Flashback Friday - Shadow Hunters

Haven't played it in years, but had a good time whenever I did. It got to the point where I would come out very aggressive at the beginning to get the pot stirred, and then try to see how things fell out. Not necessarily the best strategy to reveal yourself and potentially hit your teammate, but the game usually jumped off the table once I did that. Everyone would get more animated.

Yeah, we played it to death, and then set it aside for quite a while. Recently it's come out again. It's a really great game to play with casual gamers and family. Best played with siblings and married couples for added drama.

I played it once, about two years ago. We had seven players, and it seemed to be a good game for that headcount. But it felt themeless and gamey, so I just couldn't enjoy it. A game without any sense of setting or narrative is just an empty set of procedures. I don't even remember who won, because it just didn't seem to matter.

I never turn this down, but I don't own it. My most bittersweet experience was winning a big 7 player game with one of the neutral guys with several new players in the game.

Boy, I never liked this game.

I don't know if it's because it usually comes out late at night at conventions when I'm already tired or what. Just bores me to tears.

repoman wrote: Boy, I never liked this game.

I don't know if it's because it usually comes out late at night at conventions when I'm already tired or what. Just bores me to tears.

I’m with you on this one. I’ve played it exactly once and I couldn’t care less to ever play it again. I like silly games, but I like them at 4 in the afternoon when I’m buzzed, not 12:30 am when I’m buzzed and tired. I also feel like everyone else we play with has all these times and memories built on it and for whatever reason, I wasn’t in on any of them. The one time I played it I felt like I was on the outside looking in, watching everyone have a great time and I’m kind of not, and that’s one strange barrier to entry.

Josh Look wrote:

repoman wrote: Boy, I never liked this game.

I don't know if it's because it usually comes out late at night at conventions when I'm already tired or what. Just bores me to tears.

I’m with you on this one. I’ve played it exactly once and I couldn’t care less to ever play it again. I like silly games, but I like them at 4 in the afternoon when I’m buzzed, not 12:30 am when I’m buzzed and tired. I also feel like everyone else we play with has all these times and memories built on it and for whatever reason, I wasn’t in on any of them. The one time I played it I felt like I was on the outside looking in, watching everyone have a great time and I’m kind of not, and that’s one strange barrier to entry.

I have to agree with you - Shadow Hunters is a poor choice for late night silliness. It's a social deduction game that requires a lot of bluffing and a fair amount of mental gymnastics if you are playing it seriously. It is best played with exactly 4 people who are alert, relatively sober, and who know each other pretty well.