This review is for the MATTEL GAMES Future Me Problems Card Game featuring Sarah's Scribbles. I received a free taxable sample of this card game to review in my search for a game to play during family game night. The card game arrived in a branded and whimsically decorated two-piece box with "Future Me Problems" and a funny scribble on the front and upper sides along with a general description of the gameplay on the bottom. Inside the box was a set of printed instructions, a deck of Schedule cards, and a deck of Activity cards. There are two types of cards in this game - Schedule cards and Activity cards, all of which feature art based on Sarah's Scribbles. I have to admit that I had never heard of Sarah's Scribbles before this card game, so it was a pleasant "educational" activity checking out the webcomic and appreciating how the relatable humor translated into this crowdfunded game from Mattel Creations and Sarah Andersen. There are 54x Schedule cards across seven types (Nap, Free Time, Draw Cards, Swap Player, Give Cards, Flip Deck, More Work) each of which measures 2" x 3 3/8". Each of the different types of Schedule cards features a scribble specific to that type, with my favorite being the scribble for Give Cards that depicts a shower of money raining down around the protagonist. The 42x Activity cards differ from the Schedule cards in intended function, dimension (2 1/2" square), and that each features a unique (within the set) activity + scribble. Even though the Activity card point values range from -5 through +3, the average value across the Activity cards is closer to +1. My favorites (most relatable) among the Activity cards include the Online Shopping, Infinite Scroll, and Get Up on Time cards. Gameplay was fairly easy to learn for younger and older testers with the main objective of this card game being to amass the highest net value of points from Activity cards. The points-based objective was a nice change from the last person or kitten standing/unexploded format that we've been playing recently. Even though the younger testers didn't fully understand the implications of having a schedule or the importance of task avoidance, it was easy enough for everyone to play Schedule cards in their hands and lay out a sequence of actions to draw Activity cards (generally positive expected value/points) and task another player with More Work (putting points back into the Activity card deck). The only two rules when forming a hand are: no two card colors/types can be played side-by-side; and a turn must end with a nap using either a dedicated nap card or a card marked with a nap icon. Average time per game was about 20 minutes and gameplay was fairly quick and interactive with a good amount of Swap Player plus More Work combinations being used. Since the game ends when the Large Important Task Activity card is drawn, the Flip Deck actually plays a pivotal role in extending overall game time as well as strategically allowing players to Draw Cards from the positive value Activity Cards previously placed on the bottom of the deck from More Work. Overall, it was an enjoyable low-stress experience being able to plan out your own "schedule" to Draw Cards, occasionally put others to do More Work, and proceed to take an all-important Nap. All in all, the Future Me Problems card game from MATTEL GAMES is an easy to learn card game with great scribbles, humorous Activity cards, and engaging gameplay. Hopefully in the future they'll release the themed play mat and Pets (!) Activity card expansion pack, but in the meantime, I would recommend this as a good option for family game night, especially if your family understands the relevance and humor of avoiding responsibility and The Large Important Task.
