Game Review

Concept:

This game is based on the design of another Wizards of the Coast game, "The Great Dalmuti." If you know how to play Dalmuti, you will know how to play Dilbert Corporate Shuffle.

The object of the game is to get rid of the cards in your hand the fastest -- whoever is left holding cards at the end is the one held responsible for the problems in a company. Getting rid of your cards faster yields promotions up the corporate ladder.

Gameplay:

Before the first hand is dealt, the deck is shuffled, and each player draws a card. The player with the lowest number card is designated as the "Big Boss." The player with the second lowest card becomes the "Little Boss." The player with the second highest card is the "Senior Intern," and the player with the highest numbered card is the "Junior Intern." All of the other players are merely "workers." Players are asked to arrange their seating at the table as follows: the Big Boss sits wherever they choose... to his/her left sits the Little Boss... to his left are the workers... The Junior Intern sits at the end with the Senior Intern to his/her right.

Since the game is based upon "Corporate" life, players are encouraged to abuse their position in the game whenever they are one of the bosses -- Asking for the interns to provide food and drinks is not uncommon.

The "Junior Intern" is responsible for shuffling, dealing, and collecting all cards during a hand. Cards are dealt one at a time in a clockwise direction (to the right, duh.) All of the cards are dealt out -- if any player gets stuck with more cards than the Bosses, just know that rank has its privileges.

If you are dealt both Dogbert wild cards, you may declare a "Corporate Takeover" -- you become the Big Boss, the player to your left is the Little Boss, and so on.

At the beginning of each hand, the Executives get bonuses! The Big Boss passes any two cards from his/her hand to the Junior Intern, and in exchange, the Junior Intern MUST give the Big Boss his/her two BEST (lowest number) cards. Similarly, the Little Boss exchanges one card for the Senior Intern's best card.

Now the cards are played... The Big Boss starts by placing a set of one or more cards with the same number face up in the center of the table. Clockwise, players each get the opportunity to play a set of the same number of cards with a numerical value LOWER than the previous player. If a player cannot/ or does not want to play, then they pass. When all players have "passed," The Junior intern removes the cards from play. The player who played cards last starts play again.

The first player to empty their hand of cards becomes the Big Boss for the next round, the second player out is the new Little Boss, and the last two are the interns -- Everybody shuffles chairs, and play begins again.

Winning Conditions:

• The player who gets to be the "Big Boss" the most times, wins.

  The game can play over and over until everyone is too tired to play anymore... winning is just knowing that you weren't the Junior intern.

Our Opinion:

After playing Dilbert Corporate Shuffle, we gave this game a hesitant "Thumbs down." The game is a complete clone of "The Great Dalmuti" with Dilbert characters and extra wild cards. The Dilbert cartoons on the cards are funny, but after you've played a few hands, they get old.

Another reason for our "Thumbs down" opinion on this game is that it only plays with 4 to 6 players. Usually when our gaming families get together, we have more than 6 players... and when the families aren't together there are never four players to put together for a "musical chairs" style game. The number of players required is simply too awkward to get a group together to play it.

As most of the Zombies who review these games are corporate drones (i.e. computer programmers), we all find Dilbert to be quite funny. The novelty of this game is that the players are able to channel the Dilbert characters we all read about in the cartoon. But after that novelty is gone, this game degenerates into multiple conversations about anything other than the game -- Its good to break the ice at a party... but don't play it too long.

Where to buy:

Any local game store -- Our copy was from a Wizards of the Coast outlet and cost about $13.