This is what family game night should be: quick enough that you're not trapped for hours, challenging enough that everyone stays engaged, and cooperative so nobody rage-quits and slams their bedroom door.

The genius is in the constraint—you can barely communicate, which paradoxically makes you pay more attention to each other than games where everyone's just shouting. It's like a puzzle where the pieces are people, and you're all trying to read each other's minds.

The 7.8 BGG rating with 47,000 reviews and a major award tells you this isn't some gimmick. It's a legitimately clever game that happens to teach strategic thinking, teamwork, and non-verbal communication without feeling like a lesson. The 20-minute runtime is clutch—you can squeeze in a mission before school or play five in a row on a rainy Saturday.

Only caveat: if your family melts down at the slightest challenge, maybe start with easier missions. But honestly, failing together and trying again is part of what makes this special.