If you've ever played with these word refrigerator magnets, Ransom Notes will give you an instant dose of nostalgia. It also has what I consider the most important quality in a party game: it doesn't require any complicated rules, settings, or explanations. Each round begins with a card with open-ended questions, such as “describe a scary disease.” Players are given a number of magnetic word tiles, from which they then put together a (usually slightly nonsensical) answer to that round's clue. Each “ransom note” can be as complex (or not) as you want. You may have the perfect set of words to craft a plausible answer, but more often than not you'll have to get a little creative with your answer. Sometimes one or two words are enough.
Either way, the mix of word tiles that leans a little on the PG-13 side but isn't as foul-mouthed as more “adult” party games like Cards Against Humanity is such that fun is almost guaranteed to ensue. Officially, each round must have a “winner” and the game ends after a predetermined number of rounds have been completed. But it will be just as fun if you forget about keeping score and just let everyone try to come up with the funniest, most random notes they can think of. — Carissa Bell, senior reporter