Hi Emily,

This is part-AP and part-confession.  Let's do the confession part first.

When I initially heard about Breaking the Ice however-long-ago that was, my immediate gut reaction was "Oh, come ON!  That won't be fun!"  I don't know what it was about the game (or rather, the idea of the game) that rubbed me the wrong way.  But there it is: me, Darcy Burgess, monstrously predisposed to hating Breaking the Ice.

The flip side of have strong gut reactions to lots of things is that you eventually learn that your gut isn't always right.  So, when I had the opportunity to try the game out, I did.

It was really, really fun.  On a whole bunch of levels.  I loved getting to know these two characters.  I loved what I call the "shiny thing" appeal of the game -- racking up scores is fun.  I loved rooting for Mitch and Jesse -- they were such nice people, why couldn't they just be happy together?

We only made it through the first date.  However, I'm itching to finish the game -- I need to know how the story ends.  I'm dying to find out if Mitch and Jesse can rekindle their fire (we cranked the Attraction up to 4 or 5 points by the end of the date, and it all went poof!).

This is me, standing here (arms akimbo), saying how very very glad I am to be proven wrong.

Cheers,
Darcy

The irony is that we were playing it inadvertently drifted (totally my bad!): rerolling Compatibility Dice and Bonus Dice instead of Attraction Dice and Bonus Dice; awarding scaled Attraction Dice instead of the whole lot; a few other details. When I played again by the correct rules a few days ago, I practically cackled with glee over the great handful of dice I had to roll.

I like that the snowballing excitement of the scores keeps pace with characters' development. It makes the discovery worth something, and exciting, and I think mirrors quite well the excitement of learning about the other person that exists in all budding relationships.

You guys made my day. :)

Thank you, Darcy. For your honesty and for your excitement. Your initial reaction is a not uncommon one to the idea of the game. But I'm glad you gave it a shot! There is something so sweet about making up the characters.  They seem so human some how.  I guess it's because we've all felt that vulnerability you feel when you start a relationship. It's easy to relate.

And don't give up hope! The game is designed to leave you with cliffhangers like that. But the momentum builds over time.

And this:

When I played again by the correct rules a few days ago, I practically cackled with glee over the great handful of dice I had to roll.

I have a whole pile more that I want to say, but I really, really think it would be best if I held off until I finish the other two dates.  I want to see the whole thing in action.

Cheers,
Darcy

Hey Darcy, you're not alone. I had the exact same experience of intensely disliking the game without playing it, then loving it when I actually did play.