Hitster Summer Party Game Review

Hitster Summer Party

WBG Score: 7.5/10

Player Count: 2-10

You’ll like this if you like: Pop song trivia!

Published by: Jumbo

Designed by: Marcus Carleson

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

I have reviewed the main game, Hitster, you can check that out here. This is the Summer Party edition. The same game, but all new songs, and all focused our Summer hits through the ages. Ranging from the 1929 hit from José Fernández, Guarjira Guantanamera (which you will know!) to 2024 bangers such as Sabrina Carpenters' Espresso.

How To Set Up Hitster Summer Party

Remove the cards from the deck and shuffle them. Distribute one card to each player. Players should place this card face up in front of them to establish their starting year. Any card will suffice for this purpose. Players do not need to recognise the song on the card; they just need a year to begin with. Next, provide each player with two Hitster tokens, and open (or download for free) the Hitster app, syncing it to your Spotify account if you have one. If you don't, downloading Spotify is not necessary, but it is preferable to do so and log into an account. However, it will still function without an account by connecting automatically to the free version. You are now ready to play.

How To Play Hitster

Begin by deciding whether to play individually or in teams. Each participant or team receives one music card, as described above. Now, designate one player as the DJ. This person is responsible for scanning the QR codes on the music cards and playing the corresponding songs using the Hitster app. For the best experience, it's recommended to use Spotify Premium, though the game is also compatible with Spotify Free.

Players take turns in a clockwise direction. On your turn, draw the top card from the deck without flipping it over. Scan the QR code on the back using the Hitster app; the song will begin to play. Based on when you believe the song was released, place the card face down on your timeline. If you think it's older than your existing cards, place it to the left. If you believe it's newer, place it to the right. If you think it fits somewhere in the middle, place it accordingly. After placing the card, flip it to reveal its release year. If correctly placed, it stays on your timeline. If misplaced, discard it, unless another player tries to claim it with a Hitster token. Before a player reveals their card, if you suspect it's incorrectly placed, you can challenge by calling out "Hitster!" and placing one of your tokens on the spot where you believe the card should go. If you are right, you keep the card.

Before revealing the card, if you can correctly name both the song title and the artist, you will earn an extra Hitster token, even if you misplace the card on your timeline. Play then proceeds to the next player. The game continues with players taking turns, placing cards, and trying to build a correct musical timeline. The first person to get ten cards correctly placed wins the game.

If you'd rather play as a group, you can play in larger teams. In this version, each team starts with five Hitster tokens. You can also change the difficulty level. For a more challenging experience, players must name the song title and artist correctly on their turn to keep the card. For an even trickier version, they must also guess the exact year the song was released.

To play Hitster, you’ll need someone with the Hitster app installed and a Spotify account. While it works with Spotify Free, Spotify Premium offers a smoother experience.

So, grab your phones, scan those songs, and test your music knowledge.

Is It Fun? Hitster Summer Party Game Review

I loved the original version of this game, and this one is just as good. The summer vibes work perfectly for this time of year, and I have yet to get this out with any group and not have a wonderful time! I am not sure you needed more cards from the base game, as I have played it so much! And I am not bored of those cards yet; they are all great songs. Also, I don't know them all yet; you cannot possibly know them all. Although, I suppose there are a few I recognize quicker now. But, saying that, having the choice of the base game and now this summer one is a choice I relish! It's nice to have more cards; it's nice to have them themed this way. And now, unreservedly, I demand more!

Looking into it, there are a few other version of this game. A Guilty Pleasures version, A Rock one, A Bingo edition, and a few more too! If you like the idea of testing your music trivia in a fun, light, and group friendly way, well, there is certainly a version of this for you out there.

Just like the base game, the variety in this edition is wonderful. Despite all being "Summer" themed, which essentially just means fun, light songs, there are all sorts of genres, artists, and eras covered. There will be something for everyone. And even if you are not the biggest music aficionado, you will be able to contribute in this game somehow. As such, I find this is best played in a group. It's fun to bring different ages together in a game of Hitster, to span the decades, and bring groups together through a mutual love of music and party games! What could be better?