GO mental Game Play

GO mental^® is a different type of game. Why? Because ALL of the players are involved ALL of the time. There's no sitting around waiting for your turn.

That's because at the start of each game each player is dealt a bunch of Steal Cards. You use these to steal other player's questions. When it's someone else's turn and they get a question that you know the answer to, you just jump right in, slap down one of your Steal Cards and shout "Steal". You steal the question right away from them, and you get to answer it.

Also, at the start of each game, each player is dealt a bunch of Challenge Cards. You use these if you get a question you don't know the answer to - or, maybe, you DO know the answer but you have a pretty shrewd idea another player DOESN'T. In that case, you slap down one of your Challenge Cards, and you challenge that player to answer the question instead of you. If he/she gets it wrong - they get sent BACKWARDS.

We’ll come back to the Steal and Challenge Cards in a moment - there are a couple of other small twists to be aware of.

The object of the game is to move your brain (playing piece) around the board from GO to MENTAL. You do that by answering GO mental^® questions. The questions are very straightforward. Each question contains 4 things. One is the odd one out (doesn't fit). The other three are somehow connected. The connection is always positive. So, when you get a question, first you have to say which of the four is the odd one out. Get that right and you advance one space. Second, and if you got the first bit right, you say why the other three are connected. Get that bit right as well and you advance another three spaces.

So, here's an example:

Botticelli

Raphael

Leonardo

Donatello

Which one doesn't fit?

Right! Botticelli doesn't fit.

And why are the other three connected?

Right! The other 3 are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

Let's try another one:

Star Wars

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Back to the Future

American Graffiti

(Star Wars -1977; Raiders of the Lost Ark - 1981; American Graffiti - 1973.) Back to the Future, 1985, starred Michael J. Fox.

So, which one doesn't fit?

Right! Back to the Future.

And why are the other three connected?

Right! The other 3 starred Harrison Ford.

You’ll notice an important thing about GO mental^®: it doesn't just tell you the answer, it tells you WHY it's the answer. Wherever possible we give you MORE information – in this case, who starred in the movies and when they were made. And that's for two reasons: 1. It’s educational; and 2. It stops arguments.

Now let's come back to these Steal and Challenge cards. First of all, the Steal cards. It's not your turn, right? But another player gets read out a question and you know the answer. Before the other player starts to answer, you jump straight in, slap down your Steal Card and shout "Steal!!!!". The question goes over to you. BUT, be careful! If you Steal a question, you have to get BOTH parts right -the odd one out and the reason the other three are connected. If you do that, you get four points and move four spaces forward. BUT, if you get EITHER part wrong, you move BACKWARDS four spaces. So, if you steal, you have to be sure you're right. Risk and reward at work.

Now, with the Challenge Cards....how do these work? Let's say it's your turn, right, and Grandma's in the lead, and you get this question:

Slim Shady

Fatboy Slim

Marshall Mathers

Eminem

Now, you have a pretty good idea that Grandma doesn't know a whole heck of a lot about rap music, so you decide to Challenge Grandma. If, as you suspect, she gets EITHER part wrong (the odd one out OR the connection between the other 3), then Grandma has to move back 4 spaces. BUT, if Grandma's been fooling you all these years and she's really a secret rap music fan and she says "well, Fatboy Slim doesn't fit because the other 3 are all names for the same person", then she goes FORWARD 4 spaces. Risk and reward at work again!

GO mental^® isn't like other games. There are no question categories - the questions can come from anywhere. It isn't about knowledge - it's about strategy. It isn't about WHAT you know; it's about USING what you know. And even what you DON'T KNOW.

Game play lasts about 30-35 minutes. You can play up to 6 players but more in teams - and that's when it becomes a real party game. Although we say recommended ages are from 12 to adult, much younger children play really well in teams with older players.

GO mental^® - It’s the most fun your brain can have!

GO mental®

GO mental^®