Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

Where to Play

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, this is what it says on the box: a party game for horrible people. It's designed to be offensive, shocking, and inappropriate. For adults who want to laugh at terrible things with friends who share that sense of humor? It works. The mechanics are dead simple, it scales to large groups, and it delivers exactly what it promises.

But let's be clear: this is not remotely appropriate for kids or family game night (unless your 'family' is all adults). The 17+ rating is accurate and necessary. Cards reference every taboo topic imaginable, and it's not subtle about it.

The 5.7 BGG rating tells you that even among adult gamers, this is considered pretty mediocre. The shock value wears off fast, and there are better party games out there. But it became a cultural phenomenon for a reason—it's easy to learn, makes people laugh, and works for big groups.

If you want this format for actual families with kids, get the Family Edition instead. Completely different content, ages 8+. Don't accidentally traumatize your nephew.

Age Fit

This is strictly for adults 17+ who enjoy dark, offensive humor. If you want this game format for kids, the Family Edition (ages 8+) is a completely different product with PG-rated content. Don't mix these up.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

15

The original version is explicitly designed to be offensive, with content covering racism, sexism, violence, bodily functions, and every taboo topic imaginable. The tagline 'a party game for horrible people' is accurate. This is intentionally unwholesome humor for adults who want to laugh at terrible things. The Family Edition exists (rated 8+) but that's a different product entirely.

Imaginative

72

The core mechanic is genuinely creative—matching answer cards to prompts to create the funniest/most shocking combinations. It encourages quick wit, wordplay, and understanding what will land with your audience. The open-ended nature means every round is different, and the game has spawned countless imitators because the format works. However, it's not building or creating anything lasting; it's ephemeral humor.

Safe

8

For the 17+ age rating: this is extremely unsafe for children. Cards reference sexual acts, drugs, violence, genocide, pedophilia, and virtually every offensive topic. For adults playing together consensually? It's safe in that context—everyone knows what they're signing up for. But this would be wildly inappropriate for anyone under 17, and even then, social dynamics can get uncomfortable fast when humor crosses personal boundaries.

Enriching

35

There's some value in understanding humor, social dynamics, and reading the room. Players learn what makes people laugh and how context shapes meaning. But mostly it's shock value humor that gets repetitive. After a few rounds, you've seen the formula. It's entertaining in the moment but doesn't build skills or provide lasting insight. The entertainment value is high for the right adult audience, though.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

Genuinely hilarious for adults who enjoy dark, irreverent humor and aren't easily offended
Simple mechanics (1.17 complexity) mean anyone can play—the challenge is being funny, not learning rules
Scales from 4-30 players, making it perfect for large adult gatherings and parties
Encourages reading social cues and understanding your audience's sense of humor
The rotating judge mechanic keeps everyone engaged every round

⚠

What to Watch For

This is the original adult version with extremely explicit content—not the Family Edition
Cards reference sexual acts, drugs, violence, racism, and every offensive topic you can imagine
Can create awkward social dynamics if players have different boundaries about humor
Gets repetitive after multiple plays—the shock value wears off
The 5.7 BGG rating suggests even adult gamers find it mediocre compared to other party games

Conversation Starters

"This is for adults only, obviously—if you want a similar game for family night, look at the Family Edition or Kids Against Maturity"
"Why do you think people find offensive humor funny? What makes something cross the line?"
"How do you read the room and know what jokes will land with different people?"

Deep Dive

The "Shock Value" Shelf Life

When Cards Against Humanity hit the scene in 2009, it was a cultural wrecking ball. It took the polite, "green apple to red apple" matching mechanic of its predecessors and injected it with pure adrenaline and filth. Designers Josh Dillon, Daniel Dranove, Eli Halpern, and Ben Hantoot didn't just make a card game; they created a license for adults to be unfiltered.

But there’s a reason the BoardGameGeek rating sits at a mediocre 5.7 despite its massive sales. The game relies almost entirely on "the first time" effect. The first time you see a specific, horrific combination of cards, it's a riot. The tenth time? You start to realize there’s not much of a game here. It’s a comedy engine that eventually runs out of gas once you know the punchlines. If you’re playing with the same group of friends every month, the "shock" turns into a "shrug" pretty quickly.

Reading the Room vs. Being a "Horrible Person"

The magic (or the friction) of this game isn't in the cards themselves, but in the "Card Czar" mechanic. This is a game of pandering. You aren't trying to play the objectively funniest card; you’re trying to play the card that that specific person thinks is funny.

This creates a weird social tension. In a room of close friends, it’s a blast. In a room with your boss or your new in-laws, it’s a high-stakes psychological minefield. The game calls itself a "party game for horrible people," but it’s actually a game for people who are good at social engineering. You have to know exactly where your friends' boundaries are so you can dance right on the edge of them without falling off.

The Family-Friendly Pivot

If you have a middle-schooler who has heard about this game at school, they are likely attracted to the "forbidden" nature of it. They want the edge, but they don't actually need the R-rated content to have a good time. This is where the Family Edition (or competitors like Kids Against Maturity) comes in.

The Family Edition swaps out the "mature" content for stuff involving bodily functions and general absurdity. It hits that sweet spot for 8-to-12-year-olds who think the word "fart" is the peak of human expression. If you’re looking for the best board games for 11-year-olds, you’ll find games with much deeper strategy, but for a pure "sit on the floor and laugh" experience, the kid-safe versions of this format are hard to beat. Just make sure you check the box twice—bringing the original 17+ version to a 5th-grade sleepover is a mistake you only make once.

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