Hitster Guilty Pleasures Party Game Review

Jim Gamer
2 hours ago
4 min read

Hitster Guilty Pleasures

WBG Score: 7.5/10

Player Count: 2-10

You’ll like this if you like: Cheesy pop songs!

Published by: Jumbo

This is a free review copy. See our review policy here.

I have covered the main game of Hitster here, where you can also read my how-to-play guide if you want to check out the rules. So, here we will just cover what's new with this version of the game and discuss if it is for you or not. But what's a guilty pleasure I hear you cry? Well, it's those songs you pretend to hate but actually love! They are not cool. They are not from fashionable artists. But they are catchy, fun, sing-along-able, and will make you smile. So long as no one else is looking! So, strap in, put on your glad rags, and let's get dancing to some of the greatest guilty pleasures of all time!

How To Set Up And Play Hitster Guilty Pleasures Party Game

There is a full set up guide and how to play in my original review, you can see here, but here is a brief overview.

Shuffle the deck and deal one card face up to each player as their starting song and year. Give everyone two Hitster tokens. Then open the free Hitster app and sync it with your Spotify account, premium works best, but the free version also connects automatically.

On your turn, scan the QR code on the top card of the deck using the Hitster app. The song will start playing automatically. Don’t flip the card yet. Decide if the song came out before or after the song in your row. If you think it’s older, place it to the left of your row. If it’s newer, place it to the right. Then flip the card to reveal the year. If you’re correct, it stays. If you’re wrong, discard it. Play then passes to the next player.

As the game continues, you’ll build a timeline of songs. When you place a new card, slot it exactly where you think it belongs in your row before flipping it over. Songs released close together can make this tricky!

Before the active player flips their card, others may play a Hitster token if they think the card has been placed incorrectly. If they’re right, they steal the card for their own row. You can earn more Hitster tokens by correctly naming the song title and artist before flipping the card. Three tokens can also be traded for a free card from the top of the deck. You can even use a token to skip your turn if you’re unsure.

The first player to collect 10 correct cards wins, or you can just play for fun. You can also play in teams, starting with five Hitster tokens each (fewer for a tougher game). For added difficulty, require players to name the artist and song to keep a card, or even the exact year for a real challenge.

Is It Fun? Hitster Guilty Pleasures Party Game Review

OK, so this is just the same game, just with a load more cards. And they are all themed, like the other expansions/versions of this game, to one specific type of song. Here, guilty pleasures. Bangers from all decades, all eras, all types of artists, but always those cheeky ones you know you shouldn't really love, but you just do!

I adore this game and find that every time I play it, I have a great time. I like party games. I like music. I like large group activities. This ticks all the boxes. I rarely use the tokens or play by the rules. We just have fun with the cards, usually splitting into two or three teams, trying to get people of all music tastes into each team, and then go at it! Who can get the most cards by the time we get bored? That's how I like to play, and it always works.

Will this work for you and your group? Well, do you like these types of songs? If not, I would suggest it may drive you and a few of your friends and family crazy. I have a few people in my family who are a little snobby when it comes to their taste and will pretend to hate every song that is played! But then the drinks start to flow, the songs continue to bang out, and people are suddenly all singing to "In the Air Tonight" like it's the greatest song of all time!

I would suggest most would therefore adore this in the right mindset. But others will detest the music in this game when not! You need to judge based on the taste of music your group has. If you want more classic choices, try the base game. There is then a Summer edition, covered also on WBG; you can check that out here. There is also a movies one, a Christmas one, and many, many more. More to come too, I'm sure. Just pick the one that works for you! Here is what the app looks like, its well worth downloading!

Pros:

Instantly fun, accessible, and social gameplay
Brilliant song selection that sparks laughter and nostalgia
Works perfectly with large groups and parties
Smooth app integration with Spotify
Flexible rules that allow for casual or competitive play

Cons:

Music selection won’t appeal to everyone
Limited variety if you already own multiple Hitster sets
Rules are simple, so long-term replayability relies on group energy

Hitster: Guilty Pleasures cranks up the karaoke chaos of the original game with a playlist of gloriously cheesy hits you’ll pretend to hate but secretly know every word to. It’s fast, funny, and perfect for players who don’t mind a bit of musical embarrassment as they guess when these pop gems were released. With simple setup, seamless Spotify integration, and a crowd-pleasing mix of trivia and sing-along madness, it’s a guaranteed hit at any party, unless your group takes music way too seriously. For everyone else, it’s pure, joyful cringe in a box.