Game Review
Marrying Mr. Darcy, or How I Came To Love This Game
I’d be completely remiss if I didn’t dedicate a post to this wonderfully executed, humorous take on a literary classic, Marrying Mr. Darcy.
Marrying Mr. Darcy is a witty card game based on world-famous author Jane Austen’s novel, Pride and Prejudice. The game was conceived of and created by fellow Wisconsinite, Dr. Erika Svanoe (originally from Whitewater, WI), who is a “conductor, musician, and lover of all things Austen.” The game is a hybrid of sorts in that it’s a card game and it’s a bit of a role-playing game. Players take on the heroines of the story and compete against each other for the most suitable suitor. Sound a touch quaint? Well, it’s a wonderfully humorous take on an era in time where that was the reality and what makes it fun is watching how fierce play gets as the best opportunities to snag the most sought-after suitors get snatched up by your rivals the closer you get to the end game.
I had the happy experience of purchasing a copy of the game–and the “Undead Expansion”–directly from Erika at Gen Con a few years back. My son and I were looking for games that we thought my wife would like or get a kick out of and knowing that she’s a major bookworm, has read most of, if not all of, Jane Austen’s novels, and has a wicked fast sense of humor, I thought this game sounded like a stitch to bring home.
Our first crack at the game was with family during a truly wonderful holiday visit to their new home. Seven of us sat down to play the game: Three married couples, all avid readers and well familiar with Pride and Prejudice, and my son, not at all familiar with the subject matter but one heck of a game player. What unfolded over the next hour or so was absolutely hilarious. As each person took on the role of their respective heroine and got farther into the game, the competition grew more intense as players found and exercised their heroine’s “voice” while laying the smackdown on their competition with cards such as “Scandal! You are caught kissing an officer of the militia” and “Scandal! Your gown was deemed far too revealing” while simultaneously boosting their own status with cards such as “Mother’s Favourite” or “Belle of the Ball.”
It was a fun game that gave everyone lots of laughs and smiles, and even after it grew late into the night and the first wave went off to bed, a few night owls stayed up and started a new round.
If you’re a literary fan, a Jane Austen fan, a Regency Era fan, or you just like a rip-snorting good card game, add Marrying Mr. Darcy to your shopping cart post-haste! We have it here along with the Undead Expansion and the Emma Expansion:
Marrying Mr. Darcy
Marrying Mr. Darcy: Undead Expansion
Marrying Mr. Darcy: Emma Expansion
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