From the Toysit archive
Wise and Otherwise
Picture Wise and Otherwise’s board, pencils and unfinished sayings, then create a small illustrated book of original garden sayings.
The play at a glance
A saying waiting for its last few words
Wise and Otherwise gives a table of writers the same beginning and invites each person to imagine an ending. The original photograph shows a dark box, a long patterned board, pencils and pale writing pads. Those small sheets are the stage: a few words can turn a promising beginning into advice, a joke or a surprising little scene.Several endings, one beginning
In Toysit’s original account, a card supplies the beginning of a saying, and players write possible completions. Their alternatives are read alongside the card’s ending before the group chooses which one it believes is the supplied answer. The game’s pleasure lies in that pause before the reveal, when several very different sentences can all sound convincing.
Try noticing how an ending changes the tone. A gentle opening might become a practical observation, a playful warning or an extravagant image. When the authors reveal their contributions, each sentence gains another layer: you can hear how different people approached the same handful of words.
Try a garden sayings workshop
For this original Toysit activity, start with a clearly invented line: “A patient sunflower always…” Everyone completes it in their own way. A sunflower might wait for the clouds to leave, save a seat for a bee or wear its tallest hat on Sunday.
- Write the opening at the top of several paper slips, or say it aloud for a drawing round.
- Each person adds an ending and a small picture. Partners can share the writing.
- Read the completed sayings together and talk about the scene each one suggests.
- Fold the pages into a little garden book. Add a title and a cover showing the sunflower.
For another page, invent a new beginning about a puddle, an oak leaf or a snail’s front door. Label the book “Our Made-Up Garden Sayings” so every reader knows these are the group’s own creations.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The original product account and commentary are preserved below as historical coverage.
Voted a Best Party Game of the Year by Games magazine
Voted a Best Party Game of the Year by Games magazine, Wise and Otherwise belongs next to Pictionary and Scrabble in your arsenal of fun. This creative, interactive game revolves around 500 cards, each emblazoned with five obscure and long-forgotten sayings from around the world. For example, one old Chinese saying is, "Don't add salt to a boatload of salt fish." One side of the card states, "Don't add salt to"... and it is the job of the players to devise probable endings. "Don't add salt to salty soup," for example. Or, "Don't add salt to the open wound." (The actual endings are listed on the flip sides of the cards.) A player wins points when other players vote for his or her special ending, or when the player guesses the actual ending, so the goal is to finish the proverb as convincingly as possible given the geographic region in question. Each elegant box contains one game board, 500 cards, six writing pads, six pencils, one die, and six player pawns. People who love language, oddly hilarious translations, offbeat proverbs, or just making people look foolish by guessing their very clever answers will adore this game.
Wise and Otherwise is a board game that challenges players to complete well-known and obscure proverbs, often with hilarious results. In this game, one player reads out the beginning of a proverb and the other players are tasked with completing it. While one player knows the real ending, the others make up their own, aiming to create a plausible or amusing conclusion. Players then vote on which ending they think is the real one. The game combines wit, strategy, and a bit of bluffing, offering a unique platform for language and cultural exploration. It's a hit at gatherings, helping to break the ice and get people talking, laughing, and thinking. It taps into the universal appeal of folklore and wisdom, making it a fun and educational experience for all age groups.
Sources and editorial notes
The play description here is based on Toysit’s original account and photograph. An original rulebook was not recovered; the publisher’s former website was inaccessible during research. The original component counts, award statement and cultural attribution remain in historical coverage and are not independently reverified. Exact scoring and translation provenance are therefore not restated as established facts. The garden sayings are original fiction, not traditional proverbs. No physical testing was performed.
- Original Toysit image — Existing same-site photograph reviewed and retained unchanged.
- Original Toysit coverage — Complete original product account and historical commentary preserved.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
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