10 Video Games That Cost ALL YOUR FRIENDS
1. Mario Party
If you thought Mario Kart’s cruel disregard for player skill was something, it seems positively egalitarian compared to Mario Party.
A Mario-themed board game seems harmless enough, but even accepting how most of the mini-games split the difference between being luck and skill-based, that can all amount to a hill o’ beans by game’s end.
As anyone who’s played a Mario Party game will know, it’s quite possible to crater from first place to last in the final round of the game, all because one of your rivals got the opportunity to steal some of your precious shiny stars.
The sheer randomness of it feels almost callous in how eagerly it disregards player performance throughout the entire game, ensuring that winners and losers feel decided largely on a whim.
As such, it’s incredibly difficult not to seethe with indignant, impotent rage all while your friend beams with joy at their “hard-earned” victory.
Much as physical board games can fracture relationships, Mario Party seems intent on telling players young and old that their hard work means nothing on a cosmic scale, and it can all be torn asunder at a moment’s notice. Nice.