Pass the Buck Review

"Sums up an Office"

Pass the Buck is a game of corporate responsibility and management or really the lack of as you attempt to bluff your way to having no work. At the start of the game everyone starts in the same department of the company and is attempting to rise towards the top which is done by completing your hand of tasks.

In addition to a number of tasks which grows as you go up employee levels you also get a department you work in. This is the area you can use to complete tasks and you'll gain more as you level up with promotions. If you happen to get a task card that you can't complete you'll need to ask others to complete it for you and this is where the core of the game comes in.

When being asked about taking a card you need to think of what could happen if you don't and you're in that department. This being the possibility of the player challenging with HR that could give you the task regardless and while more punishment might have been a tad light it works well in keeping up the pace.

It's also heavily reliant on the good faith of the group that everyone will be honest after being challenged by HR and it does work fine. The game is well designed in creating a fun atmosphere that does capture the essence of office complaints and what generally happens in one. There are some great references and the cards are filled with wit. It's also quite straight forward to play so you pick it up quickly and matches don't take too long to play through often being fast.

The Board/Pieces

Being a card game there isn't a ton to this area obviously though the game does come in a nice thick white box split into two areas. The cards are neatly sorted to either side depending on which aspect of the game they cover with the key information cards being on the top to easily grab/read how to play.

The cards weren't too fancy, but carried a simple and easy modern design to them. They presented their information well with a good selection of shapes on the card followed by text.

The Conclusion

Pass the Buck works well being a witty and engaging card game that players can quickly get into. If you work at an office job or even have the concept of what it's like to work in an office environment then this will hit home with laughs.

The game is definitely great for a few quick rounds of cards as well though it's limited in the amount of players being 3-5 and it would have been nice to see support for a 1v1 or more players as those scenarios happen quite often when I do board game nights. I found that cards to be funny which is key in being a satirical card game and it would actually be great to see some expansion packs come out to increase the range of wacky work tasks that need to be completed.

Pass the Buck Review
Review Sample Provided by Carol Mertz

Rating Overall: 8.0