ito

ito is a game I’ve been recommended for years. Whenever the subject of Japanese import games comes up, ito is one of the first names that always gets mentioned.

So how does it work? Each player is secretly dealt a number card between 1 and 100. A question card is then revealed, with prompts like “How scary is this?” or “How tasty is this?” Players give a clue that hints at where their number sits on that scale, but without ever mentioning numbers. So if you’ve got a really high number on “How scary is this?”, you might say “the deep ocean.” If you’ve got a low number, you might say “a puppy.”

The group then has to work together to line up all the answers in what they think is the correct order, from lowest to highest. Once you’re all agreed, the cards are flipped to see how accurate you were. There’s also a cooperative “life system” where mistakes cost you chances, so tension builds as you go along. The fun is in those debates, are rollercoasters scarier than spiders? Is broccoli tastier than rice pudding? It’s the conversations that make the game tick.

Now, I really like the concept of ito, but the problem I had is that I think there are better games out there that scratch a similar itch. I’ve never reviewed it here before, but Wavelength comes to mind. That one has players guessing where something sits on a giant swingometer between two extremes, and I actually found it more enjoyable and engaging than what ito offered.

Full disclosure… I only had the chance to play ito with the kids, and usually with this kind of party game I’d want to play with a group of adults first. With kids, it’s a lot harder to get the social element working properly, since judging where something sits on a scale of 1 to 100 isn’t the easiest thing for younger players to wrap their heads around. I dunno maybe this is just me because everyone seems to have universal praise for this and if you have played and love it please let me know in the comments below.

Needless to say, it didn’t quite hit the heady heights I’d hoped for. That might be partly down to expectations, because whenever Japanese import games get mentioned, ito is always spoken about so highly. Going in with that level of hype probably didn’t help. One big benefit is that the categories are marked to be adult or kid friendly.

I think you’ll know if this is the sort of game your group will enjoy. With the right people, especially adults who love social deduction and debating silly scales, I can see it landing well. But for us, at least this time, it wasn’t really our thing.