Anomia

Gameplay

If your idea of a party game involves fast-paced card flipping and lots of shouting over other players, Anomia is the perfect game for you. The gameplay is simple: there is one deck of cards, each card featuring a topic and a symbol. Place the deck of cards in the center of the play area and take turns flipping a card from the main deck into individual face-up piles—one for each player.

If, when a card is flipped, the symbol matches that of another player’s top card, a faceoff ensues. Each player competes to name an example of the topic on their opponent’s card. The first to do so keeps their opponent’s card, which will be worth one point at the end of the game.

With one card coming out of play, a new one is revealed. If that card’s symbol matches with another player’s, another faceoff begins. This process repeats until no symbols match, and then the flipping over of the main deck continues.

There are also a few wild cards in the deck. If a wild card is drawn, place it in the middle of the play area. The wild card will feature two different symbols, but when the wild card is played, those symbols become a match until another wild card is played and replaces it.

If there is a tie, meaning players shout their word at the same time, a fresh card is drawn from the deck and the tied players must compete to shout an example of the chosen topic. The first to do so wins their opponent’s card.

Game continues until the deck runs out—whoever has the most points at the end of the game wins!

History

Andrew Innes came up with the idea for Anomia when he was about 12 years old, and held onto that idea for many years, first building a prototype in his early 30s. In 2009, he founded Anomia Press and crowdsourced to fund the very first edition of Anomia. Halfway through the year, he had pre-sold over 500 copies of Anomia and began production. By Thanksgiving, those pre-sold games were shipped, and he sold another 500 before Christmas. By the end of 2010, he’d sold over 25,000 copies, and the game took off from there!

Variations

Over the years, there have been a few different variations of Anomia, each bringing a new set of cards into the game. The first variation, Anomia 2.0, simply brings new categories to the table. Anomia Kids brings kid-friendly categories, and Anomia Pop Culture has categories referencing movies, music, television, and more of that variety. Anomia Party Edition increases the number of cards in a deck and adds blank cards, allowing you to customize categories. Of course, what’s a party game without a NSFW edition—you’ll find that with Anomia X, as in, X-rated.

Reception & Awards

In 2010, Anomia won the Mensa Select Game of the Year Award and the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association Best Toy For Kids award. The following year, the National Parenting Center gave the game their “Seal of Approval.”

In 2014, Anomia won the Best Party Game award at the UK Games Expo, and in 2016, Anomia Party Edition won the National Parenting Product Award. In 2018, Anomia Kids won another National Parenting Product Award as well as the Parents’ Choice Award, and most recently, in 2023, Wirecutter featured Anomia on their list of the 11 Best Board Games [as of] 2023.