Chairman of the Board: But is it art?

‘Dixit’ board game review

By Ed Appleby, Illustrator

Art is subjective. Two people can look at the same painting or read the same story and interpret it in different ways.

Dixit is a party board game for 3–6 players (expandable to 12) that was designed by Jean-Louis Roubira, illustrated by Marie Cardouat, and published by Libellud in 2009. In the game, each player takes turns as the active player who choses a card from their hand. The active player then gives a clue about the illustration on the card through whatever means they desire, be it a story, word, pop culture reference, or even whistling a tune. The other players add a card facedown that they believe also matches the clue. Players then vote on which card they think is the active player’s card and points are awarded based on who guesses right and which inactive players’ cards got votes. The first player to reach 30 points wins.

The game has a similar vote-and-match mechanic as Balderdash. Those familiar with Apples to Apples or Cards Against Humanity will notice some similarities in gameplay, except there is not as much arguing for cards because you are trying to guess the right one rather than the best fit.

The rounds are fairly short, though the game can suffer from “analysis paralysis” with players over analyzing the card they wish to submit, adding time to the game and frustrating the other players.

Dixit is a great go-to game for parties. The simple rules and lateral reasoning involved make it fun for all ages. The game is probably best suited for casual games since more experienced board game players will find it fun but not at the level of challenge that they look for. It’s a great game to play at the end of a long day of intense and complex strategy games.