The Inside Scoop on Gaming

Do you now or have you ever had housemates with questionable hygiene? Have you ever cleaned off the back porch and cashed in the bottle deposits for beer money? Have you ever had more fun gaming than rolling around with your significant other? Then, Chez Geek is the game for you.

In Chez Geek, players take on the role of housemates. Each player is dealt one of nine Jobs. Jobs include waitstaff, drummer, temp, tech support, corporate drone, and professional research subject. Each Job is rated for Free Time, Income, and Slack Goal. Free Time is your number of actions each turn. Income is your cash for each turn. And, Slack Goal is your victory conditions. Some Jobs offer more Free Time, others offer more Income. The lower your Free Time and the higher your Income, the higher your Slack Goal (Welcome to the working world!). Each Job also offers special benefits or conditions, like the Temp who can't be fired.

Players are then dealt Life cards from the deck. There are four types of Life cards: Persons, Things, Activities, and Whenevers (See the sample cards at http://www.sjgames.com/chezgeek/art.html). Persons are people and cats that you can invite over. Things are things to buy, like cigarettes, beer, ramen, CDs, and books. Activities are things to do like, concerts, sleep, TV watching, gaming, and nookie (Huzzah!). Whenevers are those special action cards that make card games such fun.

Each turn begins by a player drawing up to six life cards (seven if you're the Corporate Drone; Hey, overachieving has its benefits). Life cards are then played beginning by calling people over. People come over if you roll 3+ on a 6-sided die. Some people, like the TV Queen and Mr. Gamer, are good and increase your slack. Some people, like the Hungry Girl and the Clumsy Drunk, are bad. The bad people take your things and otherwise interfere with your quest for Slack. The good people you play on yourself. The bad people you inflict on your roommates.

Next, the player takes a number of actions equal to their Job's Free Time. Actions can be used for Activities or to buy Things. Activities and Things provide you with Slack. All Things and many, but not all, Activities have a Cost.

Whenevers are special cards that can be played during a player's turn or whenever. Whenevers can be good for a player (i.e. raises, additional Income, extra Free Time) or bad for your roommates (i.e. lost Income, interrupted Activities).

As with most card games, the real fun comes in the card interactions. Cards can be combined for extra Slack. A TV card can be used as either an activity or to cancel a roommate's activity. Play can be quick and fluid with People and Things moving in and out of the house and Activities occurring and getting interrupted.

The game is fun on its own, and it is enhanced by the funny quips and John Kovalic art on each card ("No, I don't smoke. Oooo, cloves! Can I have one?" "If she does the 'In Bed' thing with the fortune cookies again, I vow I shall slay her with this little plastic fork."). Buy this game, and see how long before your friends start saying "I had roommates just like that."

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 5 (Excellent!)

Chez Geek
Author: Jon Darbro Category: Card Game Company/Publisher: Steve Jackson Games Inc. Line: Chez Geek Cost: $20 Page count: n/a ISBN: 1-55634-411-2 SKU: SJGO1995 1329 Playtest Review by Jeb Boyt on 05/09/00. Genre tags: Modern_day Comedy	Do you now or have you ever had housemates with questionable hygiene? Have you ever cleaned off the back porch and cashed in the bottle deposits for beer money? Have you ever had more fun gaming than rolling around with your significant other? Then, Chez Geek is the game for you. In Chez Geek, players take on the role of housemates. Each player is dealt one of nine Jobs. Jobs include waitstaff, drummer, temp, tech support, corporate drone, and professional research subject. Each Job is rated for Free Time, Income, and Slack Goal. Free Time is your number of actions each turn. Income is your cash for each turn. And, Slack Goal is your victory conditions. Some Jobs offer more Free Time, others offer more Income. The lower your Free Time and the higher your Income, the higher your Slack Goal (Welcome to the working world!). Each Job also offers special benefits or conditions, like the Temp who can't be fired. Players are then dealt Life cards from the deck. There are four types of Life cards: Persons, Things, Activities, and Whenevers (See the sample cards at http://www.sjgames.com/chezgeek/art.html). Persons are people and cats that you can invite over. Things are things to buy, like cigarettes, beer, ramen, CDs, and books. Activities are things to do like, concerts, sleep, TV watching, gaming, and nookie (Huzzah!). Whenevers are those special action cards that make card games such fun. Each turn begins by a player drawing up to six life cards (seven if you're the Corporate Drone; Hey, overachieving has its benefits). Life cards are then played beginning by calling people over. People come over if you roll 3+ on a 6-sided die. Some people, like the TV Queen and Mr. Gamer, are good and increase your slack. Some people, like the Hungry Girl and the Clumsy Drunk, are bad. The bad people take your things and otherwise interfere with your quest for Slack. The good people you play on yourself. The bad people you inflict on your roommates. Next, the player takes a number of actions equal to their Job's Free Time. Actions can be used for Activities or to buy Things. Activities and Things provide you with Slack. All Things and many, but not all, Activities have a Cost. Whenevers are special cards that can be played during a player's turn or whenever. Whenevers can be good for a player (i.e. raises, additional Income, extra Free Time) or bad for your roommates (i.e. lost Income, interrupted Activities). As with most card games, the real fun comes in the card interactions. Cards can be combined for extra Slack. A TV card can be used as either an activity or to cancel a roommate's activity. Play can be quick and fluid with People and Things moving in and out of the house and Activities occurring and getting interrupted. The game is fun on its own, and it is enhanced by the funny quips and John Kovalic art on each card ("No, I don't smoke. Oooo, cloves! Can I have one?" "If she does the 'In Bed' thing with the fortune cookies again, I vow I shall slay her with this little plastic fork."). Buy this game, and see how long before your friends start saying "I had roommates just like that." Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 5 (Excellent!)