Wise and Otherwise Life Lessons for Everyday Wisdom

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1. Carol R. Taylor Verified Buyer – 26 June 2024

   Great group game! Our family (adults mostly) played it multiple times, although we never used the actual game board, which is mainly for scoring–we just kept track of our own points. Not using the game board meant more than the allotted number could play easily, and after a while, sometimes we forgot to keep score because it was so much fun. Even our non-game-players (every family has one!) played and enjoyed it. We paired up children ages 5 to 9 with adult partners and that worked well. I don’t think they could have played in a big group as independent players; a little too much synthesis of information required. But they enjoyed being part of it. “What good is wisdom….when the butter doesn’t stick to the bread.” Now who would guess that answer? Only one of the fifteen people in our group! I gave it fewer stars for educational value because that’s not really the point of it. But it’s great group fun. If you have ever played the Dictionary game, this is similar, but a little more humorous.
   

2. Caroline Miller Verified Buyer – 6 September 2024

   I bought this game to play at family holidays. It just wasn’t that fun to my family. Some of the proverbs were dumb and meaningless. I also bought “Wits and Wagers” game at the same time. It was a riot! The whole family loved this game. I recommend Wits and Wagers over Wise and Otherwise.
   

3. Biopharma Expert Verified Buyer – 9 January 2025

   The description said like new condition. The set shows up and the outside box is old with lots of scratch marks. Total rip off. I would say “fair” condition at best.
   

4. ncreader Verified Buyer – 23 January 2025

   Wise and Otherwise is the most hilarious game you will ever have the pleasure of playing. The more people involved, the better time you will have!

   The point of the game is to end an “old saying” of another culture. Players try to pick the correct statement ending while trying to convince other players that their made-up statement is the real one. Points are awarded for guessing the correct answer, and you also earn points when other players think your ending was the real one. Instead of tallying up points, game pieces are advanced that number of spaces on the board.

   This game requires participants to be creative and open-minded. Not only will you learn some really interesting (or odd) expressions that you’ll find yourself using in real life, you’ll learn a lot more than you ever wanted to know about how your friends’ minds work. You cannot play this game without laughing.
   

5. Anonymous Verified Buyer – 10 February 2025

   Wise and Otherwise is similar to and more cerebral than Balderdash. You will finish proverbs, and try to get others to pick yours over the actual one. Great with large and medium party groups. Positives Wise and Otherwise is a great, somewhat more cerebral version of Balderdash that allows each player to flex their inner prose/poetry ability. It’s also not so bookish that someone turned off by fancy phrasing would be left behind, because some of the actual proverbs are surprisingly simple and to the point. With a good mix of players and perspectives, you’ll get a big range of completed proverbs, ranging from Confucius worthy to a simple phrase that fools everyone. If you can’t think of anything, you can also create something ridiculous to make it impossible for the reader to read without laughing. We’ve had a lot of fun playing this in several different family or friends groups, including several international groups. The proverbs come from cultures all over the world, and are often interesting and spark further conversation. Of all of our party games, we have probably played Wise and Otherwise the most. It’s always a fun game to play through. We still have a collection of all the completed proverbs through 35 or so games. It’s fun to remember some of the ridiculous things that people have come up with. Negatives The game can sometimes lend itself to players taking long turns while trying to think of something witty, slowing gameplay down. There’s always that one linguist who demands “There is no way that is a proverb!?” Final Thoughts This isn’t something you’ll play every night, but it stays fresh every time you come back to it. We’ve played 35-45 games so far and aren’t close to going through all the cards. However, if you’re good at creating proverbs, be prepared for spans of waiting for others to finish up with theirs. If you’re the one who is slow, you may get frustrated and start writing stuff down just to complete the round. The game has a simple dedicated theme, but is great especially in creative groups. Note: full review of this game, including gameplay descriptions, bad puns, and a lot more pictures available at playbegins.com

   

6. Nicole_26 Verified Buyer – 16 February 2025

   This game is so much fun! We play this game at Christmas with extended family members from all over the country. It is a good game to play with people that you are not best friends with because you don’t really need that close relationship to enjoy it. The reason I say that is because I find that Apples to Apples is more fun with close friends than strangers, and it is considered to be a really popular party game. I find this game to be more appropriate and more fun for family gatherings. For a great summary of game play, see the review written by Les. Basically, players are trying to complete a saying. The sayings are from different cultures across the globe and the game gives players the first portion of the phrase. For instance, the reader may say “Complete this phrase from Turkey: A coat with holes in the pockets….” Players then write their guesses down anonymously and the reader reads all guesses aloud. Players then guess which ending they think is correct. I believe the correct ending to the previous phrase is “Should not have gold buttons”. The player with the most votes gets a point. I love that the phrases are obscure and 99% of players will have never heard them, it would be no fun if every phrase was recognizable. This also is fun for me because it gave me a glimpse into other cultures as a young adult. It is a great game for all adults and children as young as teenagers, in my opinion. I found that the children in the group (13 and up) were actually doing quite well. It truly is a great game and totally worth the splurge if your group is really into board games.

   

7. Jessica Terry Verified Buyer – 2 March 2025

   This product is much more banged up than the picture showed. The box is very worn out around the edges. All materials were included, but not a fair price for what I got.

   

8. Anonymous Verified Buyer – 6 March 2025

   Wise and Otherwise is similar to and more cerebral than Balderdash. You will finish proverbs, and try to get others to pick yours over the actual one. Great with large and medium party groups. Positives Wise and Otherwise is a great, somewhat more cerebral version of Balderdash that allows each player to flex their inner prose/poetry ability. It’s also not so bookish that someone turned off by fancy phrasing would be left behind, because some of the actual proverbs are surprisingly simple and to the point. With a good mix of players and perspectives, you’ll get a big range of completed proverbs, ranging from Confucius worthy to a simple phrase that fools everyone. If you can’t think of anything, you can also create something ridiculous to make it impossible for the reader to read without laughing. We’ve had a lot of fun playing this in several different family or friends groups, including several international groups. The proverbs come from cultures all over the world, and are often interesting and spark further conversation. Of all of our party games, we have probably played Wise and Otherwise the most. It’s always a fun game to play through. We still have a collection of all the completed proverbs through 35 or so games. It’s fun to remember some of the ridiculous things that people have come up with. Negatives The game can sometimes lend itself to players taking long turns while trying to think of something witty, slowing gameplay down. There’s always that one linguist who demands “There is no way that is a proverb!?” Final Thoughts This isn’t something you’ll play every night, but it stays fresh every time you come back to it. We’ve played 35-45 games so far and aren’t close to going through all the cards. However, if you’re good at creating proverbs, be prepared for spans of waiting for others to finish up with theirs. If you’re the one who is slow, you may get frustrated and start writing stuff down just to complete the round. The game has a simple dedicated theme, but is great especially in creative groups. Note: full review of this game, including gameplay descriptions, bad puns, and a lot more pictures available at playbegins.com