Alexa is already an integral part of your family, so of course, she should be part of the family game night. Now, she can be — and not just in the sense that she will help set your thermostat to the right temperature or dim the lights for the most strategic gameplay. Rather, with the new game When in Rome, Alexa is actually one of the players.
The new game comes from Sensible Object and depends upon the participation of an Amazon Echo device, or specifically, Alexa. Your favorite smart assistant will teach you the rules, keep score, and generally provide guidance as you learn the game.
As far as actually playing When in Rome, it seems to be pretty straightforward. It’s described as a “globe-trotting trivia game,” and it includes a world map, two airplane player tokens, 80 Explorer Points, and three Souvenirs. To start the game, you and your fellow players will sit around the map and place your marker on a “home city.” Then, you (or rather, your market) will travel from place to place, and each time you enter a new city, Alexa will ask you a question about that new destination. She may throw you some softballs like, “Is San Francisco foggy?” or test just how well you know the city with a question like, “Which of these is not a real pub?”
You earn points for every correct answer and, naturally, the player with the most points at the end of the game wins. If you’re looking for a bit more strategy than straight trivia, you can also check out the action cards, which could help you sabotage your co-players in their own quest to go around the world.
Perhaps one of the best cards in the deck is the “Trash Talk” option, which will prompt Alexa to talk a little smack about one of your competitors. And who doesn’t want to hear Alexa get sassy?
When in Rome will make its debut this summer for $30 and, of course, you can download the Alexa skill for free. And if you like this game, there is good news — Sensible Object will be creating a whole series of “voice-augmented tabletop games” in their new game line — Voice Originals. As the company explains, “Your smart speaker is your personal guide to the experience; teaching the rules, keeping track of your progress, and even helping you out in times of trouble.”
