DOUBLE FEATURE
Designer: John Kovalic, JonMichael Rasmus, John Sams, Sean Weitner | Publisher: Renegade Game Studios
This early title from Renegade Game Studios was released back in 2015 and unfortunately seemed to slip under the radar for most people. Admittedly, the studio was yet to reach the heights of success and renown it enjoys today, but as the sole trivia title in their catalogue – and a unique one at that – it’s worth a revisit.
Double Feature describes itself as ‘the movie game for everyone’, in the sense that players need only come armed with knowledge of the films they’ve seen.
The aim of the game is to name a film which links together the two category cards played each round. The six categories can range from characters and props to scenes and settings, with each featuring some brief text on the card’s reverse.
Each round the ‘director’ will choose a new category card to replace a previously scored one, adding it to the table. Upon reading the two cards players must then race to name a film which the ‘director’ deems worthy of linking the two categories. For example, one card might read ‘ In New York, Chicago, or Los Angeles’ and the other stating ‘There’s a dream or fantasy sequence’, with one player shouting “The Big Lebowski!” for the point.
It’s all very simple but this is what makes Double Feature such a success in nearly every party situation. Everyone watches films, and I’m sure most people can recollect a film when given a few categorical boundaries. In fact, the largest challenge here is often being quick enough or loud enough once you have an answer. Interestingly, success often hinges on the knowledge of a particular round’s ‘director,’ leading to some unexpected strategy when coming up with films you’re certain they’ve seen. Indeed, players attempting to show off their vast knowledge of obscure European independent cinema might find their pretensions backfiring. Overall, Double Feature is great party title for friends and families, and crucially manages to work well for both the young and old.