Play Time: 30-40 Min / Players: 5 – 99 but there are practical space considerations / Complexity: Low / Age: 13+ / Publisher: North Star Games / Designer: Dominic Crapuchettes
Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! Ratings and Summary
Summary
Kids rating from our daughter (9)
Teen rating from our son (16).
Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas Baby! adds some additional betting options and refreshed questions to breathe new life into this popular party game. I think fun factor is quite group dependant though, I have seen it hit and miss depending on the group.
Pros
- No need to be an expert on any topics to be able to play
- Some nice interaction as you can place wagers on anyone’s guess to an answer
- Can accommodate a large number of players
- Tends to generate some laughs and discussion around the table
- A few additional options for betting.
Cons
- Once you get through all the question cards you can’t really reuse them limiting how many times you can play unless you buy additional question packs
- Many questions are not likely to be ones anyone knows the answer for, some people may find this frustrating.
What You Will Find in Our Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! Review
Sponsored Links:
Today I wanted to share my thoughts on the updated version of the classic party game Wits & Wagers – the one they’re calling “Its Vegas, Baby!” Now, the original Wits & Wagers has been around since 2005 and brought a really clever spin to trivia games. Instead of just needing to know all the answers, it got players betting on who they thought might know the answers, which really levelled the playing field.
When I found myself hosting a big game night a few months back and needed something that could handle a crowd, I figured I’d give this new Vegas-themed edition a try. I have to admit, I was a little unsure at first – how much can you really do to spice up a trivia game, right? But I ended up having a really fun time with Wits & Wagers Its Vegas, Baby. I was hoping it would be a hit with the family too but it didn’t quite work out that way, read on to find out why,
How to Play Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby!
Alright, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of how this Wits & Wagers Its Vegas, Baby! game actually works. At its core, it’s a trivia game with a fun betting twist. The idea is that you don’t necessarily need to know all the answers yourself – you can just bet on which answer you think is closest to being correct, even if it’s not your own!
The game plays out over 7 rounds, with players taking turns answering trivia questions and then placing their bets. Here’s how each round goes down:
First, someone will read out a question. Then, everyone secretly writes down their best guess at the answer. Once the answers are revealed, the players arrange them from lowest to highest on the game board.
Next comes the betting round. Instead of just betting on your own answer, you can wager on whichever one you think is closest to the mark – without going over, of course. There are even some special bet types you can try, like betting on the highest or lowest half of guesses, or that all the answers are too high.
When the betting is done, the correct answer is revealed and the winning bets get paid out. The player whose original guess was closest also gets a bonus payout, even if they didn’t bet on their own answer!
Now, this Vegas edition has a few more betting options than the original Wits & Wagers, which adds a fun extra layer of strategy. But the core gameplay is still nice and simple. And the best part is, even if you place a losing bet, you never have to worry about getting knocked out of the game entirely. Your two starting chips are safe no matter what.
One last thing to note – the game plays a little differently with larger groups. If you’ve got 5-7 players, everyone gets their own answer board. But with 8 or more, you’ll need to break into teams. The size of those teams is up to you, though the practicalities of space might come into play there.
Affiliate Link:
Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! Gameplay Experience
Alright, let’s dive into my full experience with this Wits & Wagers Its Vegas, Baby! game. The first time I played it was actually at work – we had a large group to accommodate, and I thought this would make for a nice, lighthearted game we could all enjoy together.
And you know what? We ended up having an absolute blast with it! Even though we were clueless on a lot of the trivia questions, the fact that you can bet on any answer, not just your own, meant nobody felt left out. Plus, with all the answers being numerical, you can always take a guess, you know? The discussions and debates that the questions sparked were just hilarious, and we had so many laugh-out-loud moments when our answers were way off base.
By the time the game was done, most of us had lost all our cash, but it really didn’t matter. The fun we had with the game itself was the real payout. I was so excited about it that I couldn’t wait to bring it home and introduce it to my family next.
Unfortunately, that second experience was a bit of a letdown. My wife and daughters, who generally aren’t huge trivia fans to begin with, just found the questions far too difficult and got pretty frustrated when their guesses were nowhere close. My son could see the appeal of the betting aspect, but even he wasn’t totally sold on the game.
So what gives? Well, I think the overall “fun factor” of Wits & Wagers really depends on what you’re expecting going in. If you’re just looking for some lighthearted laughs and friendly discussion around the table, then it delivers in spades. But if you’re hoping for a more serious trivia challenge, you might end up feeling a bit let down, since most of the questions seem to be stuff that nobody at the table actually knows the answer to.
Components
Overall, the components are fine but aren’t exceptional. The dry erase pens and boards are a nice touch and work well, the game mat is well laid out and has plenty of space. But the playmat is a little too wide to fit in the box when you roll it up, so you have to bend it a little to get it back in the box. It all fits though.
The final thing worth mentioning is that you get a little over 200 questions in the box and once you get through them you can’t really reuse them with the same group because you may recall the answer. What that means is that you will probably get around 30 odd games with the questions in the box before you run out. When you do run out you can buy extra question packs.
Sponsored Links:
Final Thoughts on Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby!
Alright, let’s wrap up my thoughts on this Wits & Wagers Its Vegas, Baby! game. Overall, I’d say it’s a really fun and fresh take on the classic Wits & Wagers formula.
If you were a fan of the original, then this Vegas-themed edition is definitely worth checking out. They’ve added some nice new betting options and the questions themselves are a lot more modern and topical.
But if you’re brand new to the Wits & Wagers world, I think the success of this game is really going to depend on the vibe and expectations of your group. If you’re looking for something light, casual, and centred more around the social fun than getting the trivia right, then this is a total winner. The betting and discussion around the answers can lead to all kinds of hilarious moments. However, in my own household, it didn’t quite land as well.
So I guess what I’m saying is, if you and your crew are the type who just want to let loose, have some laughs, and not worry too much about being trivia masters, then this Vegas version of Wits & Wagers is a total blast. But if your group is looking for more of a true test of knowledge, it might leave you feeling a bit frustrated. Just something to keep in mind as you decide if it’s the right game for your crew.
Is Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! easy to learn? Yes
What will Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! teach my kids? Mainly answers to trivia questions.
What age is appropriate for Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! The box says 13+ but I don’t see why you couldn’t go younger than 13 as essentially you are placing bets on the most likely answer.
Does Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! have good replay value? The replay value will be limited by the number of questions in the box, probably 30 odd games worth.
We hope you enjoyed our Wits & Wagers It’s Vegas, Baby! review. If you have any more questions or just want to share your thoughts on this game please leave a comment below, or get in touch through our contact page.
About the Authors
We are parents who love board gaming. We have three children and have been enjoying board games as a family ever since we had our first child. We share our real unbiased experiences and opinions on board games so you can decide if they are right for your family. We also write guides and articles to help you get the most out of your family game time. If you enjoy our content and want to support us you can do that through our Ko-fi page by clicking on the button below.