Scruples (game)
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It has been suggested that Henry Makow be merged into this article or section. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2011. |
| The Game of Moral Dilemmas | |
|---|---|
| Designer(s) | Henry Makow |
| Publisher(s) | High Game Enterprises |
| Players | 4–12 |
| Setup time | 1 minute |
| Playing time | about 1 hour |
| Random chance | Low (card drawing, luck) |
| Skill(s) required | Simple Social skills Bluffing |
Scruples (full title "A Question of Scruples"), is a board game based on ethical dilemmas. Players are given five yellow cards with a moral dilemma such as "You accidentally damage a car in a parking lot. Do you leave a note with your name and phone number?" The player also has one red card, with either YES, NO, or DEPENDS written on it. The player must ask the question to the person who they most think will reply with the answer on the red card. If the answer matches the red card, the player asking the question gets rid of their yellow card and red card, and picks up a new red card. In this way, the game tests how well players know the other players. The game is over when someone gets rid of all five cards.
The game was invented by Henry Makow in 1984 and developed by High Game Enterprises.[1] It was later sold to Hasbro, who marketed the game (partly through Parker Brothers) for several years. The game has since sold over seven million copies worldwide and has been translated into five languages.[citation needed]
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[edit] Original Version
The game was originally designed and marketed by Henry Makow in 1984, who later sold the rights to Hasbro Canada in 1986 for approximately one million dollars.[citation needed] Under Hasbro, the game sold over seven million copies. Hasbro later returned the rights to High Game Enterprises, who continues to market the game to this day.
[edit] Millennium Edition
Due to the cultural aspect of the moral dilemma questions, Scruples is updated every five years. The Millennium edition is the latest version, which contains about 1/3 of the questions in the original Hasbro version and 2/3 new questions.[1]
[edit] Computer Versions
Popularity of the game led to several computer versions developed by Leisure Genius in 1987. Versions were released for the Commodore 64[2], ZX Spectrum[3] and Amstrad CPC[4].
[edit] In popular culture
The game was featured in the first season episode of Everybody Loves Raymond, "The Game".
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ "Game Gauges Players' Scruples By Putting Them To The Test". United Press International. September 25, 1985. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/orlandosentinel/access/91720125.html?dids=91720125:91720125&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+25,+1985&author=Graham+Rockingham,+United+Press+International&pub=Orlando+Sentinel&desc=GAME+GAUGES+PLAYERS'+SCRUPLES+BY+PUTTING+THEM+TO+THE+TEST&pqatl=google. Retrieved 2010-11-17. "Scruples was born last summer when Henry Makow sold his house for $35000, using the money to produce an inital 5,000 copies of Scruples for Canadian distribution."
