This week we played Ladies and Gentlemen. I’ve played this game one other time, and I think I enjoyed it a lot better the second time than the first time. The first time I think everyone was a bit more confused, we did not really know what we were doing, but everyone seemed to have a better understanding of the game this time, and so did I. It felt good to be able to somewhat guide people through the game, at least the people playing the ladies role. Both times I played this game I played the lady role, and I am completely okay with that. Although I haven’t played the gentleman’s role, their role seems less fun for what type of game I would like to play, although I do appreciate the competitive aspect to it.
I think this game reminds me of being a kid in a way, almost like an adult version of Pretty Pretty Princess. I like that this game is interactive and as someone who played the lady role, I get to go to different shops and pick out fun outfit pieces. I am a very visual learner and I just appreciate good visuals in general, so looking through all the fun outfit pieces is my favorite part of the game. The first time I played this game, I really did not have any strategy for it. I just kind of tried to pick outfit pieces that looked aesthetically pleasing together and had a high amount of stars, I did not focus on the designer aspect of it too much. I also did not purchase any servants the first time I played this game, I did not understand that they can actually really help you win the game, and that having them can be super beneficial if you know how to play the game. The second time I played this game, I did use the servant cards, and I focused more on receiving high points for my outfit pieces, rather than color coordinating and matching. Although, I do think that would be a fun element to add to the game, to give people bonus points for some kind of color coordination aside from just having pieces from the same designer.
I think in regards to the hardest part of this game, I think for me it is knowing what needs to be prioritized. My lady that I was playing, ended up going to the ball without shoes. To me, this seems like a big issue, but according to the game, this was fine and we ended up with a lot of points anyways. I struggled to know which stores to go to as well. I thought the ½ off rule was a little confusing and I kept forgetting to apply it or when I should. I kept forgetting if I received a discount from an item if it came from my store, or someone else’s. For leadership, I think out of all the games we have played this semester, this one ties the least to leadership. It is very individualized, every person is playing competitively against everyone else and nobody is really leading the team or helping each other. I think to a degree I saw a few people demonstrate that they seemed to genuinely understand the rules of the game, so they helped everyone keep things straight and on track, but aside from that, I did not witness many leadership qualities. With this being a very animated game, I think this game would be fun to play with my friends that I studied abroad with, or maybe my coworkers at work. I think this game is meant for people that genuinely want to play a somewhat competitive game, and might enjoy the theatrics of the stereotyped gender roles associated with the game.