June 23rd, 2004 (12:00am) - Shrapnel Games is proud to announced the upcoming publication of its first mass market party game, So Cliché.
So Cliché is an exciting fast-paced party game playable by as little as two players (although let’s face it, if it’s just you and someone else it’s not much of a party, now is it?) to as many as you can fit around the board and still be able to reach the cheese dip. As the title suggests So Cliché focuses on cliches and idioms, from Ancient Greece to Elizabethan England and onward to today’s hipster slang.
"We are very pleased to be publishing this gem of a game," said Tim Brooks, President and founder of Shrapnel Games. "This is one of those games that people will be playing for decades to come. It has all the elements that you want in a party game; challenge.excitement.fun! You just can’t believe how interesting the game is, you learn something without even knowing you’re doing so."
Besides being a fun evening’s entertainment So Cliché provides players with plenty of trivia fodder for the water cooler the following workday. As players delve into the hundreds upon hundreds of cards provided with the basic game (with more expansions already planned) they’ll walk away with a greater understanding of phrases we use everyday. For example, next time you wind up in "hot water" with your spouse for staying up late playing our games you’ll know that the phrase is derived from the practice of actually dumping hot water on people during the 1500s!
In fact, the inspiration for So Cliché came about from a historic tour that helped explain the origins of "sleep tight" and "dead ringer". Jane Ridlon and Kathy Tawney, the developers of So Cliché and the founders of So Cliché LLC, were intrigued by the knowledge learned that day, which in turn sparked the desire to create So Cliché, the party game.
"The origins and literal meanings of much of what we say (once you think about it) are so entertaining," Jane Ridlon shared. "As an example, the story behind "tie the knot" really makes sense - it refers to setting up the marriage bed when mattresses rested on ropes. Some of the phrases like "prairie dogging" are just fun - it means looking over cubicle partitions."
Kathy Tawney adds, "A head full of useless information is not a requirement for winning. There’s enough history to appeal to history buffs but you don’t have to be one to win. This is a get-together with friends and laugh a lot game. You might learn something along the way but that isn’t the main reason to play. The main reason to play is to have fun!"
So Cliché will ship with 1200 cards, divided into three types: Shout It Out!, Picture This!, and Take A Shot! Each kind of card is played differently.
• Shout It Out! cards are the perfect card for people who like their parties noisy. Players must literally shout out the answer, with the player who shouts out the correct answer first rewarded with one more step closer to victory.
• Picture This! cards are based on-you guessed it, pictures. The pictures represent a cliché players must guess (and for those of you who need more cacophony in your life players can also shout out their responses).
• Take A Shot! cards are unique creatures. These babies are multiple choice cards, but the cool thing about them is that everyone who chooses the correct answer gets rewarded.
Games take about an hour to an hour and a half to complete. Your mileage may vary depending on the number of literary nerds in the house, and the amount of after dinner wine flowing.
So Cliché is currently slated for a Winter release date, published through Shrapnel Games. At the time of this announcement the price is yet to be determined. So Cliché will be widely available wherever games can be found, and of course online. For more information on So Cliché, or any of Shrapnel’s other games, stay tuned to http://www.shrapnelgames.com
