Cost:$20.00 From: The Games Gang, 1107 Broadway, Suite 1603, New York NY, 10010 Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 45-60 minutes Type of game: Party Complexity: 4 Skill level: 7 Summary: Goofy and amusing. Often harder than it looks. Reviewed by: Peter Sarrett, Issue 1.2, October 1992 NOTE: This game is now out of print.
Remember the old game of Indian Poker, where players hold their cards up against their forehead so everyone else can see them, but they can't? Hedbanz marries this concept with Twenty Questions to form a silly parlor game of "identity crisis."
As you might expect, Hedbanz comes with 6 plastic headbands for players to wear, each with a slot in the front for holding an identity card. These cards contain the names of people, places, or things, along with delighfully clever cartoon illustrations. Players place a card in their headband without looking at the person, place, or thing illustrated on its face. On their turn, armed only with the knowledge of whether they are a "who", "what", or "where," players have 60 seconds to figure out their identity. He does so by asking yes-or-no questions, which the other players answer in unison. For instance, if the guesser knew he was a "who," he might ask, "Am I living?" "Am I American?" "Am I fictional?" etc. The guesser may try to guess his identity at any time and as often as he wants. If he is successful before time expires, he advances three spaces on the board. If not, he has a choice to make. He can take another 60 seconds of yes-or-no questioning to try to advance two spaces, or he can call for an "identity crisis" round.
In an identity crisis, players take turns giving one word clues about the guesser's identity. The guesser can make one guess per clue until he guesses his identity or 60 seconds goes by. If he is successful, both he and the player to give the last clue advance one space. If he still doesn't guess his identity, his turn ends. Regardless of whether or not a player guesses his identity, he discards his card and replaces it with a new one at the end of his turn. The first player to reach the end of the board is the winner.
Some cards are marked with a star to indicate that they are easier than normal. Players may want to skip these cards, or play with only these cards, so that nobody gets an unfair advantage. Then again, unfair advantages are hard to avoid, since "what"s are generally much harder than the other categories, and "where"s tend to be easier. As a result, Hedbanz works better if players view their turns as a self- challenge to guess their identity, rather than a competition against other players.
Flawed by the varying difficulty of the cards, Hedbanz is not a game for serious players. But really, how serious can you be with a red plastic band and huge paper card on your forehead? The cartoons on each card are a great touch, adding to the silliness. And if you're not in a silly mood when you start, you will be before the game is over.