BARPIG: A Couple of Pigs Went Inside a Bar…. [Review]

Ever Wondered What Happens When A Couple of Pigs Went Inside a Bar?

Yes, you got that right, folks. I’m talking about pigs, real P-I-G-S. Who says pigs only go back to their shed when the sun falls? They come out to have fun! And what better place to have fun in the evening than the bar? Jonathan and Philip were kind enough to give us a glimpse of how that goes down in BARPIG, a party game that’s been missing in every hangouts and gatherings in your life (Psst, this might possibly be the only game where you get drunk without involving any alcohol at all).

In this party game of three to seven people, the winning goal is to reach the highest level before anyone else does or simply put don’t get “Blackout Drunk”. The game dates back to the Medieval Ages when taverns are everyone’s place to let loose during the evenings after a hard day at work. You’ll take roles as unique characters, each with actions, or “dares” if you’d like, that differs from one character to the other. These fun “dares” are sure to rock the room, so be prepared for a session filled with laughter.

How Do I Start Drinking?

The setup is pretty interesting and might slightly seem complicated, but bear with me. First, put the Level Card face up, on top of it is the Bar Tab, and next the Character Card on the very top. You’ll arrange so that it shows the number “10” on your Bar Tab and “Level 1” on your Level Card. You’ll slide your cards manually to indicate your progress, left – right to show your Sober Points on the Level Card, up – down to show your current level on the Level Card and remaining drinks on the Bar Tab. At the start of the game, each player will be dealt with one Item Card randomly and should be kept secret from other players. The card can be played anytime and can be bought from the Market Deck during Market Round.

Now that we’ve got the setup covered, we’re moving on to the game play which I promise is you is very simple since it’s put into just two rounds. The first one is the Challenge Round which is commenced by first having all the players roll the dice. The highest roller will automatically gain one level and gets to read their Character Card aloud. Now the fun begins as you watch your fellow drunkards do silly actions to win your favor. After the winner and loser is determined, Drink and Sober Points are dealt accordingly. Don’t forget that the last player to level up will have to skip rolling next round, so you have to really go all out on the actions that have been commanded.

The second is the Market Round. Players are given the option to either “Buy Extra Items” or “Recharge Drink Points from the Market”. In the first option, state that you are “Buying” firstly, then take an Item Card from the Market deck, you’ll lose Drink Points according to the item’s Drink Value on the top left. Discard the card if you don’t have enough Drink Points. If you choose the latter option in the Market Round, start by stating “Recharging” and discard the top Item Card from the Market deck face up. This time, the Drink Value at the top left will be added to your Bar Tab. After both phases are done, the game proceeds back to the Challenge Round until one of you reaches Level V, then he/she becomes the winner and the game ends. 

Drinking Attributes

There are ten uniquely designed Character Cards which are a fusion between drinking and medieval references; Barbeerian, Brewid, Glassassin, Orrmonk, Palealedin, Pintcess, Pourceror, Rumrauder, Weissard, and Whisking (Such brilliant fusion!). Each has different abilities that translates to different actions that the players should do such as “Choose an object in the room which is ‘blessed'” or “Choose a player who must charm you” each with their own winning circumstances. Losing might result in reducing one or two Drink or Sober Points. Judging from the sneak peeks, you can already tell it’s gonna be one hell of a riot once the action takes place, right?

Thirty Item Cards are available to be purchased during the Market Round depicting stuffs you find around a tavern. One of which “Reflective Shield of Childish Insult”, “Cliché Lightning Strike”, “Mysteriously Discarded Half Eaten Kebab”, and so fort. The effects include “Restore one Sober Point”, “Steal a Player’s Turn”, “Steal an Item”, and the likes to turn the tables back to your favor. Do beware of the “Time to go home!” card for you will be forced to discard your current Character and take a new one. Keep in mind that each player may only keep six cards at maximum in their hand. 

It’s Time for a Toast

Gather all your drinking buddies and slip this game before your usual drinking sessions to spice things up. Need that boost of confidence to perform the actions? Then take that swig of alcohol and put your best foot forward. I would highly, highly, highly suggest to play it in a crowd of at least four people, less than that won’t show you the true fun of this game. It’s a party game after all, no? If you see a table going wild in a bar, chances are they must be playing BARPIG. *winks* But that might also be your table, with all the actions that has to be done, there’s no way to have a quiet and nice session. You might even wreck havoc in the bar! So do consider your surroundings when you play this highly addictive party game. 

Might you fellow drunkards be addicted to this game already? Then anticipate the launch of the sequel, BARPIG : After Hours available soon on Kickstarter ! 

Play responsibly, but drink even more responsibly. Cheers!

*clinks invisible Beer glass*