Exploring the Exciting New Group Games Paranoia and Medusa from LowerShelf Games

Colorful Eggs. Text reads April Game Releases.

Happy April! Spring is coming in hot with 2 new games added to LowerShelf Games' Gamebase this month!

Each month LowerShelf Games releases new game ideas and adds them to our site for all users to learn from. In April, we had two really fun group games, Paranoia and Medusa! Both have their own unique gameplay, and provide players with lots of excitement and laughs.

Paranoia Game:

The 1st game released was Paranoia. Paranoia is a hilarious group game built to either build friendships.... or break them.

Game Paranoia, image showing a paranoid person

What's the gist?

The game starts with all players gathering into a circle. From here, players will be whispering a secret question into their neighbors ear. The player will then shout out a player they think the question best applies to. After a coin flip, the player must then reveal what the question was, or hold onto the secret for good.

When do we play?

We see this as a great game for a small or medium size group when everyone just wants to hangout at the end of a night. Maybe sitting around a nice campfire, hanging out in the living room or basement of your friends house, or even with some downtime at a school or a bar.

Key to Paranoia being a successful game:

The key to the game is being thoughtful about your questions. To keep the conversations and answers friendly, we suggest making the questions fun and uplifting. Examples could include, Who do you think will be the next president? Who is the funniest person here? Who lights up a room when they walk into it?

The game is so much fun, and really keeps people on their toes when anticipating if the secret is revealed or not.

To learn the full rules and video tutorial check out How to Play Paranoia in LowerShelf's Gamebase

Medusa Game:

The 2nd Game released in April was Medusa. Medusa is the game where you learn eye contact might not be the best way to communicate.

Paranoia Game, Image showing Medusa statue with some Greek or Roman Columns

What's the gist?

Medusa is based on the mythological figure Medusa, who was said to turn people to stone when they looked into their eyes. This game harnesses that eye contact and brings it into a group gameplay! Players put their heads down, and on a 3-2-1 count, pick their heads up and look at another player in the group. Any players who make eye contact lose the round, and must complete a penalty before the next round begins.

When do we play?

As for the typical scenario or place to play this game, we suggest, anyone looking for a fast paced, easy to learn and no material environment. This group game is perfect for large groups. The best places for this could be an ice breaker between friends, strangers, or even families. It makes people make eye contact, which helps build connections, but is also quickly paced to the point where there are no lulls in gameplay.

Key to Medusa being a successful game:

The key to making this game as successful as possible, is picking a good penalty. A good penalty that is safe and creative is going to keep players engaged. When thinking of a penalty, you want something funny, but not humiliating. Examples could include running around the room on all fours (hands and feet), or even having to sing a couple lines from a song they know.