Words of a Feather Review

When it comes to party games, I find that they can be pretty hit or miss. Some of them are really unique and entertaining, while others are basic re-skins of other popular party games (I’m looking at you, every Apples to Apples-spinoff…). So when Words of a Feather showed up at my door, I wasn’t quite sure what to think. It looked like it would be neat, but would the gameplay actually back that up? Keep reading to find out!

Disclaimer: We were provided with a copy of Words of a Feather for the purposes of this review. What you see pictured below is a finalized production copy of the game, and is what you would find in retail copies. -L

Words of a Feather is a word-based party game in which players are attempting to score points by correctly guessing words based on clues given by their opponents. Think Hues & Cues, but with words instead of colors! To setup for a game, give each player a whiteboard, marker, and 2 Gems. Shuffle the deck of cards and deal 5 to each player as well, to be placed face-up on the table. Using the remaining cards, create 4 circles of cards in the center of the table, and place the bowl with the rest of the Gems in the middle. Select a starting player, and the game is ready to begin! Pictured below is the setup for a 3-player game.

When you are the active player, your goal is to get everyone else to guess your secret word. Looking at your hand of 5 cards, select 2 of them to use as clues. You will also give a one-word verbal clue as well. Once you have chosen your clues, you will write down a secret word on your white board. Ideally, all of your clues will have something in common, which will lead the other players to your secret word. See the picture below for an example: The clue cards are Burgers and Family. The verbal clue I chose to give was ‘Backyard,’ and I decided that my secret word was BBQ. After revealing your 3 clues, all other players will write their secret word guesses on their white boards.

Before revealing their guesses, all player can choose to wager Gems. On your white board, next to your secret word/guess, you can write a 1 or a 2 – signifying that you are betting 1 or 2 Gems that you will match words with at least one other player. When guesses are revealed, if you do match with someone, you will double the points you bet. But if you do not match with anyone, you lose the Gems that you wagered. An important note – if you match words with someone, you earn Gems regardless of if the matching word was actually the secret word or not!

Whether you choose to wager Gems or not, all players can potentially earn Gems each turn. When the secret word is revealed and you are the active player, you will earn 1 Gem for each other player that correctly guessed your secret word. If you are not the active player, you can earn 1 Gem for matching words with at least one other player. Players can then earn additional Gems through bets each turn.

Everyone now erases their boards to prepare for the next turn. The used clue cards are discarded, and that player draws 2 new clue cards from the center of the table to add to their hand. Play moves clockwise and the new active player starts their turn as described above. The game continues in this fashion until one player has earned a set number of Gems, as described in the rules per player count. That player is the winner!

All in all, I am a fan of Words of a Feather. It is a party game, but the gameplay feels a bit more elevated than most. It’s not just about who can come up with the funniest or the most inappropriate response, but rather if your brains can all make the right connections given the same clues. One thing I really like about this game is that it gets players thinking: What do these 3 random clues have in common? What is the most likely answer? Since you score points by matching with other players, you want to go for the (seemingly) obvious answer. But it’s not as easy as it seems! Sometimes your hand of cards has some crazy words and you’ve really got to stretch to find a connection. But that’s part of the fun of the game!

Another element of this game that I like is the Gem betting system. Since you are trying to earn a set number of Gems to win the game, betting Gems is a good way to earn some quickly! Or lose them quickly, depending on how good your guesses are. It keeps the gameplay engaging as players are looking for a big payoff to potentially catapult them into the lead. It just adds a neat risk-reward element that brings another layer to this game.

Components. This is a pretty well-produced game. The box features some gorgeous artwork, and actually has a hole in the back to hang on the wall! The cards are (appropriately) shaped like peacock feathers, and are decent quality. The white boards are thick and double-sided, and will definitely hold up for many plays, and the markers are your standard little dry-erase markers. The Gem bowl is a nice ceramic bowl and the Gems are these pretty and chunky little blue Gems that are just fun to hold. The box has extra space for more bowls/Gems/cards – potentially for expansions to the game? Overall, really nice quality game here!

Words of a Feather is not necessarily my favorite party game, but I do like it a lot more than many others I have played. The concept and gameplay is simple, but it involves more thought and nuance than most in this genre. It’s mostly a light and fast-paced game, and I can see myself pulling this one out on game nights with a bigger group. If you’re in the market for a party game that is specifically word-based, I would recommend checking out Words of a Feather. It’s fun, fast, and will get you laughing with some creative clues and guesses. Purple Phoenix Games gives this one a strong 4 / 6. Check it out and let us know what you think!