Get Bit

Plays: 4Px1.

The Game

Get Bit is a simple filler-type game with double guessing. Players are swimmers swimming in a queue (don't ask me to explain why). A shark chases them from behind, and takes a bite off the last swimmer at the end of every round. It bites swimmers limb by limb, until finally eating whole a swimmer with no limbs left. To win, you need to be at the front of the queue when there are only two survivors left.

Each player has a same set of numbered cards. Every round everyone plays a card onto the table simultaneously, and then they jump to the front of the queue in ascending order of the numbers played. That means bigger numbers are better, because the later that you jump ahead means the further in front you will be when the shark bites. What's interesting is if multiple players play the same number, these players don't get to jump ahead at all. So playing a big number doesn’t guarantee safety, and playing a small number doesn’t guarantee injury.

Cards played are left on the table, which means your hand dwindles. Only when you get bitten, or when you run out of cards, you get to pick up all your played cards. This is a consolation when you get bitten. The game is all about avoiding the shark, and if you last long enough to be in the final two, you need to manoeuvre to be positioned in front.

With four players, cards numbered 1 to 5 are used.

The Play

I did a four-player game. The number of cards used is different for different numbers of players. With four players, we used cards numbered 1 to 5. The game is mostly double guessing. There is a bit of calculation, as you ponder the cards already played by other players. You gamble, you pray for a little luck, and you groan or curse or cheer or breath a sigh of relief. There is more pressure on the last player in the queue, because if he happens to choose the same number as any other player, he’s screwed because he won’t be able to jump from the last position. That’s something to take into account whether you are the last player or not. You also need to plan how to use your cards. That 1 card is always risky, but if you guess well and play it when others have clashing numbers, then you turn it around to be a useful card. There is pressure as your hand dwindles, because your choices will narrow. You have to watch your opponents’ cards played and try to stay flexible. When you are down to your last card, your opponents will know exactly what you will play. It’s tricky to manoeuvre yourself into a better than pessimistic situation, but it’s possible.

Two of the swimmers were already legless by this point. The shark figure is a bonus. The basic game has no shark. Allen bought Get Bit on Kickstarter, and at his pledge level he got this shark figure as a bonus.

That’s the shark card that is used in the basic game.

I don’t remember many details from the game we played. I think Allen won. I was eaten by the shark.

The Thoughts

Get Bit is a filler type game, with double guessing and a little hand management. Strictly speaking there is no luck. All the decisions are made by the players. There is no randomness. It’s arguable whether you should blame luck if you keep guessing wrong. The game works with up to six players. It can work as a party game, and definitely a drinking game too (now that would be interesting...). It can be easily taught to casual players. It can work with children too, as long as you don’t describe the setting too graphically. Don’t ask me how a limbless swimmer swims. I don’t know head-style swimming.