Get on Board:
Blockbuster

Unless you are from Bend, Oregon, where the last one clings on for dear life, Blockbuster stores will be all but a distant memory. But games company Big Potato is hoping nostalgia will drive you to buy its ode to video store rentals – Blockbuster. This is a straight-up movie trivia game, but fear not – even the most passive film viewer can win big points.

Players divide into two teams. Each team member will have their own time to shine and be part of group decision-making. The game is split into two parts. Someone from each team will put themselves forward to go one on one and try to gain the first advantage. Flipping over a card from the head-to-head deck, it will reveal a random category: movies with a city in the title, for example. Players in the hot seat must now go back and forth giving answers. Every time they answer they must hit a buzzer. A lovely big, blue buzzer will count down 15 seconds and tick loudly to add extra pressure. If a player cannot answer within the 15 seconds they lose.

The winner then progresses into the second part of the game by picking up six random cards from the movie deck. Picking the easier film titles for themselves, they pass the harder ones onto the opposition. With 30 seconds on the buzzer, teams take it in turn to go through each film title and convey it to their team mate by using either a single word, quoting from it, or acting it out charades-style. If a player completes all three within 30 seconds, they can attempt to steal the opposition’s cards. Cards that aren’t guessed correctly are discarded and a new person from each team takes their turn. The game is won when a team has collected a card from eight different genres.

Blockbuster is a very slick, fun party game. The rules are learnt in seconds and it keeps all players engaged and on their toes. There are even alternative rules to really challenge film buffs.

The box itself is made to look like a VHS box, with all the contents fitting snugly inside. Even the play-mat is made to look like a Blockbuster car park, complete with sign. Blockbuster is a joy to play and has massive replay value. Although it doesn’t quite bring you the experience of going to rent a video cassette, it will test your memory and spark some fond ones – unless you’re passing through Bend any time soon.