The Ungame Couples Cards

The Ungame is a card game that, as the name implies, is not intended for competition but for communication. The author, at one time in her life, was unable to talk. She realized that she was the hub of communication at the dinner table – asking her husband and children about their day. After meals of mostly silence, she wrote cards with questions on them and placed them at her family’s plates. The circle of communication was revived. In time, she became so comfortable with her temporary affliction that she resumed giving dinner parties. Her guests had such a great time that they encouraged her to publish the product; hence, the board game.

The board game comes with generic questions. The two decks we carry are for couples and for family. The cards are separated into easy and sophisticated/provocative questions. They range from, “What is your favorite color?” and “If you were an animal, which one would you be and why?” to “What would you want to be remembered for?” The person drawing the card reads the question and has the option of answering or passing. The listeners are required to be supportive. I often find myself riding in our car with my best friend, Gail, but because I am from Mars I don’t easily find topics to share with her. We keep the couples’ cards in the glove compartment of the car for just such occasions. When we attend weddings, in addition to the wedding present, we include the cards with a note, “Put these in your car – you won’t need them for the first year and half.” The family cards, as the name implies, is intended to stimulate communication amongst the family members.