Spin-fessions Review

When it comes to social activities, board games are excellent entertaining fun and, in particular, party games have always been the beating heart of the game table. Unlike strategy-heavy or brain-teasing trivia games, party games are about all about energy, social interaction and lots of laughter. These types of games are not only designed to be fun, they are also perfect icebreakers that spark some fantastic conversations while at the same time helping to create those memorable moments that players will talk about long after the game has ended. From classic games such as Charades and Pictionary to modern hits like The Game of Saying ‘Huh?! or Cards Against Humanity, the best games thrive on their social interaction, their unpredictable gameplay and the joy of seeing friends and family reveal sides of themselves you might not expect. Spin-fessions, from Tomy, fits neatly into this category as it offers a quirky blend of storytelling, bluffing, tactical play and even some embarrassing reveals that make it a fantastic choice for game nights for teenagers and adults.

Spin-fessions is a hilarious party game of unpredictable confessions, lies and total embarrassment. It is a game for 2 or more players, age 14+, that thrives on awkward prompts, outrageous storytelling, and the joy of shared laughter. It’s a fresh addition to the party game shelf in the board game cupboard, a game that is designed to get everyone talking, bluffing and confessing in ways that guarantee a memorable evening.

In the box:

2x Inner and Out Shame Discs
30x Scoring Chips
30x Token Cards
6x Reusable Shame Sheets
6x Dry Marker Pens
Instructions

Spin-fessions revolves around two spinning wheels that generate random, awkward prompts. These prompts challenge the players to do one of two things – either reveal a true confession or invent a wild story on the spot. The game is played by all players scribbling down their answers on their wipe-clean “Shame Sheets” before taking turns to share them with the group. The excitement comes in the form of the mix of truth and lies – will someone admit to a genuine embarrassing moment or will they try and bluff their way through with a ridiculous tale? Whatever options are chosen, the results are unpredictable, often hilarious, shocking and more often than not, totally embarrassing. It is a brilliantly simple game, yet endlessly entertaining.

To set up the game to play, add one of the double-sided inner and outer wheels to the spinner and twist them slightly to lock them in place (do not remove the spinner from the cardboard insert as this makes up part of the game). Place the disc back into the box and close the lid, the box is part of the game and the top of it has the arrow for the wheel. Give each player a wipeable and reusable Shame Sheet and dry marker pen. Shuffle the Token Cards and deal one to each place, leaving the rest of the deck in the centre of the playing area within easy reach of everybody. Give each player 5 numbered token chips (one of each number) – if less than 5 players remove one of the same number from each player.

To play, the player with the cleanest conscience goes first (how you decide that is for you to argue amongst yourselves). Give the wheel a good spin and when it stops, look at the what the arrow is pointing at and read out the Spin-fession scenario, for example: “Weirdest Thing” and “Put in your mouth” or “Most Incredible Thing” and “You’ve Overheard”. If the Spin-fession doesn’t quite make sense or you are just not feeling that brave, spin again. All players then write down their answer to the Spin-fession, it can be an anecdote, joke, truth, shameful confession, excuse or lie on their Shame Sheet. When everybody is ready, each player reveals their answer by reading it out loud to the others or just hold up their card for everybody to read. Players then vote for their favourite and give a numbered token to the player that they feel is the best or worst. The player with the highest score wins that round and writes their score in the score box (updating it each round). You can play as many rounds as you like, the highest score is the winner.

Overall, as long as all players enter into the spirit of the game, Spin-fessions is a highly humorous party game. It’s lots of fun and can even cause light-hearted embarrassment, lighting up faces redder than a certain reindeer’s nose. It’s perfect for families with older children, groups of friends or even office or birthday parties.

The game is always going to be different each time it is played. While the double-sided discs give a wide variety of Spin-fessions, the answers from the players is always going to be different, unique and varied.

To increase the fun and add in some tactical play, and even a bit of strategy, players can use their Token Cards (cards include options such as Crossed the Line, Prove It, No Offence, Burn and Overshare) to gain extra points or cause other players to lose points – read the instructions on each card to know when it can be played. The use of these cards helps to ensure that the game isn’t just about revealing personal truths or the most outrageous stories, it’s also about entertaining the group and playing strategically to win.

As for the Spin-fessions, well they have been designed to be awkward but light-hearted, not too risqué but still encourage plenty of laughter and playful embarrassment (and the thought bubble spaces allow you to add your own Spin-fession).

The wipe-clean sheets and dry markers are a thoughtful touch, ensuring that the game can be played over and over without running out of materials.

The carboard game box also makes up part of the gameplay – how this will stand up to constant handling and use only time will tell.

Spin-fessions is a light, party-style game designed for quick rounds, shared fun and shameful confessions. Not all players are going to be fully comfortable about revealing personal stories and may be a bit hesitant, but the option to bluff ensures that no one is forced into revealing something that they rather wouldn’t. In fact, being able to bluff or even outright lie often produces the funniest results, as players invent increasingly outrageous tales to entertain the group.

By combining true confessions with embellished stories and even outright lies, Spin-fessions is a superb party game that delivers laughter, chaos and memorable moments. It’s easy to learn, quick to play and endlessly entertaining.

We have loved playing Spin-fessions, but I did have one slight niggle – while it probably isn’t really a big deal, I just found it annoying – there was a spelling mistake on one of the inner discs that I just couldn’t help noticing each time that disc was used. While it didn’t change the fun of the game, I just seemed to lock on to that space with every spin.