That's a Question: A Game of Hiking Squirrels, Asking Questions, and Getting to Know Each Other

Would you rather be captain of your own space ship or be able to fly? Which would you miss more if they ceased to exist: bread or the smell of fresh rain?

Designed by Vlaada Chvátil, the mind behind Codenames, That’s a Question is a quirky party game that’s all about asking questions. And squirrels. It’s about squirrels too.

Gameplay

Each player takes a squirrel meeple and places it on the start point of the board. The path on the board will take the squirrels through a lake and a field, up a mountain, and eventually into the clouds. Everyone but the starting player takes an acorn, each player is dealt five question cards, and then the question card draw deck is created (the number of cards varies based on player count), and the game begins.

The active player chooses any player with an acorn, takes the acorn for themselves, and then asks that player a question. The question board is used to pose a question. It has three color coded sides. The blue side asks, “Which of these would you choose?”; the green side asks, “Which would you miss more if it ceased to exist?”; and the red side asks, “Whom do you consider worse? Someone who…”. Each question card has an answer for each of these three colored questions. You choose answers of the same color from your question cards, and play them next to the matching color on the question board, creating a question. The player being asked the question secretly chooses one of the answers.

Before that player’s answer is revealed, the remaining players (not including the active player) secretly guess what they think that player has chosen for their answer. All answers are then revealed.

The player answering always gets one point and moves their squirrel meeple one space along the board. Any other player who correctly guessed what the answer would be also gets to move their squirrel one space up the board. The active player’s squirrel moves one space for each player who incorrectly guessed what the answerer would choose.

Each player also has two kicker tiles. When guessing what a player will answer, you may play one of these kicker tiles. One will allow your squirrel to move three spaces if you correctly predicted the answer, and one allows your squirrel to move one space for each incorrect guess. Once played, a kicker tile is discarded, however you may reclaim one kicker tile once your squirrel reaches the lake and the fields, and during the final round.

After a question has been scored, the active player draws back up to five cards, and the player on their left now becomes the new active player. Once the draw pile runs out, each player gets to be the active player one last time, and then the player whose squirrel is the farthest along the board wins the game.

Review

That's a Question isn't one of those party games that is going to leave you in stitches or make for a hilarious evening. Some of the question combinations or players explaining their logic might get some chuckles (and the rulebook is certainly a lot of fun to read, if you can believe it) but it is a more subdued game. It is a great getting to know you game, but also works well with good friends who will be more likely to guess each other's answers or know what answer cards will make for a tough question.

There is something almost soothing about the game, as you ask questions and your squirrels make their way up the mountain. It is all just thoroughly pleasant. There are 108 answer cards (with three answers on each card) and you can combine them in so many different ways that you are not likely to run into the exact same questions for a very long time.

The rulebook does state that the game is played best with five to six players, and with three or four players you need to use rule variants (mostly for how the kickers work and the number of acorns used). The game is especially weak with three.

This is not likely to become anyone's favorite new game, and it might not blow you away, but it is cute, adorable, mellow, and sometimes quite fascinating when you're posed a tough question.

Pros: Relaxing, cute squirrels, some interesting questions, an amusing rulebook

Cons: Player counts of three and four require rule variations

Disclosure: we received a complimentary review copy of this game.