Distributed by Bananagrams Inc., Linkee is the shout-out family party game designed for kids (and adults) ages 14 and up. Included in the box are four mini pencils, four blank writing pads, three tall stacks of question cards, and one set of very helpful instructions.
Most trivia games reward players for shouting out correct answers to carefully structured questions, right? Well it’s refreshing to say that Linkee is not like most games. Instead, this quiz game requires players to discover the hidden link between a number of correct answers. Let me break it down for you:
Every question card in the Linkee box has a letter on the back. On the front side are four questions that have one unique link between their four correct answers. For example, if the answers to the four questions on a single card are “bread,” “republic,” “boat,” and “split,” then the correct link would be “banana.” To win the card (and earn the letter on the back), teams must be the first to guess all four answers and then ultimately figure out the link between them. Guessing the link is the goal here, since that is what earns teams a card. The first player or team to spell the word “Linkee” with their hard-earned cards wins the game!
To start, one person must volunteer to be the Question Master. This person is responsible for reading the cards out loud to the rest of the players, and despite not being in the running for the Linkee crown, they’ll undoubtedly have the coolest job title in the room. They’re basically like Headmaster Dumbledore overlooking the Hogwarts Welcoming Feast in the Great Hall. And for groups that don’t want to single out a Question Master, they can choose to alternate and have each team take turns reading the questions.
Each team then grabs a pencil and a pad. The pad isn’t needed, but it’s definitely helpful for teams to keep track of their answers each round. The Question Master (QM) draws the first question card and shows all of the teams the letter they’re playing for.  The QM then reads all four questions aloud while the teams attempt to answer them and find the link (or Linkee) between all four solutions. My favorite aspect about this part of the game is that the QM is not allowed to reveal the answers to any of the four questions until the Linkee is discovered. This means that teams with more correct answers have a better chance of discovering the link between them. So even though the answers don’t necessarily earn points, they certainly matter.
Questions cover a wide range of topics, making Linkee suitable for both teenagers and adults. There are questions on geography, math, pop cultue, art and literature, history, and everything in between. In fact, Linkee is written by the people, for the people. Fans of the game can go here to create their own Linkee question card for a chance to have it printed. Who better to give the people what they want then the people, am I right? I found some of the questions to be quite challenging, which is fine because every game of Linkee then becomes a chance to learn something new.
When a team believes they have discovered the link, they must shout “Linkee.” Shouting “Linkee” marks the point of no return, as teams that do so are required to answer. If a team shouts out the wrong link they must sit out until the next card is drawn. Shout wisely folks! Linkee is a fast-paced game capable of taking command at any family party or group gathering. And since everyone plays at the same time, that dry period of waiting your turn is a thing of the past.
Linkee is best played with teams, but the instructions also explain how two players can enjoy a head-to-head battle. And for those with a phobia of instruction sheets and user manuals, there’s this:
