Scruples is the latest in a long line of board games to be translated to the Spectrum, and requires the players to answer awkward and often embarrassing questions.
The game is played by three to ten human or computer-controlled players, with each player having a different character make-up. Human players choose their own personalities, and if the computer plays, it decides for itself what son of a person it is. Each player chooses a face from the ten provided, which is displayed next to the board, and the action begins.
Each player has from three to five question cards, and answer cards with 'yes', 'no' and 'depends ' on them. The bottom of the screen provides prompts for asking questions and challenging answers.
If a player thinks that another player's answer to a question is incorrect, he may challenge, and the other players vote on whether the challenge is to be accepted or not. The penalty for losing a challenge is an extra question card. Since the objective is to get rid of all the question cards, this isn't desirable - so be honest… even if you have to embarrass yourself!
Comments
Joysticks: Cursor, Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: plain, but effective
Sound: reasonable tunes and jingles are played throughout
Options: three to ten human or computer-controlled players
Nick ... 73%
'I haven't played the board game, but if it's anything like the computer game, it must be pretty good. The graphics are excellent with very neat playing cards and people with different expressions on their faces. There are cheerful jingles and tunes played throughout the game, adding that extra 'je ne sais quoi'. Answering the rather embarrassing questions is a lot of fun too - although I did find it a little dull when playing with computer opponents - they're just too inhuman! Scruples is an excellent conversion of the board game, which should definitely be played in a group!'
Bym ... 75%
'Certainly a game to sit down to with a gang of friends for a long winter evening of self-generated entertainment. However, I much prefer the board game - it brings out the true character in people by the way they answer, as opposed to setting the characteristics with the computer. Lively debates don't occur between computer opponents - it's far more fun playing with a couple or group of humans. Try it for family playing.'
'Putting the electronic element into Scruples has really killed the board game. It's not as much fun knowing what the computer thinks, compared to seeing -other people cringe at their own answers. The implementation is sound, but the game doesn't project itself enough for any 'real' fun. I doubt very much whether players of the Scruples board game will find much fun in the computer version - I know I didn't.'