Welcome to my review of Faces, the party game that had my friends and me in actual tears—some from laughter, a few from how ugly those mugshots are. This isn’t your grandpa’s deep strategy game; we’re talking quick rules, wild variety, and a whole lot of silliness. I’ve played it many times with pals of all ages, so you’re about to get the real scoop—warts, weird noses, and all. If you want to know whether Faces lives up to the hype, or if you should just scroll further on your board game wish list, you’re in the right spot.
How It Plays
Setting up
Get everyone seated around the table. Each player grabs a handful of voting cards. Place the stack of hilarious face photos in the center. Make sure the scenario cards are shuffled and ready.
Gameplay
One player draws a scenario card and reads it out loud. Think prompts like, “This person just got caught singing in the shower.” Everyone looks at the hilarious face photos on the table and secretly picks which photo fits the prompt best. Players vote by putting down their voting card.
Winning the game
The player whose face photo gets the most votes scores a point! Play as many rounds as you want, or until your sides hurt from laughing. The player with the most points at the end, wins bragging rights (and maybe a funny new nickname).
Want to know more? Read our extensive strategy guide for Faces.
Do the Faces in ‘Faces’ Make You Laugh Out Loud?
Let me tell you, the faces in Faces are a wild ride for your funny bone. I’ve played this game with my friends and, honest to goodness, I’ve seen people spit out drinks and snort like farm animals. The main gimmick here is matching strangers’ mugshots to hilarious, oddball prompts—like, “Which face just lost a staring contest against a goldfish?” The faces themselves are so weird and wonderful that it feels like you’ve wandered into an amateur actor’s headshot portfolio from outer space.
Every time I flip a card and see those wacky expressions, I start giggling. My pal Greg once picked a face for “most likely to have eaten glue” that looked exactly like Uncle Roger after Thanksgiving dinner. We all lost it. So yes, the photos are that funny. You’ll get everything from big-eyed surprise to blank stares to looks of pure, hopeless confusion. Some faces are so odd they probably ate the camera. Some are so deadpan I start questioning my own sense of humor. Faces truly has a knack for finding photos that tickle something deep in your childish heart.
Now, sometimes you get a dud face—a guy who looks like he pays taxes early and doesn’t even jaywalk. But these faces actually make the game even funnier because it becomes a group challenge to fit the blandest face to the wildest prompt. It’s the kind of silliness that keeps everyone involved, even your surliest cousin who “doesn’t get board games.”
By the end of a round, our faces hurt from laughing. That, folks, is my kind of game. Up next, I’ll let you know if the rules are as easy to pick up as smiling at a camera!
How Simple Are the Rules in Faces?
Faces is the board game equivalent of putting on pants with an elastic waistband—it’s that easy. I sat down with a table full of people who have the attention span of a goldfish, and everyone got the hang of it before the snacks ran out. Here’s what I found: you get a stack of wild, sometimes slightly suspicious faces, and a deck of funny situational cards. Each round, one player draws a card that says something like, “Which person is most likely to crash a wedding uninvited?” Then, you pick a face from the board, and everyone else has to guess which mug you chose.
The magic is in how fast you can learn and start playing. There are barely any exceptions or rulebook flipping. My friend Steve, who once lost a game because he started reading the instructions upside-down, had no issues here. Even Grandma joined in, and the only confusion she had was why one of the faces looked suspiciously like her neighbor from 1972. The toughest part? Agreeing on who gets to be the first judge, which we solved by rock-paper-scissors. If your group can’t handle that, you may have bigger problems than learning the rules.
No endless scoring sheets, no weird tiebreakers, just pure silly fun. My only nitpick: you need at least four people for the game to work its magic. Two-player games feel weird and awkward, kind of like a staring contest you didn’t agree to.
Curious about how many laughs you’ll get before Faces starts feeling old? Hold onto your hats, because I’m about to explore its replay value and variety next!
How Many Laughs Can Faces Deliver? Let’s Talk Replay Value and Variety!
Okay, so you’re eyeing Faces and wondering, “Will this keep my friends coming back, or will it end up as a drink coaster?” Trust me, I’ve played this game enough times to know: it’s got serious legs. (Not actual legs, but you get what I mean.)
What makes Faces stand out is the variety baked right into the game. The game throws you a wild stack of face cards, each more ridiculous than the last, and a whole bunch of situations to match them with. You never see the same combo twice, unless you play as much as my neighbor Carol, who has memorized all the faces and claims she met one at a wedding once. There’s real variety here, and every round brings a new surprise.
Replay value is also boosted by the people you play with. I played Faces with my family, my friends, and even my grandma (who picked the grumpiest face every time—she swears it looked like her postman). Everyone makes different choices, so every group gives the game a fresh feel. You’ll find yourself wanting “just one more round” way more than is reasonable for a ‘party game’.
But don’t take my word for it—well, actually, do. Because after a few plays, you’ll be planning rematches just to see the creative madness other people come up with. So, does Faces have replay value? Yep, in spades. And the best part is, you never know what’s coming next.
But is all this randomness fair? Next up, I tackle if Faces plays nice with everyone or hands out frustration like cheap Halloween candy.
Is Faces a Fair Game or Just a Good Laugh?
Okay, let’s get serious for a hot second: is Faces actually fair? Or is it like when my aunt Karen tried to judge a pie baking contest and picked her own pie? (She still swears it was legit, but come on.)
When I sat with my group to play Faces, I noticed one thing fast. This game is less about hardcore strategy and more about reading people, having a good laugh, and sometimes making wild guesses. Each round, someone reads a silly prompt and the rest secretly pick which wild photo matches it best. Everyone tries to guess the chooser’s pick, but if you know your friends well, you might be able to see their logic (or lack of it). If you don’t, you’re left flailing in the wind, like me trying to explain why I thought the grumpy grandma face was perfect for “most likely to get kicked out of a zoo.”
So, is it fair? I’d say mostly. It doesn’t have broken mechanics or weird house rules. But, there is a small luck element. Sometimes, you just can’t predict which face someone will pick, especially if your group is unpredictable. If you like full control, you won’t find it here. But you won’t rage-flip the table either (unless you’re just dramatic, in which case, send me a video please).
Bottom line: Faces is about laughs, not ruthless victory. The balance is good, but don’t expect chess-level mental battles. I still say it’s worth grabbing for your next game night, especially if you have a group that loves messing with each other. If you want serious, look elsewhere!
Conclusion
Faces is the kind of game that turns any dull evening into a belly-laughing mess. If you want a game you can play with anyone, even your grumpy uncle or that friend who hates learning rules, this one fits the bill. The rules are simple, setup takes less time than making instant noodles, and every round gives you new reasons to crack up. Sure, strategy fans might grumble—luck and group mood rule here. But if you want pure silliness and think the real win is sharing wild guesses about oddball faces, then Faces belongs on your table. That’s a wrap for this review. Now go make some funny faces of your own!
