Nearest and Dearest: The Family Dinner Game

People will tell you that family is what matters, and that a day together is a day to set things aside. Do not let them. A family gathering is an endurance event held in an overheated room with people you did not choose, and it is survived by whoever came prepared.

This is the preparation. A deck of tactics, each one on a card: The Other Household. The Human Shield. The Photo Director. The Auditor. The Misrememberer. Tech Support. Every one of them already in use in your house by somebody who would deny it, possibly you.

For Christmas, Thanksgiving, Diwali, Eid, Sunday lunch, the big birthday, and any day the whole family is in one room for longer than is advisable.

How It Plays

Everyone draws a card before they arrive, shows nobody, and keeps it until dessert. Everyone is playing at once, all day, on people who are also playing on them. Perform in company: a tactic used in an empty room does not count. Guess in writing, whenever you like, one guess each, no changing it.

Dessert ends and everyone reveals. Guess right and that player drinks. Guess wrong and you drink. If the table agrees a tactic never appeared, that player drinks twice. Then each player explains, in under a minute and without smiling, why the behaviour was entirely reasonable and will be used again at the next one.

At least four of these were in use before anyone had taken their coat off.

What You Get

Nearest and Dearest as a PDF, in A4 and US Letter. A rules page, a printing page, five sheets of card fronts and matching card backs, six cards to a sheet with cut lines. Prints in black and white on any printer, which in most families belongs to one person, who will mention it.

Also from Bad Faith: Till Death, the marriage game, in Hen, Stag and Game Night editions. Per My Last Email, for the office party. Old Money, for people who mention money by not mentioning it.

For 4 to 12 players. Lasts as long as the meal. Adults only, there are drinking rules. Water is permitted, and someone will comment on it.

Digital download. Nothing is shipped. Nothing is ever admitted. Personal use only; please do not share the file, we will know, that is the kind of people we are.

Bad Faith. Party games for people who lie.