Anomia is a linguistic labyrinth, perfect for the high school crowd looking for some fast-paced fun. Setting it up is as easy as pie. Imagine you and a couple of friends gathered around the table with nothing but a deck of cards filled with seemingly innocent symbols and categories. You spread these cards into a draw pile in the center, the calm before the storm of minds about to be unleashed.

It’s all about quick thinking and shouting out answers before your friends can. Each card has a symbol and a category, like “Politician” or “SciFi Movie.” You take turns drawing cards, placing them face up in front of you. The catch? When the symbol on your card matches someone else’s, it’s a showdown! The first person to blurt out a correct answer from the other person’s category wins the duel, snagging their card as a trophy.

The game spirals into a frantic race of the minds, where you’re not just battling to think of answers, but also dealing with wild cards that can change the rules on the fly. In the below photo, you can see the Wild Card where the plus sign and the squiggle lines can be played against each other in this matching game. It’s a brain-tickling challenge that’ll have you all on the edge of your seats, hearts racing as fast as your thoughts.

This game goes on and on until all the cards are gone. Winning Anomia is a quest for the most trophies. Once the draw pile runs out and all duels are resolved, count up your collection. The one with the most cards wins, crowned as the quickest wit among friends.

Playing Anomia with my two buddies was an absolute blast, a testament to the joy of simple games with deep wells of laughter and competition. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a game that’s easy to jump into but hard to put down, a game that tests not just what you know, but how fast you know it.

So, if you’re in the mood for a game that’s part lightning-fast quiz show, part ultimate showdown of your mental lexicon, Anomia is your ticket to an unforgettable time. Let’s keep the games rolling and the laughter flowing.