Monikers - Charades, But Better
- Reuben Levine
- Feb 24
- 4 min read
Monikers is a game of two teams, not dissimilar from the household classic charades. Published by CMYK, makers of some classic games like Wavelength and Wilmonts Warehouse. Monikers was designed by Alex Hague and Justin Vickers, and the fantastic Cécile Gariépy led the art design. The gameplay is extremely simple: you will be dealt 10 cards, and you’ll choose 5 of them. These cards have a point value, a name in bold, and usually a small description if you are unsure as to what they mean. The game is split into three rounds where teams will take turns with the deck, an amalgamation of every player's chosen five cards, and will have their team attempt to guess as many cards as they can.
In the first round, players may say anything they want, provided it’s not the bold word at the top of the card. In the second round, players are limited to just one word and in the third, players cannot make any noise and must physically act out the card like in classic charades. The team with the most points at the end of the third round (or at the end of any of the additional optional rounds) is the winner.
The Good
Having understood the rules of the game, you might be inclined to say that Monikers is just easier charades, but you would be far from the truth. Monikers has some absolutely amazing cards in its deck that really set it above the rest. They range from terms that only someone of this generation would understand, like ‘A furry convention,’ to hilarious ideas like ‘Drunk Jeff Goldblum’ and ‘Teabagging.’ Trying to put abstract terms, or even simple ones like ‘Pushing a button,’ into other words and actions is extremely difficult and hilarious.
“How on earth am I going to do this?” is probably the statement that is made the most at a good game of Monikers, but thankfully, the game comes in clutch. If you don’t know what a card is, then there is that long text underneath the bolded word, which you could simply read. It is wordy and will take up much of your team’s time with the deck.
The stand-out part of Monikers is irrefutably the cards themselves. The mechanics of the game present you with challenges that you are most likely already used to from playing household classics, but the creative genius behind the cards is really what sets Monikers apart. The smile plastered on faces as you sort through your initial ten cards, wondering how on earth anyone will be able to act them out, is hilarious. Questioning the designer's decisions only to be thrown 30 minutes of the most laughter you’ve ever faced is almost a guarantee.
If it wasn’t obvious, Monikers, like many other group card games aimed at being funny (think Cards Against Humanity), really shines from the individual cards. Taking the onus of the players to be funny and doing the hard work themselves is always a treat. Unlike many other games in this genre, Monikers does not rely entirely on crude, dark, or downright disturbing humour. Don’t be dismayed, though, as some cards are littered in this deck that will absolutely appeal to the twisted sense of humour of a Cards Against Humanity fan.
The Bad
Critiquing Monikers is difficult as most complaints that you might come up with are just fundamental factors of the game itself. The first of the two issues I have with this game is a testament to how good the writing is. The most fun, I think, you will have to play this game is deciding which cards to play with. This makes the ensuing 30-60 minutes somewhat less intriguing. The initial wonder of the cards quickly wears off as the game begins as you recycle the same cards over the three rounds of play. This would be a sizable issue of charades wasn't a fun game - but it is, and so is the gameplay section of Monikers.
My other “complaint” with this game is the level of complexity that it comes with. Anyone with a tactical mind or somebody looking for a party game that might engage them will be disappointed at the simplicity of this game. This caveat is a double-edged sword, as anyone looking for an approachable and easy game is absolutely going to have a fantastic time. Even worse, the expansion packs for Monikers provide the ability to alter the later rounds and even add more. This means that there is a permanent level of changing and updating to keep the game fresh no matter which playthrough you are on (in addition to the hundreds of cards).
The Other Stuff
The cards and art style of this game are both incredible. Occasionally, you will find a card that has an image and no other text, for example, “Pushing a button.” which feels like a welcome treat and adds a splash of much needed colour to this game. The cards are high quality and protect themselves from the rough treatment they are bound to receive. Finally, the box is compact and easily portable, making it the perfect replacement for whatever your family game night staple currently is.
Monikers are perfect for that family game night or neighbourhood get-together as its rules are easy to understand, the game is as quick as you want it, and it will always generate a good laugh. For these reasons, we are going to give Monikers a Silver rating, as it just lacks a tiny bit of depth that would push it to the gold boundary.
If you are at all interested in this game for your group, or others that might be right for a family game night, check out “Fun For the Family”
If you would like to get Monikers, check out this Amazon link:
If you have played Monikers and want to give us your thoughts or have an idea for the game that will be the series finale for Fun For the Family, check out this link:
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