I adore board games. Getting friends and family around a table and laughing and joking is heartwarming. Furthermore, the added competitive edge creates an enjoyable atmosphere that is hard to beat. Accordingly, when I’m offered some interesting board games to review, I can’t turn them down. Cheatwell Games have asked me to look at several of their products. The first is Tension. This fast-paced and loud experience is great for all of the family. Moreover, it is easy to understand and tough to put down.
A game can last up to an hour, but 40 minutes was the sweet spot. Moreover, there are tons of questions to ask and plenty of challenging and easy categories to navigate. Consequently, this is ideal for players from all backgrounds and ages. Unlike other board games, this one requires a tiny workspace. Therefore, it is perfect if you are camping or you have a small living room table.
What’s in the box of Tension?
- The packaging is small, colourful, and reassuringly robust. It is perfect for staking with other games and it highlights the basic concept.
- The board is small and strong. I like the vivid colours and easy-to-follow tiles.
- 4 packs of questions are provided.
- 2 figurines are required to move around the board.
- Keep on top of the score with the push/pull counter.
- An egg timer helps you time each round.
- Learn the fundamentals with the rules.
How do you play it?
I won’t go into every detail, but Tension is remarkably easy to play. The aim of the game is to navigate the board and get to the end first. En route, you’ll have to answer either red or blue questions on a set subject. Each team has 1 minute to shout out any answer they believe is relevant to the subject. There are 10 possible answers and the questioning team must mark off each correct answer. However, if an answer is replicated, the questioning team can shout at the answering team to distract them.
As you navigate the board, some special exceptions must be acknowledged. You may pick your category or state how many answers you think you’ll get right. These special tiles are few and far between, but they add enough of a dynamic to keep things interesting.
How easy is Tension to play?
We played Tension with a varied age group. Our youngest player was 6 and the oldest was 72. Subsequently, we had a good range of players and a solid knowledge foundation. This made the action easy to understand and simple to follow. Though the youngest players struggled with the concept of repetitive answers, this mattered not. You are free to be as friendly or as competitive as you like, so we just went with option 1.
The varied subject matter helped to keep everyone on their toes. Furthermore, the special tiles added a fun layer that enhanced the competitive edge. What I adored most was the short playtime. With such a varied age group, they could have become distracted quite easily. However, 40 minutes was perfect and they never got bored.
Build quality.
I hate it when board games are poorly made. Thankfully, Tension is built to last. The board is chunky and strong and the cards are robust. What’s more, I loved the vivid colours and the easy-to-read font. The packaging is nicely constructed and I wasn’t worried about unpacking and repacking each piece. Finally, the box looks fantastic when stacked on a shelf. Though this may seem minor, many board game enthusiasts love to have their collection on display. Consequently, this one will not be an eye sore and it will not look out of place.
Is Tension worth it?
Tension is one of those games that can be played on a rainy day or when friends come over for a drink. Its competitive edge will cause minor arguments, but it isn’t as bad as Monopoly. This affordable board game is the ideal game for Christmas or maybe you wish to treat someone to a new item for their collection. Either way, it is fantastic and I recommend buying it here!
(More information on Cheatwell Games can be found here!)
(Full disclosure! A sample was provided for an unbiased and free review!)
