Hedbanz Adulting Party Game Overview
What qualifies a game as being a “classic”? Is it the number of units sold? How long it’s been on the market successfully? Maybe the total revenue generated? In today’s age, does having it converted into a downloadable app show its success? How many of these categories must it excel in to be labeled “classic”?
Hedbanz by Spin Master is a perfect example of a game that masters all of the above criteria. Originally published in 1991, it has spawned a number of versions (Pokemon, Harry Potter, Kids) and is also available on the App Store and Google Play. In fact, I believe the first time I ever played Hedbanz was at a party where a friend had the app handy!
The latest version of Hedbanz to hit the market is Hedbanz: Adulting. For the most part the game is the same as the original. This one is themed for the Millennials and has a new “cheeky hint” rule to help with clue-giving. I have to wonder if this is a tongue-in-cheek addition to make fun of that generation’s participation awards that are the butt of everyone’s jokes.
Hedbanz: Adulting supports up to six players out of the box, but there’s no reason you couldn’t play with more by passing the headbands (only the active player needs one). Separate the six clue cards from the rest of the deck and set them aside. The rest are shuffled into a draw deck and placed in the center of the play area. Everyone draws one card from the deck and places it in their headband (and on their head) without looking at it.
Your turn begins with the rest of the group telling you what category your card depicts. There are seven different options covering things which should be familiar to millennial-aged players. “Insta-Worthy” is all about places and landmarks. “App Store” covers anything you’d find on a phone. “Fame + Fortune” covers celebrities while “Participation Trophies” (see, I WAS right!) highlights any sport you can win a trophy in.
In “Adulting Professions” you’ll find doctors, nurses and actors, among other careers. “Binge Watch It” is a term we all use now, but really only applies to series that are better watched all at once. Lastly, “Let’s Get Physical”, definitely not a millennial phrase, requires two players to work together to solve the word using Charades. And not just one word – there are two on these cards!
You have 90 seconds in order to ask Yes/No questions of the other players trying to discover the word on your forehead. If you manage to guess your topic correctly within the time limit, you earn two tokens. Once the timer runs out, you get one last chance at guessing what’s on the card. Before you do, there’s that “cheeky hint” I mentioned before. This is an additional clue about your topic that may or may not help you with your one last guess. Get it right and you’ll earn one token.
Use the clue cards to help you think of questions to ask or clues you may not have thought to inquire about. There is one clue card for each possible category, with the exception of the one where you are watching your partner mime everything out. The rules state that once a person earns at least five tokens they win immediately. In the interest of fair competition, you should complete a round so everyone has had an equal number of turns to earn tokens. Resolve ties in any manner you choose.
Hedbanz: Adulting has an age rating of 14+, but we see no reason younger players couldn’t participate. I know for a fact that pre-teens are certainly aware of most of the technology terms, and you can always choose specific cards for their headband that you know they will be familiar with.
At under $20 on Amazon or through your favorite game retailer, you might even consider picking up more than one copy to support a larger player count. You could even consider making the second game a different theme and combine them into one box! Get clues about the other versions by visiting Spin Master’s website or following them on Facebook or Twitter!
Have you ever played any of the Hedbanz versions? How about the app?
