Funemployed

Funemployed is a card-based game designed for parties of 3-20, but we find it works best with 5-10. Designed by Anthony Conta, the game was successfully launched on Kickstarter back in 2013 and has been a party favourite ever since. Funemployed plays similarly to Cards Against Humanity but is a lot more family-friendly and includes a lot more player interaction, which we feel makes Funemployed a very worthy addition to any casual/party game set!

Let’s Get This Bread

Like most party games, Funemployed is played over a series of rounds where the players attempt to build the best CV they can from the randomly assigned qualifications. And we do mean random. Just by opening our copy of the box and pulling out a few cards we had “beefcake,” “Split personality” and “yoga pants.” At the start of each round of Funemployed, the players choose one player to be their “Employer,” this person will lead the round and all other players will be called “Applicants.” Shuffle the Qualification and Job cards separately, placing the job stack to the right of the table and the qualification stack to the left, both stacks are placed facedown.

The Employer will then deal four Qualification cards to each Applicant (these are for the Applicants eyes only) but also deals one card per applicant to themselves. So, if there are 4 Applicants, the Employer will deal 4 cards to themselves. The Employer then deals another 10 qualification cards, face-up, in the middle of the table, where each Applicant can reach them. With this done, the Employer then reveals the Job card at the top of the stack. This is the role all the Applicants are aiming for and, just like everyone’s favourite 80’s movie, there can be only one.

With the job revealed, the Applicants have 2 minutes (the game does not come with a timer, but you can use a phone to keep track) to swap the cards in their hand for any of the faceup cards on the table. Here’s where the carnage often happens, because all the Applicants can swap as many times as they want BUT it is all done at the same time. So, if you really want that “Flaming Sword” qualification, we better be quick off the mark. After the 2 minutes are up, that is it, the Applicants are locked in with their hands and need to start thinking about how they can convince the Employer to give them the job.

Apply Within

Starting with the Applicant to the left of the Employer, the players “interview” for the role. They do this by revealing their qualifications one by one and explaining why they feel this makes them the perfect candidate for the role. This, in our opinion, is where Funemployed sets itself above the other card-based party games. Unlike Cards Against Humanity, where the cards do all the work, in Funemployed, players really get to show off their creative side by improvising their way through the interview. It is very funny watching someone applying for an insurance broker job explain the benefits of a Viking battle axe. Although, to be fair, intricate knowledge of medieval warfare is a positive in most customer service roles…

But there is a further twist. Once the Applicant has finished giving their speech, the Employer will then use one of the cards they delt themselves to surprise the player. “You made a great point about the persuasive nature of your battle axe, but can you explain how being a pyromaniac will help your performance?” It’s a simple mechanic but adds so much to the game. The Applicants can choose their qualifications, sure. But they have no way to prepare for the follow-up question and watching people come up with elaborate explanations off the cuff really generates a lot of laughter.

After all the applicants have been interviewed, the Employer then decides on who is the “most suitable” for the job. Here, again, Funemployed lets the players decide what that means. Funniest Applicant? Most ridiculous story? Actually, qualified for the job? Whatever you want it to mean, it’s entirely down to the Employer. Once a winning applicant is “hired”, all cards are discarded, and the Employer role moves one to the left. Then we begin again! The winner is the player with the most cards when the game ends. The instructions recommend over “X” rounds, but you can end/continue the game as long as it suits you.

Back To The Job Centre

Although we would recommend Funemployed, it is not without some flaws, but nothing even close to deal-breaking. The biggest drawback is the time it can take to play a single round, and this can be multiplied heavily by the number of players. Because there is a lot of ad-libbing and acting for each Applicant, each person’s turn can go on for several minutes and the idea of sitting through 20 Applicants is madness. In a standard-sized game, if you are the last player to go, it can feel like watching the House of Commons during a filibuster special. However, as we have said, watching people squirm through difficult questions can be very fun. We have also taken to setting a timer on player’s interviews during our own games, and this basically eliminates the issue completely.

Maybe you are reading this review and thinking “I’m an introvert Dandy. Job interviews are difficult enough without a room full of people laughing at me.” And that’s a fair point. Funemployed is pitched more towards the loud and outgoing but, we have played this with our more shy friends to great success, it’s best to check with people before putting them in the hot seat.

Otherwise, the straightforward nature of the game is it’s biggest benefit and a slight drawback. The artwork is basically non-existent, so if you are looking for the depth of human artistry, keep looking. However, the cards are easy to read and of a good quality and that’s all it really needs to be.

A Qualified Opinion

Funemployed does what it says on the box, it’s fun and it will keep you busy. Which is the idea of a party game, really. If you are looking for a card game that gives you most of the entertainment heavy lifting, then we recommend the game wholeheartedly. Funemployed is also pretty family friendly, but to make it 100% child proof we would suggest going through the cards and removing the more risqué ones. Another major benefit of the game is that you can easily add more of your own Job and Qualification cards, the box even comes with a few blank cards for this.

In Summary, Funemployed is a game for players who are looking for a more active party game that really gets players talking. And, to be blunt, the game is well worth the money. It is not an expensive game comparatively and we have had great return for the cost, more so than spending the same (or more) on another expansion pack for a different card game.