In my home, we enjoy settling in and playing board games as a family. Sure, the babies are a bit young, but it gives us a way to connect with our oldest, who is in middle school. Game time is HIS time, at least for now. Once the munchkins get older, they'll be included as well. Family game night gives us all a wonderful opportunity to unwind together, forget about work, chores, and homework, and just have fun together. Playing games together is a great way to relieve stress and come together at the end of the day. We have a ton of games that we enjoy, and we try and play at least one game every week.

We also enjoy having friends over for casual dinners and popping out a board game or two. With 3 kids in the house, we don't get the opportunity to get out much, so a few friends, a bottle of wine or three, and a board game can make for a fun-filled evening. Plus, I am pretty competitive. I am "The Queen of Useless Information", and generally do not lose when playing games, especially games that rely on knowledge. My favorites? Battle of the Sexes and Trivial Pursuit. Be forewarned before heading over to my house for Grown-Up Game Night: I am GOOD.

It's rare that I find a game that can be played both with the family as well as for more grown-up occasions. That's why I was so excited to learn about a great game from McNeill Designs called You've Been Sentenced. You've Been Sentenced is not your ordinary board game! You see, this game is never the same game twice. With countless variations of play as well as some great themed add-on decks, there are endless possibilities. The object of the game? Simple. Draw 10 cards from the deck and try your hardest to make a proper sentence using all of the words. This isn't as easy as it sounds, since the cards contain funny words, historic figures, places, and even wild cards. The catch? You have to form an ACTUAL sentence. You don't, however, need to keep a straight face while doing so. You can choose to use all 10 cards in your sentence, or just a few of them. Of course, the more words used in the sentence, the funnier the sentence will be, and the higher your potential score.

The real fun begins when players have to read their sentences out loud and explain what they mean to the rest of players. They form the jury and vote thumbs up or down on whether the sentence and justification stand and the points are scored. 540 cards with over 2,500 words insure billions of possible sentences so the game is never repetitive and has unlimited re-play value. There are even more possibilities when using the add-on decks. My son loves the NASA Space themed deck while I love the cooking deck and the Pop Culture decks!

Check out this brief game demo:

How much fun is that?! You've Been Sentenced is a unique game that allows you to hone your mastery of the English language and laugh your pants off in the process. I love games that are educational but don't SEEM like learning games. After all, kids spend enough time in school. They don't want to come home and feel like they're having an extra English lesson. While playing You've Been Sentenced, older children and adults alike can have a blast while learning something new. My husband is has horrid spelling and grammar, so this game is as beneficial to him as it is to our oldest child!

We're really enjoying this game. We've played it as a family as well as with adult friends, and it was a total hit! Did I mention that You've Been Sentenced can be a rather hilarious drinking game?! While we do not drink often, we do enjoy occasionally getting together with friends and unwinding. We put a spin on the game where if someone made a sentence that got a thumbs down from the jury, they had to take a drink. Needless to say, I remained completely sober while my husband was a little wobbly by the time the game was over. That just gives him added incentive to brush up on his grammar before we have the next You've Been Sentenced get-together!

In my opinion, You've Been Sentenced is a must-have game for anyone who likes to laugh....Which should be all of us, right? Okay, so maybe the grumpy old woman down the street who screams out her window at kids riding their bikes while her 20 cats climb on her wouldn't like it, but I guarantee you, the rest of the general population will get a major kick out of this game. It's great fun for older kids and adults alike, and since the game is never repetitive, you won't get bored by it. You've Been Sentenced has maximum replay value, and is sure to be one of our go-to games when we're in the mood for a few (hundred) laughs!

McNeill Designs also offers some other great games like Twisted Fish or even the dreaded Wheel of Choreture you'll want to check out, too! We all love Twisted Fish, and my husband and I think the Wheel of Choreture is absolutely ingenious. I have to admit, my son HATES it, since he spins the wheel to get a chore assignment. I wonder what the folks at McNeill Designs will come up with next? I'd love to see a trivia game, personally! If they created a game that makes trivia as fun as they make forming a proper sentence, I would be the first in line to buy it!

HOW TO CONNECT:

You can check out this and other awesome games on the McNeill Designs website!

You can also find these games online and at several fine retailers near you!

You can also become a fan of You've Been Sentenced on Facebook and on twitter for even more fun!

WIN IT:

One very lucky reader will be receiving a Family Game Night Prize Package from the awesome folks at McNeill Designs!!

Please use this easy Rafflecopter form to enter.


This giveaway is open to US residents 18+ until 12:00AM on February 1, 2012. No PO Boxes. Winner will be drawn using Rafflecopter's Random Number Generator. All entries will be verified, so play fair! I will notify winner via e-mail and they will have 48 hours to reply before I am forced to redraw winners. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. This contest is not affiliated with Facebook in any way. Thanks for entering, and Good Luck!

***Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate my review. No other compensation was provided and all opinions are 100% honest and have not been influenced in any way.***