mad_gabMad Gab from Terry White, and first published in 1995 by Patch Products, was an instant hit. Like nearly every other party game, it takes a simple idea that people have been doing for some time and packages it in a box.

And like many other party games, the game is done when the cards run out; once you know that “Canoe Key Pace He Grit” can be sounded out to become “Can you keep a secret”, you’re done.

It seems to me like it would be fun for about ten minutes, followed by another hour of reading through all the cards. Unlike other party games, such as Pictionary, Balderdash, or Time’s Up, there appears to be little in the way of dynamic play; just a transition from “what the hell does that mean?” to “Aha!”.

But I haven’t played the game, and it’s been selling well for fifteen years, now, so I’ll just shut up.