GGA Game Review: Check Your Smarts with HALF TRUTH

Julia Roth

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Half Truth Box Art

Ever wanted to see just how much smarter you are than your friends? Well let me tell you, Half Truth is the perfect game just for that! The trivia game was created by the greatest Jeopardy player of all time Ken Jennings and Magic: The Gathering creator Richard Garfield in partnership with Studio71 and Nighthawk Gaming. The project initially launched on Kickstarter on August 21, 2019 and earned itself 8,885 backers and a total of $327,621! Half Truth is playable to up to six players and promises to make you feel smart. So did it? Keep reading to find just how smart we felt!

Half Truth game with board and card.
The Half Truth game board and a card flipped to show the answers. Image courtesy of Studio71.
 
Can You Bet That You Know What Is Right?

Half Truth is a trivia card and board game that pits players against one another. Each card features a statement like “Is a State with No National Parks” and then six answers below. Of these six answers, only three of them are correct and it is each player’s job to figure out which ones they are. The game comes with 500 different cards to play with that vary from pop culture to movies to history. It looks like nothing was left out which means you are bound to find a card that you know everything about, believe me.

What sets Half Truth away from other trivia games is how well they were able to incorporate other mechanics. The only way a player can move forward in the game is to guess at least one correct answer. This means that they only have to play one answer token and get it right. Play two and you risk the chance of getting one wrong and being stuck. But playing it safe doesn’t mean you are guaranteed to win though!

In the end the player with the most victory points reigns as champion. You collect these points by successfully guessing two or three answers on a card which are also known as doubling down or going all in or by how far you make it in each round. Finding the perfect balance between the two is key to trying to gain the most points. My best advice is to really think through your answers. If you aren’t entirely sure about a second answer just play it safe and stick to one guess but if a second answer is something you can almost guarantee then risk it and try for those extra points!

Half Truth sample card.
Sample card featuring a statement and six possible answers. Image courtesy of Studio71.

 

Quick Game Play That Encourages Players to Disconnect

Our playthrough of Half Truth included six players, the max that can play together. They list a single playthrough to take anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes and it feels about right. There is no rule for how long a player’s choice can take so it is best to decide as a group how long you want to spend picking your answers to make it fair for everyone. Without policing this, there is a chance you will spend most of your game night waiting for someone to finally decide. I’d also suggest to score and move each player one by one to ensure no one gets skipped over or moves too many spaces without someone else noticing.

Something I really enjoyed during Half Truth was being able to disconnect from the outside world. With a trivia game, it is key to make sure no one at the table is on their phone. There is always a chance that they could be looking up an answer. The game comes with a nifty card to place over the deck so only the current card is able to be seen as well to help avoid people trying to cheat. The questions however can be so vague that even a quick Google search wouldn’t help find the answers right away. But getting everyone to drop their phones and enjoy the company right in front of them, well that is priceless.

 

Did It Make Us Feel Smart?

The short answer is kinda. Half Truth is created in such a way that unless you are Ken Jennings there is a high chance you won’t know every card the comes up. A few cards had a lot of us completely stumped while others felt like a small victory to know at least one of the answers. This made knowing more than one feel like we just struck a goldmine! The balance between both feelings was great and helped keep the game feeling lighthearted and fun.

I do have to admit that one thing that didn’t make me feel smart was constantly having to remember my alphabet. The answers on the card correspond with letters A-F, the first column being A, B, and C while the second is D, E, and F. There is no key on the cards to help remind the player during gameplay so we always would figure out an answer and need to triple check which letter it was before placing our token down. My only suggestion would be to maybe include the letters on the cards to help keep gameplay moving.

Components of the Half Truth game including cards, tokens, and board.
The Half Truth cards, tokens, and board. Image courtesy of Studio71.
 
Should You Add It to Your Game Nights?

Yes! A good trivia game is great for any group. The mechanics are simple once everyone has an understanding and with the number of cards included there is always a chance that someone will know something. Half Truth is perfect for larger game night groups as well since everyone plays their turn at the same time which helps to keep the momentum going and everyone involved. And I can’t forget to mention how re-playable the game is since chances are won’t even clear one full deck before the game is done!

Half Truth will be available on May 6, 2020 on both Studio71’s website as well as in retail stores.

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Julia Roth
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