Mad Scientist University (2005)

About this game

A party game originally from Raiding Party Games, and republished by Atlas Games in 2007, Mad Scientist University is a storytelling game where each player in turn takes on the role of an evil genius Teacher's Assistant (TA) at the Mad Scientist University. Each TA holds a class challenging the students (everyone else) to come up with a way to meet a goal given certain elements listed on distributed cards (Create Perpetual Motion with Lawn Gnomes, for example). Each student brainstorms and then gives a short presentation detailing their plan, and the TA awards the card with the goal to the 'best' plan by whatever criteria the TA wishes (evil geniuses get to be snarky, after all). The winner is the student with the most won goal cards after everyone has led a course. Expanded by: Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Home Economics Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Independent Study Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Medicine Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Physical Education Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Physics Mad Scientist University Course Packet: PSI PHI Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Spring Break Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Theater Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Winter Break Mad Scientist University Course Packet: Zoology

Does it fit your group?

• Group size. Works with 3 to 7.
• Rules load. At 1.1/5 this is a light game — explain it in a few minutes, good for a table that has not played much.
• Age. The publisher suggests 10 and up. That rates the rules rather than the artwork, so judge the box yourself for younger players.