can use public domain and know that the other team might not have a clue about the context. I used Walter White as a clue for recipe. I knew he was from Breaking Bad as the meth cook. My Father in law did not. It was a private connection between my wife and I but in the public domain of information.
| Product Dimensions | 5 x 16 x 23 cm; 450.76 g |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer recommended age | 12 years and up |
| Item model number | DEC01EN |
| Language: | English |
| Number of Game Players | 3 to 8 players |
| Assembly Required | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Batteries included? | No |
| Material Type(s) | Alloy Steel |
| Material Composition | 95% cardboard, 5% plastic |
| Remote Control Included? | No |
| Colour | Multicolor |
| ASIN | B07BB4ND6J |
