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Civilized dinosaurs gathering for afternoon dinosaur tea party!? If you like off the wall concepts then stop right there and take a look at this social deduction romp from Restoration Games!
“Charmed, I’m Sure”
As with other offerings from Restoration Games, ‘Dinosaur Tea Party’ is basically a reincarnation of an earlier game. In this case, 1976’s ‘Whosit?’ has been reborn as a prehistoric social gathering. Parker Brothers ‘Whosit?’ is definitely one of their lesser known titles, you won’t find it at the top of many lists that’s for sure. So while this game is said to be a ‘reimplementation’ it is very much it’s own thing.
So what is ‘Dinosaur Tea Party’ all about? Think ‘Guess Who’ but with fancy dinosaurs. Now immediately you might ask, “Do we really need another ‘Guess Who’ game?”. After all, with the popularity of licensed products you can get all different manners of ‘Guess Who’ and pretty much every person who has ever played board games will be familiar with the concept.
However, what sets ‘Dinosaur Tea Party’ apart is the fact that it is quite simply… charming! Ever since the 90s, thanks mostly to Jurassic Park, my favourite dinosaur has always been the Dilophosaurus; mean, green and absolutely terrifying. Here though, the venom spitting reptile is presented as a glamorous, bespectacled socialite going by the name of Jeanine and it’s this level of absurdity mixed with the glorious artwork that really brings the game to life.
“One Lump Or Two?”
Gameplay is extremely simple and can be played in about 15 minutes… but boy is it fun! Players are dealt a random card showing one of the guests at the tea party and then each person takes a turn at asking the other guests questions to deduce their identity. With various identifying factors like glasses, pets, cups of tea and flowery adornments, there are plenty of questions to identify these reptilian partygoers.
To add an extra layer to the gameplay, 3 dinos will be randomly assigned a quirk; one will always lie, another always answers “no” whilst yet another will switch their answers (“yes, “no”, “yes”, “no”). As such, just because Winston is telling you that he’s enjoying a lovely cup of tea don’t believe him just yet… he may be a bold faced liar! As a hint, to really soak in the theme it’s best to make the questions as flamboyant and conversational as possible and it’s here where each player can put their personal touch on the gameplay.
“Are You Being Served?”
Let’s talk a moment about the game components. As mentioned already, the art is absolutely gorgeous; each character is unique and has their own look and feel. All of the little intricate details add to the overall look of dino refinery. As each player answers their opponents questions they will place a token in front of them indicating their answer. Due to this you will gradually build a picture that this particular dinosaur is in an orange room, eating cake and bearing their pearly whites.
The player tokens used for this purpose are made to resemble tea bags which is a lovely touch. To win the game you will need to correctly ascertain the identity of 3 dinosaurs, each time gaining a sugar cube as a reward. I love the idea of the sugar cubes, it keeps the game grounded in this world of a make believe tea party. All of the components feel to be of a very sturdy quality and will hold up to a lot of playtime. What’s more, this is the first time I’ve come across a rulebook that includes recipes for afternoon tea. The theme is definitely strong with this one!
Final Thoughts
Make no mistake, a deep game this is not. It is not unique nor ground-breaking in its execution and there is very little to no strategy involved. However, its sincere charm and ease of play make for a fantastic family game (our 4 year old daughter is a pro already) to add to your collection.
There are times when a good, simple game is needed; when playing with younger ones or with those who really aren’t in to more complex games. If that’s the case then ‘Dinosaur Tea Party’ definitely fits the bill. It gets the whole family talking and laughing, which will always be a great reason for any game to make its way to the table.
There’s something strangely satisfying about deducing that your significant other is a pancake eating velociraptor named Lloyd and it’s clear that Restoration Games really had fun with this title. Yes, it’s silly and quirky but when life gets a bit too serious this kind of game can bring some much needed levity.
So there we have it. Not a perfect game but a quirky experiment in dino fun. Dinosaur themed board games look to be here to stay and ‘Dinosaur Tea Party’ is a nice little addition to that category. Stick some tea bags in the pot, prepare the scones and lose yourself in glorious ridiculousness.
That concludes our thoughts on Dinosaur Tea Party. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts and tag us on social media @zatugames. To buy Dinosaur Tea Party today click here!
