Wise and Otherwise Board Game

by DDC

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Note: Gift-wrapping is not available for this item.
• ASIN: B00000GBQL
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,430 in Toys & Games (See Bestsellers in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (149 customer reviews)

Product Description

Editorial Review

Voted a Best Party Game of the Year by Games magazine, Wise and Otherwise belongs next to Pictionary and Scrabble in your arsenal of fun. This creative, interactive game (read: everybody shouting, flailing, laughing) revolves around 500 cards, each emblazoned with five obscure and long-forgotten sayings from around the world. For example, one old Chinese saying is, "Don't add salt to a boatload of salt fish." One side of the card states, "Don't add salt to..." and it is the job of the players to devise probable endings. "Don't add salt to salty soup," for example. Or, "Don't add salt to the open wound." (The actual endings are listed on the flip sides of the cards.) A player wins points when other players vote for his or her special ending, or when the player guesses the actual ending, so the goal is to finish the proverb as convincingly as possible given the geographic region in question. Each elegant box contains one game board, 500 cards, six writing pads, six pencils, one die, and six player pawns. People who love language, oddly hilarious translations, offbeat proverbs, or just making people look foolish by guessing their very clever answers will adore this game. We predict: The one who plays this game ... will hear the laughter.

Product Description

In Wise and Otherwise there are 2,500 wise, funny and unusual old sayings from around the world, and more than a few possible endings! During play the first part of an actual but little known old saying is read aloud. Then, with a little wit and imagination each player writes an ending to go with the beginning. The made-up sayings are read aloud along with the actual old sayings, and everyone tries to guess the real one. You'll get points when other players think your ending is the real one, and points for guessing the real old saying. Contents of Wise and Otherwise: Gameboard 2,500 sayings on 500 cards Writing pads 6 pencils 1 six-sided die 6 player pawns Instructions

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

128 of 128 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than Balderdash and Malarky., April 5, 2001

By	Les (APO, AE USA) - See all my reviews

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This game is similar in style and play to other board games like Malarky and Balderdash. However, I would recommend Wise and Otherwise over either of those games. In Balderdash, players come up with meanings to words 99% of the population has never heard of, and try to convince other players that their definition is correct. In Malarky, players answer questions that 99% of the population would never ask. In Malarky, I found that many people came up with very similar answers which took some fun out of the game. In Wise and Otherwise, players have to finish foreign sayings that rarely make sense. One example: If you take a squirrel out of water.... The real answer is, "he will devise a plot against you". Every player would have written down an ending to the statement and handed it to the reader, who would then read everyone's aloud as well as the correct answer. Players vote for what they think is the correct answer and hope that others will vote for theirs. As you receive points you move your pawn up the board and the first to the end wins. Creative people will really enjoy this game because many times the correct ending to the statement is extremely goofy. The whole spirit of the game is light-hearted and the losers have just as much fun as the winner. (By the way, I won today!!) For fun I gave the game five stars, because everyone really gets into the game and enjoys themselves even if they're in last place the whole time. For education I also gave it five stars because listening to these odd sayings gives people an idea of what foreign cultures are like. This game is also very durable due to the sheer number of sayings and the fact that nobody could memorize all of them.

137 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Barrel of Laughs!, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

At first I didn't think much of this game when my friend showed it to me, however, by the end of the game, my friends and I were rolling on the ground with laughter and excitement. I couldn't stop playing! Months after playing the game I can still recall many of the proverbs, and use them. I never would have thought that a game that revolved around proverbs could be so much fun and at the same time, so educational. The box and game board design were creative and entertaining. The number proverbs for each section were amazingly clever and added just a little more enjoyment to the game. I can't find a single flaw in this game.

My friends and I play it time and time again! We're hooked! And I guarantee anyone who tries this game will be hooked as well! Each time you never know what crazy endings people will come up with, or what the real ending will be! This game ensures good times and a room full of uncontrollable laughter! Even if you don't like boardgames, this one is a sure-fire winner.

167 of 171 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars To know one thing is to know ten thousand things, July 5, 2001

By	Travis Cottreau (Wellington, New Zealand) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Durability:4.0 out of 5 stars Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This game is an absolute blast. I've played other great games (Cranium, Balderdash, Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit etc...) and this is easily a match for any of them.

... .

A quick overview, the game is exactly like Balderdash except with old sayings instead of difficult word definitions. If you've never played Balderdash, here's an explanation of "Wise and Otherwise": There are 500 cards in a box with 5 old sayings on each card. The reader reads the first part of an old saying and everyone makes up the ending. You score points for guessing the correct saying or if anyone selects the one that you made up.

You would be amazed at how good the made up sayings are in the end. Your friends will be really good at it in just a few rounds.

I was also amazed at how well I remember the sayings after we've finished a game. This isn't the case with Balderdash where I'll never remember the definition of a word. This makes the re-playability a little lower, but the educational value much higher. As another reviewer pointed out, you have all kinds of new sayings to use around the office... how true. :-)

It is easily one of the best party games ever. My thanks to the folks at Wise and Otherwise for their act of creation in making this game.

Some of my favorite sayings: Cameroonian - "Why did you go into the clearing in the bush without first..." 1)making a lot of noise? 2)collecting leaves from the wambush tree? 3)first making friends with the monkeys?

Irish: "A cow dung is ..." 1) never far from the cow. 2) wider when trodden upon. 3) the surest thing from here to there.

If you like party games at all, this is an excellent addition to your other games. Have fun!