Batman: The Animated Series Almost Got 'Im Card Game
This game was created by Cryptozoic. They have a pretty cool selection of nerdy games that you should check out here if you're interested. I've seen some of their games before without even realizing it.
With regards to Almost Got 'Im specifically, if you're following me on Instagram, you saw my post from last year when I initially purchased it. Since then, I've played this game a couple times. It is a bit time consuming to explain and relies on the patience of participants to understand how to play as is the case with most werewolf-style games in my opinion. The contents of the box include plenty of information for you to read and reference during the game as seen below. "The Brains" token refers to who is going first in a round.
Related, I only learned the meaning of the phrase "werewolf-style" game after I purchased this game. They're the type of game where you receive a role and your goal is to uncover a hidden character among the players (e.g. a spy, a rebel, Batman in this cast). I realize they are the type of games that I am awful at because I am an awful liar with no poker face. And of course BTAS Almost Got 'Im is a werewolf-style POKER game. 😂 Double whammy. I admit I'm a sucker for buying a game that I knew I'd probably be bad at because it was inspired by Batman: The Animated Series. I am who I am! Hah. If all else fails, since poker is involved, the game at least comes with a full deck of cards so I can just use those cards on their own.
With that said, this game can be pretty fun if you have a lot of patient friends. Each person gets to be a villain in this game and is also assigned a special role with unique abilities. Abilities are activated based on specific poker hands which you build as the game progresses. All possible villain and role cards are pictured below.
The goal is to figure out who is Batman before he takes out too many villains. There are some really interesting details. For example, Catwoman is a unique character in that she can win with or without the other villains whereas all other villains must win as a group. Catwoman's character has always toed the line between good and evil so this game definitely takes that into account. The larger the playing group, the more characters, roles, and thus abilities can be used. With a large enough group, the Homicidal role can be dealt which tosses an additional wrench into the villains' plans because then both Batman and the person with the Homicidal role have the ability to take out villains. "Some men just want to see the world burn" as Alfred Pennyworth would say (The Dark Knight). There's also the opportunity for some one to take on the role of Healer, which is pretty self-explanatory and gives the villains additional opportunities to keep the game going and potentially win.
The catch with this game is that there is always one person who has to be the dealer who doesn't participate in the actual game, but helps to keep it moving along by moderating and informing all parties of actions and events that take place.
It is a lot to explain as you can imagine given the type of game it is, but hopefully I did it some justice and gave you enough information to judge whether or not you'd like to give it a try yourself. I think the game is well done and appreciate the art and little details that provide a nod to the original series. I want to thank my friends Jonathan and Lindsay who hosted Thanksgiving last year where I was able to play this game in its entirety! Appreciate everyone giving it a try with me. If anyone is curious, Catwoman won that particular game. 😀
Batman Fluxx
This game was created by Looney Labs. I've had my eye on this game for a while and received it as a gift this past Christmas from my coworkers!
This is much easier to teach and play than Almost Got 'Im for sure. If you've ever played any of the many versions of Fluxx out there, this isn't much different except the art is inspired by The New Adventures of Batman, which I love.
If you've never played any version of Fluxx before, it's only difficult to explain in that there aren't really any set rules because the rules are always in flux (thus the name of the game). The starting rules are draw one card and play one card.
The quantity of cards that can be in your hand, drawn, played at one time can change throughout the game. When initially learning, most people might ask what the goal of the game is. There are actually goal cards that can be played as well, which means the goal can be a moving target. These goal cards indicate what combinations of character, location, or item cards are needed to win. A good strategy is to play character, location, and item cards that might match a goal card you already have in your hand and then play the goal card once when you have everything you need on the table. There are also special action and surprise cards that add an extra element to the game.
The character, location, and item cards come in the form of Keepers and Creepers, which sometimes have their own rules attached to them. The Creepers (Batman's villains in this case) can actually prevent players from winning, but luckily there are more Keepers than there are Creepers.
If you already have one version of Fluxx, I wouldn't necessarily buy this since they're all pretty similar. However, if you're a Batman fan, this is the version you should be playing! I do understand the temptation to buy more Fluxx versions, though. I've been eyeing the Firefly version just because of how much I love that show, but I really don't need a second version of Fluxx. Must resist.
Batman Uno
This game was created by Mattel and this particular version is actually years and years old. I can't remember exactly when I purchased this, but it's no longer on sale and can only be purchased for way too much from Amazon and eBay resellers. Mattel does currently have some other Batman-related Uno card games, though, if you're in the market and they're only $6! Check out the Batman v Superman version here and the Justice League version here. I do like that this version comes in a tin case, though.
Uno is easy to learn and makes for a great family party game. The goal is to get rid of all your cards and you shout "Uno!" when you're down to one card or you must draw additional cards. To get rid of cards, players match the card in the discard pile by number or color. Pretty simple.
There isn't anything particularly special about the Batman version other than the art, which is really all the reason I need to buy something, isn't it? 😬Heh. If nothing else, I get to enjoy looking at the cards when playing a game of Uno.
I haven't played this one in a while, but definitely should break it out more now that I've brought it to Austin from San Jose where I had it in storage.
Bonus: Batman Heroes Playing Cards
Bonus! I purchased these playing cards a few years ago from Austin Books & Comics. They're still readily available at most locations so check out your local comic book shop (or online as a second option). There's also a Batman Villains deck if that's more up your alley. I might actually grab the villains deck for myself at some point.
It's always handy to have a deck of cards around to keep the game options plentiful and, of course, I wouldn't be me if I didn't have a Batman-inspired deck. The great thing about this deck is that every single card features different art.
And I mean EVERY. SINGLE. CARD.
I love it! 😍😍😍
Out of all of the above, let me know if you have a favorite or perhaps if you've tried any tabletop games lately that you really enjoyed whether or not they're Batman-themed. Hope my explanation of the games above inspired you to celebrate International Tabletop Day this year! Have fun!
P.S. If you're interested in yet another Batman tabletop game, I blogged about the Batman: The Animated Series dice game last year in this post here.
