Dixit Overview
Dixit is a game about imagination. You are presented with a hand of abstract art cards and you are to find meaning in them within the frame of reference of who you are playing with. Most of the cards are presented so well that if you saw them in an art gallery, you wouldn’t think twice about why it is there. The game itself plays quickly enough where players are competing for points.
You can get points in 2 different ways. The first way is when it is your turn, you choose a card from your hand and describe it with as little detail as possible. The other players will then take your hint and choose a card from their hand that they feel correspond to the hint you have given. The cards are then shuffled faced down and revealed. The other players will then choose which card you were describing among the cards. As long as one person guesses right, you will get points, unless everyone guesses right, that would give you no points. The second way to get points is when it is not your turn and your card misleads someone else from the correct card. These are very useful game mechanics as it keeps players engaged even if it isn’t their turn.
This game can be played with anyone and the dynamics of the game change based on who you play with. If you play this game with a group of friends, you can expect a lot of inside jokes and stories as hints. If you play it with new acquaintances, it forces players to look for details in the cards. It can also be played by 3-6 players in one sitting, other variants of the board game can play 12 players with one board but the rules of the game change significantly.
This game is inspiring and I highly suggest it for courses that promote creativity. The artwork is beautiful while remaining accessible.
How to play in class (Difficulty: Easy)
The game time can last from 45 minutes to an hour and a half depending on how long it takes to set up the game and how comfortable the students are with the game. The game’s run time can also be manipulated by changing the amount of points required to win the game. This allows the flexibility of completing this game in one class sitting.
I suggest playing this game at 6 players per board and not the possible 12 players in the Dixit Odyssey version. You can choose to have teams of 2-3 and play with the base game rules. Ensure that you have a document camera set up in that case so that everyone can see the cards.
Courses you may consider for this game
- Art
- English
- Drama
- Psychology
Assessments Exemplars
- Grade 9 English
- Grade 11 Introduction to Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology
- Grade 12 The Writer’s Craft
Teaching With Board Games 