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The lovely people at Skybound Games recently sent me a strange little box entitled “Contra Banter”. Knowing very little about it, apart from the fact it was a word-based party game, we dragged it out on a recent board game night, laughs were had and words were shouted. Welcome to Contra Banter.
Gameplay: The Setup
Contra Banter’s setup is a breeze, shuffle two decks of cards, split into two or three teams and give each team three secret word cards, three guess cards and three card stands. There’s not much to it than that. Setup is quick, simple and that is always a plus.
Brash Banter
In Contra Banter your goal is simple, in ninety seconds you and your team must try and sneak your three words into conversation without the other team noticing. Believe me, this is harder than it sounds. The other team can use a conversation topic of their own making or consult the prompt cards.
Ninety seconds disappear in an instant and finding ways to slip in secret words is fun. We found it quite difficult to start with but as we loosened up, things got easier and more fun. What is a really intelligent twist is the fact that words you get through and therefore score have to be used in the next round too. So, your opponents are trying to look out for words you used last round, adding a layer of memory and different ways to use words into the mix.
There is a fluffiness to the rules here some groups may bounce off. Not sticking to your topic or just randomly shouting words are things you need to keep an eye on and manage but overall it’s not too bad. We played within the rules and with the right group, and the game flowed effortlessly and was fun throughout.
Guessing
As the opposite team you can, at any time, pause the timer for a guess. You only have three through, that's what your guess cards are for. Also, if you have a guess left at the end, once the ninety minutes are over, you can make one final stab at one of the secret words. So do you use all three during the timer or save one for a final stab at the secret words?
Working as a team and trying to work out how your opponents are sneaking words into their conversations is fun, as is trying to cover up your words with clever wordplay and misdirection is rewarding. Laughing, shouting and general raucousness are al good signs of a good party game, Contra Banter has this is spades. Accusing your friends, pointing, growling and hilariousness, what is not to like?
Winning and Losing
After both teams have had three tries to sneak words past the other team, you count up the points and the one with the most is the winner. As with most of these games though, I feel that points are pretty much irrelevant as the experience and fun that goes with the process trumps everything.
After you have decided who wins, like we did, you will probably deal back up and have another round. We felt that the game got better the more the players got into it and every game was slightly better than the last. Up until about three games had been played, then it was time to move on to something else.
Components
There's not much in this quirky little box in the way of components. A few decks of cards, a few plastic cardholders and a rulebook. The rulebook is good and explains everything well and while the components are few, they work well and seem to be made of high-quality materials. They will certainly outlast the amount of times you will play the game for sure. Games like this only last until you have exhausted the cards, which, due to the cards having two sides, will be a fair few sessions.
Final Thoughts
We had a lot of laughs playing Contra Banter. While it may not be a game for all groups due to its high improvisation and rule fluffiness, with the right group it can generate a lot of entertainment and joy. As I stated earlier, the box will only last as long as the cards are fresh. Contra Banter will last a tad longer than that due to being able to set your own topics, which also leads to great group discussions and in-jokes.
If you and your friends are looking for a small, cheap card game that will garner discussion and chuckling then this may be the box for you. Just be aware, with its free-flowing nature and improv nature, it will not suit all tastes.
