Wits & Wagers

We’ve been griping for years that Xbox Live Arcade needs a breath of fresh air, a truly original departure from Ye Latest Olde Retro Port. Wits & Wagers is just that — a genius quiz-show game that ranks right up there with classics like You Don’t Know Jack.

The best part of this trivia game is that you can be a total knucklehead and still mop the floor with your smartypants friends. Wits & Wagers is far less about knowing the age of our planet or the year Braille was invented (or other numerical facts), and far more about how well you bet. The game goes like this: A hardcore trivia question is asked — one that you have only the faintest chance of actually being able to answer correctly. It’s usually not too hard to get within spitting distance, and a small pile of chips is awarded to the player who gets closest to the right answer without going over it.

But the real payoff goes to the best gambler. After everyone makes their guess, their choices are displayed on the screen, and you can bet chips on up to two of the answers. If you put five chips on the right answer and it pays at 6:1, you’re suddenly far ahead of the genius who actually answered right. The resulting social dynamic is absolutely a blast as you talk trash about each other’s answers and bets, and generally have a grand old time.

Yes, Wits & Wagers is best played with friends. We have no doubt that whoever owns the leaderboards will be some chump who sits there with a laptop Googling his way to “victory.” And yes, the bare-bones presentation should be far more engaging. The contestants’ ever-changing costumes are a hoot, but the backdrop is bland and the droning music belongs in only the most irritating kind of alarm clock.

As with Scene It?, there’s no single-player mode to speak of (unless you enjoy playing against some A.I. tools). But there’s also no reason to miss it: Wits & Wagers lets up to six players connect over Live from any combo of 360s and couches (for example, three players from one house and 360, two from another, one from a third), or four players can gather around a single console. This flexibility allows Wits & Wagers to do exactly what a good party game should — let you laugh your ass off and have fun with your friends. Good job, XBLA — more like this, please.