OBJECT OF MAY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS: The object of May Cause Side Effects is to be the team with the most Trial Cards.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 or more players
MATERIALS: 50 Blue Pill Cards, 50 Red Pill Cards, 100 Trial Cards, and Instructions
TYPE OF GAME: Guessing Game
AUDIENCE: 13+
OVERVIEW OF MAY CAUSE SIDE EFFECTS
Have you ever wanted to be in a science experiment? This game gives you that chance without the risk! After breaking into teams, one player becomes part of a “clinical trial”, while the other player monitors and guesses the side effects. Make sure you work well with your partner!
A fast-paced game, similar to charades, May Cause Side Effects is fun, exciting, and can definitely cause some laughs with the hilarious side effects that the test subject has to act out!
SETUP
To begin the game, there must be an even number of players. Each person must pick a partner. After teams are picked, cards must be shuffled. The Trial Cards, Blue Pill Cards, and Red Pill Cards stay separate from one another.
Each team is given 5 Blue Pill Cards and 5 Red Pill Cards. The remaining Pill Cards can be placed back into the box.
Make sure there is a timer, set for 40 seconds. That is how much time is available for each round.
GAMEPLAY
The player who has been to the doctor the most recently becomes the patient. The patient will flip over a Trial Card and choose one of the colors on that card. The color chosen is the color that shows which word they will mimic on the Trial Card throughout the course of the game. That Trial Card can then be placed at the bottom of the Trial Card pile.
The patient will then flip over a Red Pill Card and a Blue Pill Card. These cards represent the side effects that must be in full effect throughout each 40 second round. These cards are placed in front of that player, indicating their effects.
The patient will then draw a Trial Card from the top of the pile, keeping it to themselves, and not showing their teammate what it says. They must then attempt to act out the word, indicated by the color they picked earlier. The patient cannot mouth the word, say the word, or skip a card! They must continue to act out the side effects the entire time!
If the teammate guesses the word, the team keeps that card, and continues to the next Trial Card. After the 40 seconds is up, the patient will flip a new Blue Pill Card and Red Pill Card, and the timer begins again! This continues for 5 rounds.
END OF GAME
The end of the game is signified by finishing 5 rounds. After all of the Blue Pill Cards and Red Pill Cards have been acted out as side effects, the game is over. The team with the most Trial Cards win!
- Comprehensive Guide to the Board Game Go (weiqi, baduk) - January 23, 2024
- Are Creative Suites Changing Gaming - October 30, 2023
- How Classic Games Have Been Reimagined for Modern Audiences - October 5, 2023