Batman: The Animated Series left television over 20 years ago (has it really been that long?), but for its most devoted fans, its artistry is as relevant now as it was in the mid-90s. New fans have long been exasperated over its absence on all streaming mediums (currently, you can only watch BTAS by purchasing the DVDs), but it seems we’ve been thrown the smallest of bones. Cryptozoic Entertainment has just released a new card game called Almost Got ‘Im, based on the wildly popular episode of the second season.
Almost Got ‘Im is as meta as it gets. The game casts five to eight players in the role of well-known BTAS villains (Penguin, Two-Face, Killer Croc, Joker, Riddler, Poison Ivy), but as in the eponymous episode, one of those villains is actually (spoiler alert for a 20-year-old cartoon) The Bats in disguise. Modelled after deduction games like Mafia and Werewolf, Almost Got ‘Im follows poker rules, with each villain aiming to build specific poker hands in order to activate personalized special abilities (for instance, the Joker can induce other players to reveal and forfeit Jokers, if they hold them). The secret Batman must avoid detection and subdue the villains, while Arkham’s rogues do their utmost to sniff him out. It stays true to the Batman milieu—everyone has a secret identity they’re trying to protect.
As a self-professed Batman: The Animated Series obsessive, I want this game for the cards alone. Almost Got ‘Im offers a proper 52-card poker deck featuring the classic art deco-style BTAS artwork. You get Batman, Catwoman, the Joker, and more, with suits of diamonds, Riddler question marks, Bat signals, and Harley-style hearts. And let’s be real: I want to pretend to be Batman. And the Joker. And everyone else in Gotham. Fulfilling those sad fantasies makes the $20 price tag look like chump change.
Get Almost Got ‘Im now at Cryptozoic Entertainment.
