In 2011, party game Cards Against Humanity released to the masses, and the industry has never been the same. Playing like an R-rated version of Apples to Apples, Cards Against Humanity exploded in popularity, inspiring countless other party games with its simple premise of trying to make judge players laugh. The Cyanide & Happiness folks have taken a swing at this format before with the Joking Hazard game, but they're trying again with Master Dater.
Master Dater is clearly inspired by games like Cards Against Humanity with its basic premise, but with a unique dating game twist. There's a "judge" player each round, aka the "sexy single," and they flip three "interest cards" describing what they're looking for in a potential date. The other players have three head cards and three body cards in their hand, which they can mix and match in an attempt to create the perfect love interest for the sexy single based on the provided interest cards. Combinations can range from a Flaming Pumpkin Head Wizard to a Drunk Centaur, with 115 head and 115 body cards for players to mix and match.
Whereas Cards Against Humanity is about anonymity so the judge player doesn't discriminate about which player they give the winning card to, players of Cyanide & Happiness' Master Dater make it known which character is theirs. They actually have to argue in favor of their combination being picked by the sexy single, explaining in a humorous way how whatever bizarre combination they came up with satisfies the judge's interests. The first player to snag five interest cards is the winner.
It's fun to see what strange combinations players come up with, but it should be stressed that Master Dater is a game that is almost entirely dependent on the quality of the group. Someone that isn't great at coming up with goofy scenarios or who doesn't like absurd humor will probably not have a great time with it. The game really requires players to do a lot of the legwork when it comes to generating laughs, and while it can be great fun with the right people, it can also be a dud with the wrong ones. The fun doesn't come from the game itself, but rather the stories people come up with to convince the sexy single to give them an interest card.
Cyanide & Happiness fans who have creative imaginations and are themselves funny will likely get a kick out of this game, but Cyanide & Happiness fans who expect the game itself to provide the laughs will likely be disappointed. It's managed to blow through its crowdfunding campaign goals on Gamefound, so it seems that there are many party game enthusiasts ready to check it out, but just make sure to have the right group of friends handy.