Books & Book Reviews

Games and Social Gatherings in the Age of COVID-19

*This post contains affiliate links – if you click and make a purchase, I will receive a small percentage of that sale as compensation. I received a copy of You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

COVID-19, or as I like to call it, “this stupid virus,” has changed all of our lives. Now, instead of getting together with my in-laws for Sunday dinners, we’re Zooming with them for Sunday storytimes. Instead of having the chaos of 16 Girl Scouts in a cafeteria or out camping, I have virtual meetings weekly with my troop members. Instead of Trick-or-Treating in a couple of weeks or having a giant family feast next month, we’re coming up with new traditions.

It’s a good thing that authors out there and innovators are ready to come up with solutions. Allen Wolf, author of You’re Pulling My Leg! and You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior has done just that – he has created a game of hilarious storytelling that can be played in person – or via video chat. It’s definitely going to be an asset for my family come our Thanksgiving Zoom.

What is You’re Pulling My Leg!?

You’re Pulling My Leg! was originally created by Allen Wolf as a gift for two friends who were dating. They eventually got married and the game was turned into a card game to help people build strong relationships with others. It’s a game of silly stories – where you get to test your bluffing skills with a range of questions from the thought-provoking to the silly and a coin flip will tell whether the story is true or false.

How do you play?

You’ll need two or more players. Each player will start with 7 voting points to start the game. You then choose a storyteller, that storyteller flips a coin secretly to see whether they will be telling the truth or making something up before they start answering the question. After the story has been told, players vote with either 1, 2, or 3 fingers pointed up or down depending on whether they believe the story is true or false. Those who voted correctly add the points to their score; the first to 21 points wins. The current storyteller chooses the next storyteller.

What Kinds of Questions?

In You’re Pulling My Leg! Junior, you’ll find questions like:

  • “Tell me about something you did that was messy.”
  • “Tell me about a time when you climbed a tree.”
  • “Tell me about a time when you went skating.”
  • “Tell me about a time you went camping.”
  • “Tell me about one of your favorite smells.”

The Verdict

I think this book is great fun – it plays well virtually and kids have a lot of fun trying to suss out what is fact and what is fiction about their friends and family members. In addition to being great right now when we’re socially distancing from one another, it’s a great resource for taking camping or while traveling – It’s fun but it’s also portable and you don’t have to worry about losing any game parts.

About the Author

Allen Wolf is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and game creator. His company, Morning Star Games, also publishes Slap Wacky!, JabberJot, and Pet Detectives as well. Allen has won 39 awards for his games, which have been played by hundreds of thousands of people around the world.

Book Details:

Toys & Games
Release Date: August 2020
YPML ISBN: 978-1-952844-00-3
Junior ISBN: 978-1-952844-03-4
Paperback: 176 pages
Publisher: Morning Star Publishing

Games Website:MorningStarGames.com
Twitter: @MorningStarGame
Facebook: @morningstargames
Instagram: @playmorningstargames

Author Website: AllenWolf.com/yourepullingmyleg/
Twitter: @theallenwolf
Facebook: @theallenwolf
Instagram: @theallenwolf/

Buy links:

Ronda Bowen

Ronda Bowen is a writer, editor, and independent scholar. She has a Master of Arts in Philosophy from Northern Illinois University and a B.A. in Philosophy, Pre-Graduate Option, Honors in the Major from California State University, Chico. When she is not working on client projects from her editorial consulting business, she is writing a novel. In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, wine, martinis, copious amounts of coffee, reading, watching movies, sewing, crocheting, crafts, hanging out with her husband, and spending time with their teenage son and infant daughter.

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