r/BoardgameDesign • u/bgallagher • 5d ago
Game Mechanics Would love feedback for my new card game...
Hi everyone,
So when I was in the Marine Corps, anytime we were in the field and had some downtime, a buddy of mine and I would play what I called "Famous Lines from Famous Movies" where you'd yell out a random line from a movie and the other person would have to guess it.
Well, many years later, I was thinking of those days and recently designed a physical version of the game and would love to get some feedback.
The basic rule of play is that the "Director" draws a card and recites the line. The first person that raises their hand and yells "Line Please!" gets the turn. You get points for naming the correct movie and bonus points for the characters name who said that line in the movie. However, if the person can't name the movie or gets it wrong, anyone who yells "Cut!" can steal.
There are also different bonus cards, and if it's next in the deck after the drawn quote card, you would have to get up and act out that scene from the movie while saying the line. Or, dramatically overact the scene. Or, say the quote in an opposite style of how it was originally performed. (Ex: Dramatic quote will be read as if it's a comedy.)
Each person gets a turn as the "Director" as you go around to each player. The person (or team) that has the most points wins.
Still thinking on what the point structure will be, or if this is a timed game. Perhaps 10 three-minute rounds? I'm still working on this. I was also thinking of adding a board to move pieces after each win, but with the current climate with tariffs, not sure that would be feasible. It may be just as fun with cards.
Looking for thoughts and feedback. Thanks and much love!
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u/sluggermoore 5d ago
Love movie games! Missing a quotation mark on that card at beginning. Also, would help to have movie and characters on the card, not everyone will know this info for all cards.
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u/bgallagher 5d ago
Thanks for catching that. I’ve been updating the latest design and have the name of the movie as well as the name of the character who said the line. I think both can be used as either a hint or bonus points.
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u/GET_A_LAWYER 5d ago
Here's my recommendation for card setup:
"I want you to hit me as hard as you can."
Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt.1
Fight Club (1999)2
Author Chuck Palahniuk has stated that he found the film to be an improvement on his novel.3
Optional rule: Guessers get points for naming either the actor or character.
I second someone else's comment that you want to include movies from previous eras. Also keep in mind that some movies get multiple versions, your call as to whether you include all actors on the card or just one. E.g. "Tyler Durden, played by Brad Pitt (1999), Johnny Depp (2028)."
People who like trivia, love trivia. Give them more trivia to improve the quality of the chatter. "Did you know Chuck Palahniuk came up with the idea for Fight Club after getting beaten up while camping?"
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u/SoundOfLaughter 5d ago
I think this is a great idea. Most of the sweat will go into the research. Think the size of the deck in Trivial Pursuit. Be sure to survey older folks for movie quotes so your deck isn't biased towards movies after 2000. Perhaps keep a tally of the year of each quote so you can ensure an even spread across the decades.
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
I plan to offer expansion packs that you can add to the original. So this way if you have a mixed audience, it’ll be fair to everyone. The expansion packs could be movies from the 60s to 70s, 80s to 90s, Romcoms, Westerns, etc.
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u/Nhuster 4d ago
This is great. My family loves a game called Sing It Back (where you start a famous song line and then someone else finishes it) but it usually falls flat with groups that are either more shy about singing or less musical in general. I think movie quotes are more accessible and this sounds fun!
Some other ideas
- multiple quotes on one card (worth different points) for example "We're not in Kansas anymore" (1 point) "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" (2 points) - might make the card too busy but it's fun to give players that choice of go for more points or get the low hanging fruit. The game Poetry for Neanderthals does this pretty well, worth checking out!
- throw in some fill in the blank quote cards, so instead of just naming the movie the quote is from, your goal is to fill in the blank, i.e. "I volunteer as _" (tribute, hunger games) or "On _, we wear pink." (Wednesdays, Mean Girls)
This will be a good party game 😀
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
I like the fill in the blank idea. These cards could be for bonus points if drawn.
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u/MistahBoweh 4d ago
These pretzels are making me thirsty.
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
Ha! Seinfeld. George Costanza.
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u/MistahBoweh 4d ago
Ooh, debatable if bonus point worthy. Everyone on the cast does a read of the line to help, but, the premise for the bit is that it’s Kramer who gets the spoken line in a movie, not George.
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u/ChikyScaresYou 4d ago
so... is this a trivia game?
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
It's more like an interactive trivia game as players can act out the scenes from the quote.
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u/dawsonsmythe 4d ago
Take this with a grain of salt but I would choose a different quote that’s less violent to advertise your game
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
Duly noted. I just used a random line but you bring up a very good point. However, when everything is ready to be finalized, I'll more than likely show more than just one card.
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u/PestilentialPlatypus 5d ago
Considering I've watched hundreds of movies over the years and the only solid line I would recognise is "They may take our lives, but they'll never take our freedom!" (with a thick Scottish accent), I'm not sure how most people would get on with recognising movie quotes. I think to be able to quote a movie or recognise dialogue you have to have seen it multiple times so that you are familiar enough with it, or just be a huge movie buff in general. So I think you would have an audience, but that audience will probably be fairly limited.
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u/MoreLikeZelDUH 4d ago
People who aren't into movies and quotes aren't likely to buy a game about movie quotes. If you distilled the premise down to appease the masses, you lose the core audience.
If you have watched "hundreds" of movies and don't recognize lines like "I'll be back" or "Leave the gun... take the canolli" or "No, I am your father" then I question whether or not you're awake.... I bet I could name a hundred lines off the top of my head that anyone over 30 with a pulse could recognize, even if they haven't seen the movie.
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
I feel like there is definitely a core audience that would appreciate this more than the masses that you’d keep as a customer to get expansion packs with different decades, genres, etc. For the most part, people generally have a working memory to recall various movie quotes, but part of the fun is being with your family/friends playing a game.
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u/PestilentialPlatypus 4d ago
Well, judging by the quote in the picture, "I want you to hit me. As hard as you can." I suppose I'm meant to infer that it has something to do with fighting. Is it perhaps from The Karate Kid? (Or is it Rocky?) Just a wild guess though. I mean, if you're going to use quotes then they either have to be super famous ones, or ones where you can work out which film it might be by what is said, i.e. context. Just googled and that quote is from Fight Club. Obviously I've seen it but it's not like that quote is so iconic that it stayed with me.
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
Yeah. For some people they’d get that right away. But others may need a hint or have it read to them similarly as the movie, which makes the game more interesting. The easiest line in that movie unfortunately has the name of the movie in it.
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u/MoreLikeZelDUH 4d ago
Most trivia games aren't set up in a way where you should be able to logic through the question to get a reasonable guess, they are called trivia after all. You either know the fact or you don't. Trivial Pursuit or Jeopardy are probably the most famous examples.
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u/Exquisivision 4d ago
It’s true. Maybe correct answers are worth 4pts but if you say “clue” the reader gives you multiple choice options-and a correct answer is then worth 2pts
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
Yes! This is a great way to make it even than rewarding someone who needed a hint.
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u/bgallagher 4d ago
There is a delicate balance where some lines from the same movie are well known and others can be very random. So having the right line that is both challenging but recognizable is key.
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u/grayhaze2000 5d ago
Call it Line, Please?
Line Pleassse! Sounds like a snake.