The chair creaks as you settle onto it. The candlelight flickers. All around you the ravenous faces of your so-called friends twist in delight as you slowly open the box laid out on the table. Welcome to Dangerous Games! Each week, we'll feature a horror/thriller/monster tabletop game you should be playing. Don't be scared… roll the dice… what's the worst that could happen?
Get Bit
You're swimming in the ocean with your friends. It's a beautiful day. The sun is shining, your boat bobs in the sea, and deep below you lurks an ancient predator. You feel a bump against your foot and your heart begins to race. You look to your left, your friend has felt it too. Something's coming for you! With a great splash of water, a giant shark speeds toward your group! Now your mission is clear, to quote the rules text of Get Bit,"You don't have to be faster than the shark, just faster than your friends!"
Published in 2007 by Asmodee, Get Bit is a fast-paced, quick and easy party game for two to six players. You play the role of a "dismembermen" trying to out-swim a terrifying shark. Okay… so it's not that terrifying. In fact, it's all rather cute. But this game is an amazing party game and recreates that classic Jaws panic.
Game Mechanics
Everyone starts with a dismembermen. He's kind of like a mix between a robot and a Lego man. His limbs all come off - keep note of that for later. At the start of the game, each player has six cards with numbers one to six on them. Then there's the shark figurine, always lurking, mouth agape!
Each player lays a card they chose face down and all are revealed simultaneously. Then every dismembermen is arranged in the order of the card they played. If you played a one, you would be right next to the shark. If you played a six, you would be furthest away. But there's a catch! If you tie with another player you both go to the back. Once you're in the back of the line, you lose a limb! When you lose all four limbs you can no longer swim, and you become chum!
When only two players remain the player in the front position wins!
Replay Value
This is a classic party game. You can screw over your friends. You can bluff your way into a win. Hell, you can even play it straight and let everyone else over think things! This is a quick game, normally not lasting longer than thirty minutes. As such, it is both very easy to replay… and sometimes not ideal. If you're with a group of friends who just want a quick game, this will be your go-to choice. But if you're looking for something more in depth, there are deeper liar's games to choose from (like The Resistance or the Battlestar Galactica game).
Overall Impressions
This is a fun, silly little splash of a game. I mean, you play robots getting eaten by a shark. What's not to love!? The basic, simple mechanic of this game keeps gameplay light and entertaining. It's perfect to play at the beach with friends and family. Though it may freak you out should you tread into those murky waters!