Herd Mentality, the hilarious, cow-themed hit from Big Potato Games that flips your standard quiz nights completely upside down.
In Herd Mentality having a unique, brilliant mind is actually a penalty. The secret to winning is actually about moo’ving with the crowd. Let’s dive into what makes it. Curious? You actually don’t want to stand out in this board game but want to blend in like the udders.
Publisher Big Potato Games
Designers Dan Penn, Rich Coombes
Player Count 4–20 players (The more, the merrier!)
Play Time 20 minutes ISH
Age Rating 10+ (Though younger kids can easily join the fun)
Core Components Squeezy pink cow, 160+ question cards, cow paddock box, answer pad, cow tokens
Goal of Herd Mentality
The ultimate goal in Herd Mentality is to be the first player to collect eight cow tokens. To achieve this, you have to write down the same answer as the majority of the other players.
For instance, if the card asks, “What is the best fruit to juggle?”, you might personally think a strawberry is the perfect size. However, you know your friends will likely say “apple” or “orange.” To win the point, you must suppress your inner individualist and follow the crowd!
How to Play Herd Mentality in 4 Simple Steps
Setting up this game takes all of thirty seconds, which makes it perfect for family gatherings or holiday parties. Here is your step-by-step guide to a standard round:
1.Read the Prompt
First, one player acts as the Question Wrangler and reads a random card out loud to the room. Prompts are delightfully simple, ranging from “Name a food with a hole in it” to “What is the most annoying instrument?”.
2. Write Your Answer (In Secret)
Next, every player secretly writes down one answer on their notepad. Keep your eyes on your own paper! If someone is taking way too long to think, the rest of the players are officially encouraged to loudly “moo” at them until they finish.
3. Reveal and Find the Majority
After everyone finishes writing, you will all reveal your answers at the exact same time. Count up the responses to see which answer was given by most of the room. If your answer matches that majority group, you instantly win a cow token!
4. Beware the Pink Cow
Finally, look to see if there is an odd one out. If you are the only person in the entire room who gave a completely unique answer, you are saddled with the squishy Pink Cow of shame. While you hold this pink penalty piece, you are legally locked out of winning the game, even if you have eight tokens! The only way to get rid of it is to wait until someone else gives a solo answer in a future round.
Why Choose Herd Mentality
It’s super fun, with lots of laughter, to have to analyse what your friends/family like and might choose. Some answers can create lots of discussion after too, like “Why did you pick that”? oh, “Why didn’t I think of that?”
I like the fact that no one feels dumb because they didn’t know an answer, because that’s not what the game is about. The questions are all answerable, but it’s just about that pack mentality.
It’s also well designed for larger groups and can be used as an introduction or an icebreaker game for groups.
I know you don’t want the pink squishy cow, but I love the tactile experience of it.
Find more:
- Adult party games
- Best games for 5 players
- Left Center Right is also fantastic for larger groups. A fun dice game.
- or check out games for adults here.
